The standard toolkit is for U of T community members who require access to standard Microsoft tools to perform their roles at the University. It includes online access to a full range of Microsoft Office tools, eliminating the need to download applications like Word, Excel and PowerPoint: you can access them all from any internet-connected device and share, edit and collaborate on files with your colleagues. 

Prior to moving to the standard toolkit, you may have used the following features: 

1. Verify that the desktop version of Microsoft Office you are/were using is Microsoft Office ProPlus. You can follow these instructions from Microsoft to check which version of Microsoft Office you are using on your device. If you see Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise you are using Microsoft Office ProPlus.
2. Once you have confirmed that you are/were using Microsoft Office ProPlus, you can take the following actions based on the device you are using:
   
   1. Work computer: If you are using Microsoft Office ProPlus on your work computer, you can download a free version of Microsoft Office 2016, 2019 or 2021 for your work device from the Microsoft Campus and School Agreement page.
   2. Personal computer: If you are using Microsoft Office ProPlus on your personal computer, you can switch to using the online versions of Microsoft Office tools. To access the online versions of these tools, go to mail.utoronto.ca and click on the app launcher. 

Switching to Office for the web

You can prepare for the transition to the online version of Office in the following ways:

Upload your Office files from your desktop computer to your online OneDrive

You can upload your Office files to OneDrive so that you can start using them with the online versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint. To do this:

1.  Go to mail.utoronto.ca. Log in with your UTORid and password if prompted. When you are logged in, you will land in your online Outlook inbox.
2. From this page, click on the waffle icon in the top left corner.
   
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3. When you click on the waffle icon, you will see a list of Microsoft apps. Click on OneDrive. Note: If you do not see OneDrive on the list, scroll to the bottom and click All apps.
   
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4. You have now accessed your OneDrive. From here, click Upload and then select Files or Folder. Your file finder will launch.
   
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5. Locate the file or folder on your computer that you wish to upload and then click Upload. Your file/folder will start uploading to your OneDrive.
6. When your file/folder has finished uploading, you can locate it on your main My files OneDrive page.

Note: If you use Dropbox to store Office files, simply download the files from Dropbox to your computer, then upload them to OneDrive.

For a video walkthrough of OneDrive, view this guide from Microsoft: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/onedrive-basics-work-or-school-110ca7b0-ae3d-4e51-a14c-9d583e2d630c

Accessing your Office files online

Once you have added your Office files to your OneDrive, you can begin accessing and editing them with the online versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint. You can access your Office files online in two main ways:

1. Through your OneDrive: You can access your online Word, Excel and PowerPoint files by going to your OneDrive page. All of the files and folders you upload will be there for you to access. Simply double click on a file to open it in the relevant Office application.
2. Through the online applications: You can also access your Word, Excel and PowerPoint files through the online applications. To do this:
   
   1. Return to mail.utoronto.ca. Log in with your UTORid and password if prompted. 
   2. From this page, click on the waffle icon in the top left corner.
      
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   3. You will see a list of the online applications you have access to, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
      
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   4. Click on an application to launch it. From the application page, you can create a new document/spreadsheet/presentation. You can also scroll down to see recently accessed files.
   5. Any documents/spreadsheets/presentations you create through this application page will be automatically saved to your OneDrive. You can also access them there.

Familiarize yourself with the online versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint

To get started using the Office for the web programs, see:

• Basic tasks in Word for the web
• Basic tasks in Excel for the web
• Basic tasks in PowerPoint for the web

Microsoft Bookings

The standard toolkit does not include access to Microsoft Bookings. However, if you rely on Bookings for appointment scheduling or room reservations as part of your role at the University, you can work with your divisional IT support to submit an exceptions form to request access. 

Outlook email storage

Standard toolkit mailboxes are limited to 50GB of storage. This is a very large storage quota, and it’s unlikely that you will exceed it. However, if you are concerned that your current email storage exceeds 50GB, you can follow these steps: 

Microsoft 365 licensing exceptions policy 

Toolkits aren’t always one size fits all: sometimes you might need to access a tool outside of the standard toolkit. If you require access to an advanced administrative tool that is not included in your toolkit, your divisional IT support team can fill out an exceptions request form on your behalf. If approved, IT will change your license assignment so that you can access the required tool(s). Please note that exceptions requests must be submitted through divisional IT teams to be considered. Individuals who submit their own requests will be redirected to their divisional IT office.

Exceptions requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The approval of an exceptions request is contingent on the business use case submitted as part of the exceptions request form. Only business use cases that are relevant to the duties associated with your role at the University will be considered. Personal use cases are not considered valid reasons for license reassignments. Learn more about the licensing exceptions policy and how to submit a request from this knowledge article. 

To learn more about the standard toolkit and the University’s licensing model, please access these resources: 

• Microsoft 365 Licensing – Toolkit overview and eligibility 
• Microsoft 365 Licensing – Toolkits for staff, faculty, students and other community members 
• Microsoft 365 Licensing – Exceptions policy