How to Add a Profile Picture to Your Microsoft 365 Account Using Microsoft Teams Overview Adding a profile picture to your Microsoft 365 account through Microsoft Teams helps personalize your experience and makes it easier for colleagues to recognize you. Follow these steps to upload your profile picture. Steps to Add a Profile Picture Step 1: Open Microsoft Teams Launch the Microsoft Teams application on your computer or open the Microsoft Teams web app. Sign in with your NetID credentials if prompted. Step 2: Access Your Profile Settings In the upper-right corner of the Teams interface, click on your profile icon. Click the Profile Picture Image to upload a new profile picture. Step 3: Upload Your Profile Picture A dialog box titled Change your profile picture will appear. Click Upload. Browse your computer to select the photo you want to use. Adjust the photo as needed and click Save. Your new profile picture will be updated across all Microsoft 365 apps, including Teams. Tips for Choosing a Profile Picture Use a clear, high-resolution image. Ensure the photo is professional and appropriate for your workplace. Avoid using group photos or images with distracting backgrounds. Troubleshooting If you encounter any issues while uploading your profile picture, try the following: Ensure your photo meets the required file format (JPEG, PNG) and size limits. Clear your Teams cache and try again.  

Maintaining a separation between personal and university information within your Microsoft 365 (M365) account is crucial for security, organization, and compliance with Colorado State University’s (CSU) Acceptable Use Policy. This article highlights the importance of this separation and offers best practices to ensure effective management. Applicable to: Fort Collins, Pueblo, Spur, System Affiliation: Students, Faculty, Staff, Guests Security Benefits of Separating Information Protect Sensitive Data: Keeping personal and university information separate helps protect sensitive university data from unauthorized access. Reduce Risk of Data Breaches: Avoid mixing personal and professional data to reduce the likelihood of accidental data breaches, which could expose university information. Protection of Personal Information Safeguard Personal Data: Keeping personal files separate helps protect personal information from potential university system access. Avoid Unintentional Sharing: Reduces the risk of accidentally sharing personal data in a university setting, helping to maintain your privacy. Organization Benefits Easier File Management: Separating storage for personal and university data promotes organized file structures, enabling quicker document retrieval. Avoid Clutter: Prevent personal files from cluttering university storage space, ensuring efficient use of university resources. Compliance with University Policies Adhere to Policies: CSU policies mandate that university data be stored in compliance with institutional guidelines and legal requirements. Ensure Accountability: Proper separation provides a clear audit trail for university activities, ensuring accountability and traceability. Best Practices for Separation 1. Use Different Accounts Separate Email Accounts: Use your university-assigned M365 account for university business only. Set up a personal email account for non-university matters. Distinct OneDrive Folders: Maintain separate folders within OneDrive to organize personal and university documents. 2. Manage Permissions Carefully Limit Access: Grant access to university-related documents only to authorized personnel. Avoid sharing personal files on the university network. Set Clear Naming Conventions: Use distinct and clear naming conventions for files and folders to differentiate between personal and university content. 3. Conduct Regular Audits Periodic Checks: Regularly review your OneDrive and email folders to verify proper separation between personal and university information. Clean Up: Regularly remove any personal files stored in your university account to keep your storage organized and compliant. Support and Resources IT Help Desk: Contact the CSU IT Help Desk for assistance in setting up your M365 account or managing file separation. Training Resources: Access CSU's online resources and training materials to learn more about effectively managing your M365 account. Guiding Principles from the CSU System Acceptable Use Policy Ethical Use: Reflect academic honesty and integrity in your use of university resources. Respect for Privacy: Show respect for intellectual property, system security mechanisms, and individual privacy. Efficient Use: Use resources responsibly and legally, in alignment with the instructional, research, and administrative goals of the university. Outcome Following these practices ensures the security of both university and personal information, facilitates organized file management, and supports compliance with university policies.

