McFile Help

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Cloud drives ​

Edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint files stored in McFile with the editor you already use. You check a file out to your own cloud drive, edit it there, and check it in when you're done. McFile keeps the file: the copy in your drive is only a working copy.

Available today: OneDrive. Google Drive and Dropbox will follow.

How it works ​

  • While you have a file checked out, others see Checked out by your name. They can still open and download the last checked-in version, but they can't check it out themselves.
  • Checking in saves your changes as a new version of the file. The version before it is kept under Previous versions, so nothing is lost.
  • McFile only uses its own folder in your drive. It never sees your other files.
  • A file up to 50 MB can be checked out.

Set it up for your organisation (admins) ​

Cloud drives are off until an admin turns them on.

  1. Open Admin ▸ General and scroll to Cloud drives.
  2. Turn on the drives your people may use.

Your data leaves McFile while a file is checked out

A checked-out file is copied out of McFile's storage into the person's own cloud account, outside your data residency region, until it is checked in. Turn a drive on only if that is acceptable for your organisation.

Use your organisation's own app (OneDrive) ​

Many organisations only let their people sign in to apps they have approved. Then McFile's own OneDrive app is blocked, and the drive shows Needs your organisation's own app registration before it can be turned on. You can register the app in your own directory instead:

  1. In the Microsoft Entra admin center, open App registrations ▸ New registration.
  2. Supported account types: only your organisation (then enter its directory ID in McFile), or any organisation and personal Microsoft accounts (leave the directory ID empty).
  3. Redirect URI: platform Web, the address McFile shows under Redirect URI.
  4. API permissions ▸ Microsoft Graph ▸ Delegated: offline_access, User.Read, Files.ReadWrite.AppFolder.
  5. Certificates & secrets ▸ New client secret: copy its Value (not its ID).
  6. Back in McFile, under Cloud drives ▸ OneDrive, choose Use your own app, enter the client ID, the directory ID if you limited the app to your organisation, and the client secret, then Save app.

McFile stores the secret write-only and never shows it again. To rotate it, create a new secret at Microsoft, save it in McFile, and delete the old one at Microsoft a few minutes later.

You can't change the client ID or stop using your own app while someone has a file checked out through it. When you do change it, people connect their drive again.

Connect your drive ​

  1. Open your name at the top right ▸ Account.
  2. Under Connected drives, choose Connect next to the drive.
  3. Sign in to your drive in the window that opens and allow McFile's access.

You can also connect while checking out a file. If a drive shows Needs to be connected again, choose Connect once more.

Edit a file ​

  1. Open the file in McFile and choose Edit.
  2. Pick your drive and choose Check out. The file is copied to the McFile folder of your drive.
  3. Choose Open in desktop app (on a computer with Office installed) or Open in OneDrive to edit it in the browser.
  4. Save your changes in the editor as usual.
  5. Back in McFile, open the file, choose Checked out ▸ Check in. McFile saves your changes as a new version. If nothing changed, it says so and keeps the version.

Changed your mind? Discard check-out releases the file without saving the drive copy's changes to McFile. After a check-in or a discard, the copy may stay in your drive; you can delete it there.

A file someone forgot to check in ​

If a colleague has a file checked out and is away, someone with the Manage right on the document, or a workspace admin, can open it and choose Release check-out. Changes they haven't checked in don't come back to McFile, and they are notified.

Troubleshooting ​

  • “The sign-in window was closed.” Connect again and finish the sign-in in the window.
  • The drive can't be turned on, or sign-in is refused by your organisation. Your organisation only allows approved apps: an admin registers your own app (see above).
  • “The drive copy could not be found.” The copy was moved or deleted in your drive. Discard the check-out and check the file out again.