One Drive

[dollymay]

I use hotmail/Microsoft Outlook. I keep getting pop up notices saying I am not signed in to One Drive and I need to sign in. I just close the window. What is this and can I just ignore it??

[JimF]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OneDrive

Just log in.

[Old_Geezer]

It's storage space on someone's server. 'The Cloud' as they like to put it. If you don't want to store your private data on the Internet but prefer to keep it on your PC drives, then ignore it.

[dollymay]

Thanks, will continue to ignore it.

[Buenchico]

One of the things I hate most about Microsoft is the way that they turn on features by default, often leaving using users baffled about how to turn them off. (For example, Word users find that many automatic text-editing functions are turned on and can spend ages trying to work out how to turn them off).

Microsoft assumes that everyone using their email service also wants to use their cloud storage ('OneDrive'), so it's turned on by default and wants to know why you're not signed into it. If you don't want to use it though you can 'unlink' it by following these instructions:
https://support.office.com/en-gb/article/turn-off-disable-or-uninstall-onedrive-f32a17ce-3336-40fe-9c38-6efb09f944b0?ui=en-US&rs=en-GB&ad=GB

[Togo]

One Drive is not intrusive or malicious. It is a microsoft facility to help you store, access, share, and collaborate on all your work files from anywhere with Microsoft on any device. I find it invaluable and have been signed in with it for about 10 years. It will not impose on your activity as you use the web or communicate but it does like you to affirm your identity every now and again when you log on. It does this automatically as you launch a browser. I am assuming that you have wisely got yourself a "Microsoft account" (free) and if so this is just part of the package.

[dollymay]

If I do decide to sign in to One Drive, what password do I need to confirm my identity, is it the normal ID and password for hotmail??
Thanks to you all for your replies.

[Buenchico]

I wouldn't touch Hotmail/Outlook.com with an infinite number of the proverbial bargepoles but that nice Mr Google, together with the Microsoft website, indicates that the passwords for Hotmail and Microsoft are the same:
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook_com/forum/all/is-my-hotmailcom-password-the-same-as-my-microsoft/b9c758ed-dfeb-4d60-b7d7-25c9085e8241

[Togo]

Same log in as your mail dolly. Address and password and tick the remember me box. You will only ever need to sign in again if your internet goes down or there is a big system upgrade.

[Togo]

Hmm that "sent" early. I was also saying that you will find a little icon that appears bottom right in your task bar( looks like a double cloud) you can click on the icon and choose your settings and preferences. Nothing to fear. Those of us who can, and do, have it do not need second hand reports from the interwebby whatsit to have an opinion.

[dollymay]

Thanks again to you all for your answers!