Maintaining an organized and clutter-free M365 account is essential for optimal performance and efficiency. This guide outlines effective strategies for managing storage across M365 services, including Exchange (Outlook), OneDrive, and Teams, while providing tips to prevent data loss and maximize available storage. Applicable to: Fort Collins, Pueblo, Spur, System Affiliation: Students, Faculty, Staff, Guests, Community Prerequisites Ensure you have access to your M365 account and its storage-related features (Exchange, OneDrive, Teams, etc.). Understand your organization's storage quotas and retention policies. Instructions 1. Manage Exchange (Outlook) storage Review mailbox size by navigating to your account settings and checking the Storage Usage tab. Sort emails by date or size to prioritize large or older emails for removal. Use search filters to locate emails with large attachments or specific keywords. Archive and delete emails: Move important emails to the Archive folder to free up primary inbox space while retaining access. Set up auto-archive rules to automate this process. Delete unnecessary emails by selecting them and clicking the delete button. Empty the Deleted Items folder periodically by right-clicking it and selecting Empty Folder. Recover deleted emails: Check the Recoverable Items folder if an important email was deleted. Use the Recover Deleted Items tool to restore accidentally deleted messages. Please see solution article for further guidance on this matter. 2. Manage OneDrive storage Review storage usage by opening OneDrive settings and navigating to the Manage Storage section. Organize files by grouping them into folders for better accessibility. Delete unnecessary files by right-clicking and selecting Delete. Free up space using these strategies: Move large or infrequently used files to an external drive or cloud-based archival storage. Enable Files On-Demand to ensure only the files you use regularly are stored locally on your device. Compress large files to reduce their size before uploading. Recover deleted files: Access the Recycle Bin to restore deleted files within the retention period (30 days by default). Important: Files purged from the Recycle Bin cannot be recovered. Please see solution article for further guidance on this matter. 3. Manage Teams storage Review storage in Teams by accessing the Files tab in individual Teams or channels. Delete unnecessary files and recordings to free up space. Best practices for Teams storage: Save important files to a dedicated folder in OneDrive or SharePoint for better organization. Clean up chats by deleting old conversations or removing unnecessary shared files. Please see solution article for further guidance on this matter. 4. General M365 storage tips Regularly review shared documents, recordings, and other content stored in SharePoint. Back up critical data to external storage solutions for added security. Understand your organization's retention and quota policies to avoid data loss. Actions that make items unrecoverable Exceeding quotas: Storage limits for Exchange, OneDrive, and Teams can result in data being purged or inaccessible. Retention expirations: Data retained by policy rules (e.g., email retention, file retention) will be permanently deleted after the retention period ends. Manual deletions: Items purged from the Recoverable Items folder (Exchange) or Recycle Bin (OneDrive) cannot be recovered. Overwriting files: Saving new files with identical names may overwrite existing ones without recovery options. Separating personal and university information It is crucial to maintain a clear boundary between personal and university-related data within your M365 account to ensure compliance with university policies, data security, and ease of management. Why it’s important Data security: University accounts are subject to strict security policies. Mixing personal data with university information can increase the risk of unintentional data breaches. Ownership clarity: Information stored in your university account is considered property of the university and may be subject to auditing or other official uses. Personal files should not be included in this scope. Efficiency: Separating data helps you quickly locate university-related documents or emails without sifting through personal items. Best practices for separation Store personal files in a separate personal OneDrive or cloud storage account, not in your university-provided OneDrive. Use a personal email account for non-university communication. Avoid mixing personal emails with university emails in your Exchange account. Create distinct folders in OneDrive, Teams, or SharePoint for university-related projects to maintain organization. Review shared documents to ensure no personal information is inadvertently shared through university platforms. Potential risks of mixing personal and university data Loss of access: When you leave the university, your M365 account, along with all associated files, may be deactivated, resulting in loss of personal files if they are stored there. Policy violations: Storing personal information in university-provided accounts may violate IT usage policies and could result in restricted access or disciplinary action. Please see solution article for further guidance on this matter Best practices Perform weekly reviews of your email, OneDrive, and Teams storage to identify unnecessary items. Conduct monthly deep cleans to delete outdated files, archive critical content, and optimize available storage. Carry out a quarterly audit to ensure compliance with organizational policies and that no important data is at risk of loss. Leverage shared storage solutions like SharePoint for team-based file management. Use data compression and external drives for archiving large files. Outcome By following these steps, you can efficiently manage storage across your M365 account, prevent clutter, and ensure critical files and communications are secure and accessible. For additional support, contact the IT Service Desk.

