OneDrive?

Hi Robert D22,

Thanks for your post in Microsoft Community.

Could you please let me know if your OneDrive account is a personal account or a work account?

For a personal OneDrive account, there are no geographical restrictions for access. You can connect to the internet from anywhere in the world to access your OneDrive, meaning that even if your access IP is in Tokyo, you can still freely access your U.S. OneDrive account.

For a work OneDrive account, in most cases, it is the same as a personal account with no geographical restrictions for access. Unless your team's IT manager has enabled certain restriction policies.

I hope my explanation makes sense, and I look forward to your reply!

Best Regards,

Thomas C - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist 

Hi Thomas,

Thanks... so one drive only requires internet access? so I could upload and download documents like I do right now in the United States. Do I require a VPN to access the internet?

I hope you are taking your device with you and that you have passkeys such as Windows Hello and 2-Factor Authentication enabled wherever possible. All those measures will prove it's really you who is logging in to OneDrive.

I only have that to get on my company drive... I will not need it... Does OneDrive require a passkey?

Do you mean Okta Verify? will that work on my phone over in Tokyo?

I cannot help if you are talking about your phone. I can help with Windows devices. I don't know what Okta is.

Passkeys are the best way to keep your account secure. They are a step ahead of the older two-factor authentication methods. Windows Hello uses passkeys so I hope you are using it. You can even use Windows Hello to sign into your OneDrive account. If you sign into your Microsoft account using a PIN then you are using a passkey.

I'll let Thomas answer the questions directed at him. I just wanted to make a point regarding security.

Hi Robert,

As far as I know, Japan does not require a VPN to connect to the internet. Therefore, as long as you can connect to Wi-Fi/Ethernet/cellular networks in Japan, you should be able to directly access your U.S. OneDrive account.

Additionally, Craig's reminder about security is a very helpful response. Your usual IP address is in the U.S., and when you travel to Japan, your login IP will change to Japan. At this point, your account may detect an uncommon IP address and prompt you to verify your identity. You will need to use your verified email address, phone number, or Microsoft Authenticator app, among other methods, to prove your identity. Once the verification is complete, you should be able to use OneDrive smoothly.

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Have a nice day!

Thomas