Using Office apps with non-Microsoft cloud services

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ISSUE 22.14 • 2025-04-07 MICROSOFT 365 By Peter Deegan OneDrive and SharePoint aren’t the only cloud storage options available. There are others that
[See the full post at: Using Office apps with non-Microsoft cloud services]

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glnz, DLivesInTexas, fisher75, opti1, windbg, John18, lmacri, abbodi86

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Proton is under attack by the Swiss government.

Andy Yen gegen Revisionsplan des Bundesrats: «Mit dieser aggressiven Überwachung müsste Proton die Schweiz verlassen» | Der Bund

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opti1, John18, dgc-art, Alex5723

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I have never used any cloud service because I am afraid of the provider being hacked and then bad actors getting into my personal I.D.

But I want to be sure that I can always get my data even if one of my computers goes down.  Like many others I do have more than one computer. So what I do is copy any files I want to be always available to me to each computer. I do the storage on external hard drives. I move the material from  the computer where it is originated to the others on flash drives. So redundancy is my  answer.

 

 

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Everyone should have their own backups/redundancy in addition to making use of the benefits of cloud services.

I am afraid of the provider being hacked and then bad actors getting into my personal I.D.

That’s possible but a more likely problem is a government requiring a cloud provider supply copies of data stored on their service.

That’s why I and others on this thread suggest Proton.  As described in the article, Proton doesn’t have access to users files because all cloud storage is encrypted with a password only known to the user.

A government agency could ask Proton for a users files, but all Proton could do is hand over a highly encrypted jumble that would be difficult, impractical or impossible to decrypt.

Peter Deegan
Office-Watch.com

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windbg

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Thank you for your article on this important info Peter.  I think I’m a bit ignorant on the subject – how likely is it that the government is going to request MY data? Why would they access my data?  I feel like a hack is more likely.

So this is my ignorance – thinking there’s no way the government would be concerned with accessing my data (giving me a false sense of security?)

Is this really the reality: I do not know if/when/why the government would access my data – the fact is they could do it for any reason at any time? (And US cloud service providers will just hand it over).

Why should I be worried about it and switch to a service, such as Proton (or other?) thanks! Donna

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I am strongly considering transitioning from my mix of Outlook & Google to Proton.

I did read your linked article but I believe that Proton would leave Switzerland if that law were to pass and find a new location for their service.

I simply have never trusted Microsoft and their OneDrive service to be secure from the US government.  Free is never free.

Now I need to find my tinfoil hat.

 

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You’re not even close to ‘tin foil hat’ territory.

Any US based cloud service is legally required to hand over data on request to government agencies, often without a warrant ‘national security’ and certainly without notifying the customer.

That doesn’t just apply to Microsoft. It applies to Dropbox, Box and any service which has your data stored online.

Similar laws exist in other countries – it’s not just the USA.

Peter Deegan
Office-Watch.com

 

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windbg

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Peter, absolutely great description of “The Cloud!” I’ve been telling people for years that you don’t have to look skyward when talking about the files you’ve saved in The Cloud. Thanks for your folksy approach. I always enjoy your articles.

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Peter Deegan

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Interesting because my wife is moving her small office from three PCs to three iMacs (three employees), and we plan to reinstall our existing MS 365 Family (Office) sub-accounts for those three on the iMacs.

Questions:

1. Will the three MS 365 Office installations re-connect automatically with their existing OneDrive storage accounts?
2. Does anyone have that experience (moving existing MS 365 accounts with existing docs from PC to Apple), and how well did it go?
3. Do you have any tips for any needed advance prep work for this move, specifically for re-installing the MS 365 onto each iMac and getting the right connections to each user’s existing OneDrive?
4. And how do you all feel about OneDrive being there to continue to do backup, now from the iMacs?
5. But more – my wife would prefer to use iCloud for the document storage.  So what do you recommend?
6. Finally, would it be possible for all the MS 365 users to share a larger iCloud account (for at least their common work docs) so the documents are stored in a single place that each can access?

Thanks!!!

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Does anyone have that experience (moving existing MS 365 accounts with existing docs from PC to Apple), and how well did it go?

• I was a lifelong Windows user and purchased a Macbook in July 2023. I am also an MS365 user. I manually moved my data from the laptop to the Mac because the Apple converter tool – I can’t remember exactly why – I think was going to create a duplicate and I didn’t want that. I’m not sure I did the right thing, but I moved everything using a hard drive and it works fine. I have not experienced any issues, but I think if someone more knowledgeable would chime in here they may have better feedback.
• BTW I would prefer to stop using MS365 because there are some functionality/usage issues on Apple devices + the price is increasing this year, but I can’t seem to make that change!! I think I could live with nonMS Excel/Word, but I can’t seem to find a replacement for Outlook (that would work for me).

Will the three MS 365 Office installations re-connect automatically with their existing OneDrive storage accounts?

• I don’t recall what happened when I made the switch but I think it just connected.
  Check Notifications to set those correctly, also set up Auto Update for the MS Apps
.
• OneDrive shows up in Finder

Do you have any tips for any needed advance prep work for this move, specifically for re-installing the MS 365 onto each iMac and getting the right connections to each user’s existing OneDrive?

• I do not remember any issues with this. I think I downloaded MS365 and OneDrive connected.

And how do you all feel about OneDrive being there to continue to do backup, now from the iMacs?

• I do not use OneDrive for backup. It’s manual, isn’t it (e.g. you have to move files every time they’re updated).  I don’t know of a way to have OneDrive automatically backup your hard drive like a backup service would. Maybe it can.  I’m using Time Machine backup to a hard drive. I also have an online cloud backup for an offsite copy.

But more – my wife would prefer to use iCloud for the document storage.  So what do you recommend?

• I use iCloud for some documents. But mostly OneDrive. I have a TB of storage – which I don’t even approach. iCloud would me cost more for storage if I put more on there. I don’t think it matters, iCloud & OneDrive are both cloud storage services. Depends on what you want, how you use them.

Finally, would it be possible for all the MS 365 users to share a larger iCloud account (for at least their common work docs) so the documents are stored in a single place that each can access?

• You can set up iCloud+ Family sharing – I do this with my husband. We don’t share documents, but you can do that. Check the pricing on storage amounts.

https://support.apple.com/guide/icloud/share-files-and-folders-mm708256356b/icloud

https://support.apple.com/en-us/108783

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glnz

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dmt – Thanks for your detailed reply and links.

You wrote, “I manually moved my data from the laptop to the Mac”.

But I am curious what happens when one DOESN’T do a manual copy.  If we have six PCs with MS 365 Family, each with one of the six permitted users, each with its associated OneDrive and backed-up files, we turn those PCs off, we fire up our six new iMacs, on each iMac we install MS 365 for one of those family members, and we do that person’s MS 365 username and password login on his iMac, what happens?

Does MS 365 know what to do and so is there an automatic connection to that person’s OneDrive and files?  If yes, do some of those files automatically download to the iMac (depending on the OneDrive setting for that file)?

Very much want to know about this.

Thanks.

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Hi Ginz, sorry for the delay, I did not see you response!  Unfortunately, I cannot answer your question! Your situation with multiple family members/computers/accounts is more complicated than what I did for my one computer/account and is beyond my level of expertise.

Perhaps one of the “AskWoody” experts can chime in here to help!!! Donna

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