How to Setup & Use OneDrive Personal Vault in Windows 11 & 10

To safely store sensitive files like personal photos, financial documents, IDs, etc., you can use the Personal Vault folder in OneDrive. It automatically encrypts all the files you put in it to add an additional layer of security and requires secondary authentication to access those files. In this tutorial, let me show you how to set up and use Personal Vault in OneDrive on Windows 11 and Windows 10.

What is OneDrive Personal Vault?

Personal Vault is a secure folder in your OneDrive account that is designed to protect sensitive files like IDs, financial documents, and personal photos. It provides an additional layer of security through AES-256-bit encryption, one of the strongest encryption standards available, and secondary authentication methods such as OTP, fingerprint, PIN, or facial recognition.

By default, the Personal Vault automatically locks after 5 minutes of inactivity or when you log out of OneDrive. You must verify your identity each time you access the vault, even if you are already logged into your OneDrive account. That way, even if someone has access to your OneDrive account, they cannot open the Personal Vault without passing the additional authentication step.

Personal Vault can be accessed from all platforms that support OneDrive. This includes Windows, Android, iOS, Linux, and Web.

Steps to Setup OneDrive Personal Vault

1. Open File Explorer by pressing “Windows key + E”.
2. Click “OneDrive” on the left sidebar.
3. Double-click the “Personal Vault” folder.
4. Click the “Next” button.
5. Click the “Allow” button.
6. Authenticate your MS account when prompted.
7. With that, you’ve set up Personal Vault in OneDrive.
8. To use Personal Vault, open it like any other folder and copy files into it.
9. Close the File Explorer.
10. Personal Vault automatically locks after 5 minutes.

Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)

First, open the File Explorer by pressing the “Windows key + E” shortcut. Next, go to the “OneDrive” folder on the sidebar.

Note: Alternatively, you can also open the OneDrive website using the browser of your choice.

In the OneDrive folder, double-click the “Personal Vault” folder.

You will see a welcome screen. Click on the “Next” button to continue.

Click the “Allow” button in the permission window to continue.

Next, OneDrive will ask you to verify your identity by entering an OTP or another form of enabled secondary authentication. Perform the required authentication and click the “Verify” button.

That is it. With that, you are done setting up Personal Vault in OneDrive.

To use the Personal Vault, open the folder and copy the files that you want to protect.

Once done, close the File Explorer window and the Personal Vault will auto-lock after 5 minutes of inactivity. Alternatively, you can also manually lock it by right-clicking on the Personal Vault and selecting the “OneDrive” > “Lock Personal Vault” option.

Note: If you are using Personal Vault on the web, click the “Vault” option on the top bar and select “Lock” to lock it manually.

That is all. It is that simple to set up and use Personal Vault on Windows 11 and Windows 10.

Wrapping Up — OneDrive Personal Vault

In conclusion, setting up the OneDrive Personal Vault is straightforward. Simply double-click the Personal Vault folder, verify your identity using a second authentication step (e.g., OTP or fingerprint), and it’s ready to use. Once unlocked, the Personal Vault functions like a regular OneDrive folder, allowing you to drag and drop files you want to secure. Afterward, you can manually lock the Personal Vault or let it lock itself automatically after 5 minutes of inactivity.

It’s worth noting that while the Personal Vault feature is available to all OneDrive users, free accounts are limited to storing up to three files in the vault. However, paid users with a Microsoft 365 subscription can store an unlimited number of files.

If you are looking for an alternative, you can also create a password-protected folder, hide important folders, or even use BitLocker encryption.

If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.

Update: This tutorial is updated to reflect the changes in the Personal Vault setup process.