How to Add Site Collection Admin to OneDrive: A Robust Guide

In this digital era, storage management is a big problem for individuals and business organizations. To address this, Microsoft introduced OneDrive, a cloud-based storage solution that allows users to store, share, and manage files securely. Managing user access and data in OneDrive for Business is crucial, especially in organizations where IT admins need control over employees’ files. To grant access or access someone’s OneDrive for business, you will need to add secondry admin to OneDrive. This role is essential in various situations, such as when an employee leaves the company, an account that can’t be accessed due to technical issues, or data that needs to be reviewed for compliance.

In this guide, we’ll explain why we need to Add Site Collection Admin into OneDrive, where it is used, and provide step-by-step methods using both the Microsoft 365 Admin Center and SharePoint Online Management Shell.

Why Add Site Collection Admin to OneDrive?

 A Site Collection Administrator in OneDrive has full control over a user’s OneDrive for Business and it is beneficial in some scenarios like:

•  In Major or we can say in big organizations when an employee leaves, an admin can access their OneDrive data to transfer files
•  The major reason is that admins can access and review OneDrive data for compliance in legal or audit cases.

 Methods to Add Site Collection Administrator into OneDrive

There are 2 main approaches to add site collection admin OneDrive:

• By using the Microsoft 365 Admin Center
• The SharePoint Online Management Shell

1) Add site admin collection to onedrive using Microsoft Admin Center

1. Go to Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
2. Sign in with an account that has Global Administrator or SharePoint Administrator permissions.
3. In the left pane, expand Admin Centers and select SharePoint (or visit SharePoint Admin Center).

4. In the SharePoint Admin Center, go to More features (in the left navigation).

5. Click Open under the User Profiles section.

6. Under People, select Manage User Profiles.

7. Search for the user whose OneDrive you want to modify.

8. Click on the user’s name, then select Manage Personal Site.

9. Once the OneDrive site opens, click the gear icon in the top-right corner. Select Site settings.
10. Under Users and Permissions, click Site Collection Administrators.

11. Add the user(s) you want to make administrators.

12. Click OK to save changes.

2)  Add Secondary Admin to OneDrive By Using SharePoint Online Management Shell

 By using SharePoint Online Management Shell admins can add multiple users by running the commands. to add a site collection admin in OneDrive run the below command:

#Set Runtime Parameters
$AdminSiteURL="https:// tenant name-admin.sharepoint.com"
$SiteCollAdmin="[email protected]"

 
#Connect to SharePoint Online Admin Center
Connect-SPOService -Url $AdminSiteURL

#Get all OneDrive for Business Site collections
$OneDriveSites = Get-SPOSite -Template "SPSPERS" -Limit ALL -IncludePersonalSite $True
Write-Host -f Yellow "Total Number of OneDrive Sites Found: "$OneDriveSites.count
 
#Add Site Collection Admin to each OneDrive
Foreach($Site in $OneDriveSites)
{
    Write-Host -f Yellow "Adding Site Collection Admin to: "$Site.URL 
    Set-SPOUser -Site $Site.Url -LoginName $SiteCollAdmin -IsSiteCollectionAdmin $True
}
Write-Host "Site Collection Admin Added to All OneDrive Sites Successfully!" -f Green

 Best Practices to Add Site Collection Admin to OneDrive

1. Ensure to Limit the number of admins so that to prevent security risks, assign access only to necessary users as site collections admin.
2. Having too many users can cause accidental deletions and unauthorized changes.
3. Regularly review permissions and make updates as needed. Remove admin site collection rights from users who no longer need access.
4. If managing multiple users in bulk, use SharePoint Online Management Shell to assign and remove site collection admins.

Notable point while Adding Site Collection Admin OneDrive

• Ensure you have Global Admin or SharePoint Admin rights.
• Try accessing OneDrive settings via SharePoint Admin Center instead.
• Ensure you have installed SharePoint Online Management Shell correctly.
• Run SharePoint Online Management Shell as Administrator to avoid permission issues.
• If changes are not taking effect immediately, Wait for a few minutes as updates may take some time to spread across Microsoft 365.
• Try logging out and back in or refreshing the OneDrive page.

Conclusion

Adding Site Collection Admin to OneDrive is essential for secure and efficient data management. Whether using the Microsoft 365 Admin Center for a quick setup or SharePoint Online Management Shell for bulk or multiple actions, the process ensures admins have the right access to manage files and assist users. In this article, we’ve discussed how to add a Secondary Site Admin to OneDrive while following best practices and troubleshooting common issues. Regular reviews and proper coordination will help maintain an organized and secure OneDrive environment.

Pre-Provision in OneDrive