Tech tips: How to upload, create, or delete files in a library
You can upload documents, pictures, and other types of files to your site by dragging them from your computer to a library on your site, such as Documents or your SkyDrive library. First, open the library on your site. Then find the documents on your computer that you want to upload, select them, and drag them to the space in your library where it says, drag files here.
If you don’t see the option to drag and drop files, install the latest version of your browser software or Microsoft Office 2013. This feature requires either Office 2013 or the latest version of Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Chrome.
If the first method of dragging files is not working for you and you don’t want to install software, try this instead: click new document.
In the dialog box that appears, click Upload files using Windows Explorer instead. A File Explorer window opens for that library. You can then drag files from your computer into the File Explorer window. This option requires the Internet Explorer web browser and if you are using Office 365, you’ll need to select Keep me signed in when you sign in.
If neither of the drag-and-drop methods is working for you, or if you prefer, click new document, click Browse and then browse to files one at a time to upload them to the library.
You can also create, manage, or delete documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and other types of files in a library.
Note: Before you can upload or create files in a library, you need to have permission to contribute to the library. Also, some file types are blocked for security reasons.
Uploading large files or many files to a library
If you are uploading large files–or many files that add up to a large total size–to a library, you may get errors due to the file size limit in SharePoint or timeout errors in your version of Internet Explorer. Steps you can take to get around these errors include:
- Upload fewer than 100 files at a time to make sure the upload doesn’t time out.
- Avoid uploading files larger than 250 MB, which is the maximum file size by default.
- If your organization maintains an on-premises deployment of SharePoint, ask the server administrator to verify or increase the maximum file size limit to accommodate the size of the files you are uploading. The default size limit is 250 MB, but it can be increased.
- For file sizes exceeding 2 GB, if you see a “Working on it” message that never goes away, follow the instructions in Microsoft Support: Internet Explorer error “connection timed out” when server does not respond.
Considerations when adding files to a library
There are several ways to add files to libraries, depending on whether you are uploading files you’ve already created or creating new files.
In a wiki page library, you can create new wiki pages, but you cannot upload existing files.
Uploading files: You can upload one or more files to a library after you create them in your favorite program. Uploading files is useful when you have many files to add to a library. Uploading files is the only way to add files to a picture library. Your experience when dragging files to a library may differ slightly depending on which browser you use and whether the latest version of Microsoft Office is installed on your computer.
Creating a new file: You can create a new file from within a library. The type of file that you can create depends on the template or templates that your site owner or administrator associates with the library, such as a Microsoft Word template. If you want to create an additional type of file in your library, contact your site owner or administrator.
Required check out: Libraries can be configured to require you to check out files before you edit them. If you are uploading a file to a library that requires files to be checked out, the file is initially checked out to you. You need to check the file in before other people can edit it. When you check in a file, you are prompted to enter comments about the changes that you made.
File versions: You can add a new file to a library or replace an existing file with a revised version of a file. If the library is configured to track versions of files, you can add the revised file as a new version, which becomes part of the version history of the file. If you are uploading a new version of a file, consider typing comments about what changed in this version so that you can more easily track the history of the file.
File properties: When you add a file to a library, you may also be required to fill out file properties. File properties can include basic information about a file, such as its description or keywords to help people search for it, or properties can include information that is specific to your organization, such as a department name or a project number.
Content approval: A library can be set to require approval of the content before it is visible to all users who can view files in the library. Content approval means that a user with permission to approve or reject content can specify whether new items or changes to existing items should remain in a pending state until they are approved. Content approval is helpful when you want manage the contents of a library or keep content in a pending state while it is being finished.
Create a new file in a library
Follow these instructions to create a file from a template in a library.
1. In the library where you want to create a file, in the header, click Files > New Documen
If additional templates are associated with your library, other choices appear when you click the arrow next to the New Document command. For example, other choices could include New Worksheet or New Contract.
2. A file opens in your application based on the template associated with the command you clicked. Add the information that you want to your file.
3. Save the file as you normally do by clicking the Save button or command in the application, and then naming your file.
4. The file is added to the library and should appear in the list of files. If you do not see your files in the library right away, refresh the browser.
- Depending on how your library is set up, you may be prompted for additional information about the file when you save it. For example, you may be asked to choose the content type of the file or enter more details about the file.
- If you are saving a file to a library that requires files to be checked out, the file is initially checked out to you. You have to check in the file before other people can edit it.
- If content approval is required for your library, your file may need to be approved before it is visible to everyone who has permission to view the files in the library.
Delete one or more files in a library
Be careful when you delete files. Deleting files may be permanent and you may not be able to recover them. Consider moving or archiving the files instead. Depending on how your site was configured, you may be able to recover files from the Recycle Bin for the site. Find more information about the Recycle Bin in the See Also section.
- Make sure the files you want to delete are not checked out by refreshing the browser and noting the icon in the Type column. Files must be checked back in by the person who checked them out before you can delete them.
- Select each file that you want to delete by hovering over the file and then clicking the check box.
- In the header, click Files > Delete Document.
Via Microsoft