This article provides detailed methods and strategies to reduce and maintain Microsoft Teams storage usage. It includes instructions for managing files, removing unnecessary data, and optimizing shared resources. Why Teams storage management is important Performance improvement: Freeing up storage ensures Teams remains fast and responsive, avoiding slowdowns caused by excessive data. Storage optimization: Microsoft 365 allocates limited storage to Teams; managing usage ensures you stay within your quota. Compliance and security: Proper file management practices enhance compliance with university policies and prevent accidental data sharing. Searchability: Removing outdated files and redundant data makes it easier to locate important resources. Collaboration efficiency: Clean and organized Teams channels streamline communication and project management. Strategies to reduce Teams storage usage Delete unused or outdated files in Teams channels. Organize files within Teams folders. Remove obsolete chat files and messages. Utilize OneDrive and SharePoint for archival storage. Deleting unused or outdated files in Teams channels Using the Teams desktop or web app: Navigate to the Files tab in the desired channel. Locate files that are no longer needed. Right-click on the file and select Delete. Check the Recycle Bin in SharePoint to confirm deletion or restore accidentally deleted files. Using the Teams mobile app: Open the Microsoft Teams app and go to the desired channel. Tap on the Files tab. Select the file you want to delete. Tap the Delete icon (usually a trash can). Organizing files within Teams folders On the desktop or web app: Open the Files tab in a channel. Click New and create folders for better categorization of files. Drag and drop files into the appropriate folders. Best practices: Keep folders logically named based on projects, teams, or time periods. Regularly review files and move obsolete ones to archival storage. Removing obsolete chat files and messages Go to the chat where files are shared. Hover over the file or message and click the More options (three dots). Select Delete to remove the message or file. Encourage team members to delete their obsolete messages and attachments as well. Using OneDrive and SharePoint for archival storage Open the file in the Files tab or your local OneDrive sync folder. Click Move to and select an appropriate SharePoint folder or personal OneDrive folder. Confirm the file has been moved before deleting it from Teams. Automating file management with retention policies Work with IT admins to set up retention policies in Teams for automatic deletion of old files and messages. Ensure retention policies align with organizational data compliance rules. Outcome By following these steps, you can reduce storage usage in Teams, improve collaboration efficiency, and stay within your organization's allocated quota. Regular reviews and organized file management practices will help maintain optimal performance and usability.

Learn the best practices for storing, managing, and collaborating on files using Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint. While the Department of Information Technology (DoIT) does not provide direct training, we recommend using official Microsoft training resources and third-party guides to help you use these tools effectively. Applicable to: Fort Collins, Pueblo, SPUR Affiliation: Students, Faculty, Staff Prerequisites You must have an active CSU Microsoft 365 account and be signed in with your CSU NetID to access Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint. Features Microsoft training resources Microsoft provides official, up-to-date training materials that cover all aspects of Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint. These are the best place to start for learning how to navigate the Microsoft 365 environment. For comprehensive training on Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint, we recommend the following Microsoft training videos: Microsoft Teams video training Microsoft OneDrive video training Microsoft SharePoint video training General best practices OneDrive for personal file storage Use OneDrive to store files that are personal or for individual work only. Files in OneDrive are tied to your CSU account and may no longer be accessible if you leave the university. OneDrive is best for working drafts, individual notes, or files not yet ready for sharing. SharePoint and Teams for collaboration Use SharePoint and Teams for shared files, group collaboration, and cross-departmental work. Files in Teams/SharePoint remain accessible to team members even if individual contributors leave CSU. These platforms offer shared ownership, permissions management, and integrated communication tools. Managing files and file types Store Microsoft 365 file types (such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) in Teams and SharePoint for optimal performance. Avoid storing CAD files or large datasets in SharePoint or Teams, as they may lead to performance issues or syncing problems. Folder structure and metadata organization Maintain a flat folder structure instead of deeply nested folders (e.g., Folder > Subfolder > Sub-subfolder). Use metadata tags and filters to organize documents and support easy navigation. This structure improves accessibility and makes search and management tasks easier for all team members. Additional resources Although training isn’t directly provided by the department, we recommend these community and Microsoft resources: SharePoint Maven best practices Origami Connect SharePoint training Microsoft SharePoint user guide Outcome By following these best practices, you’ll ensure your files are stored in the right place, easy to access, and managed in a way that supports teamwork, retention, and performance across CSU’s Microsoft 365 environment.