OneDrive Now Supports Files As Large As 10 GB

Microsoft is once again upping the ante on its cloud storage solution. After increasing OneDrive storage capacities across the board and reducing price tags everywhere, they are now giving what they claim is a top user requested feature: the ability to upload and store large files, up to 10 GB in fact.

At first, that size might not make much sense. After all, Microsoft just increased the maximum storage for free accounts to 15 GB, so a file that big would eat up a good two-thirds of your allocation. However, the previous file size limit on OneDrive is just 2 GB and there are many types of content (read: DVD/Blu-ray quality videos) that would easily exceed that mark. And then there are those who might be relying on OneDrive for their professional workflows, like video editors that store 4K quality or RAW footage in the cloud for syncing and availability everywhere.

Speaking of syncing, Microsoft is also announcing that they have implemented a faster sync process by increasing the number of files you can download and upload in parallel. And for those that want to sync files in bulk, OneDrive on the web now allows for uploading a whole folder and can even be done by drag and drop in browsers that support such operations. And for faster sharing of those files, OneDrive on Windows 7 and Windows 8 now have a "Share a OneDrive link" option when right-clicking a file stored in a OneDrive folder in Windows Explorer, bypassing the need to do all that from the web interface. Windows 8.1 and Mac versions to follow.

Microsoft has been increasingly active in pushing OneCloud to the consciousness of the public. Not just by increasing features like this, but also in increasing its presence in its own products, like Xbox Music and OneNote, as well as its presence even in rival platforms. And catch up it might really have to do, with Dropbox having a huge lead even against cloud expert Google and its Google Drive.

OneDrive users should perhaps be a bit worried about the company's policies regarding privacy. Granted, the incident last August where Microsoft tipped police about illegal content stored in a OneDrive account might have been warranted, but it does make one wonder to what extent Microsoft exercises its powers. That said, it isn't the only one doing so, as Google has also been reported to have done something similar regarding a Gmail account. In the end, one cannot presume absolute privacy when it comes to cloud services such as this. But then again, you shouldn't be putting illegal material up on their (yes, it's not yours) cloud anyway.

SOURCE: Microsoft