Tried 3 Ways to Migrate Files From OneDrive to Another

Managing multiple OneDrive accounts sounds simple—until you try to move files between them. I recently needed to transfer many files from one account to another, and what seemed like a quick task turned into a frustrating process.

After testing a few different methods, I found that each one has its own pros and limitations. Here’s what worked, what didn’t, and what you should know before starting.

Manual Ways to Migrate Files from OneDrive to Another

The methods below are workable and involve a few sets of steps that you can perform with guidance given. Go through each method and choose them at your convenience:

Method 1: Downloading & Uploading Files

Downloading and uploading is the common manual way to migrate OneDrive files to another. Here, you need to download your file from source OneDrive, and then you need to upload that file to the target OneDrive account.

1. Login to OneDrive account where your files are saved. Select them and download them to your system.
2. Now login to the target OneDrive account where you want to upload the file.
3. Tap on the + icon, select the Upload Files or Upload Folder option.
4. Browse to the saving location of downloaded files, select the file(s) & click Upload.

All the downloaded files will be uploaded to your OneDrive account in a few minutes.

Note: When you download multiple files from OneDrive, extract the necessary one to stay out of confusion during upload.

Method 2: Migrate Files from OneDrive to Another via Sharing

Sharing and copying is another safe way to migrate files to another OneDrive account. However, it requires a few extra steps, but it can work for you. Here is how to do this:

1. Select file for the source OneDrive account and click the Share button.
2. Provide the email of the target OneDrive account in the new dialog box. Select the permission level as Can Edit via pencil icon. Click Send.
3. Go to the target OneDrive account, accept the invitation you received from the source OneDrive account.
4. Once you open the files, select them & tap on Copy.
5. Navigate the folder or path where you want to store the data and click Copy here.

Your selected files will be copied to the target OneDrive account.

Method 3: Drag & Drop Files to Another OneDrive Account

It is another simple method to transfer files from OneDrive account to another. Here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Login and open the source OneDrive account and destination OneDrive account in different browsers side by side.
2. Select the files, you need to migrate, drag all the selected files from source, and drop them in the target OneDrive account.
3. Do the same process to migrate the required OneDrive files to another.

Possible Challenges of Manual Methods

• Loss of metadata and version history.
• No centralized real-time monitoring.
• Error-prone process.
• Permission issues.
• Restricted file name having special characters.

Note: Manual ways are not always reliable and workable due to many complexities. For a few sets of files or folders, you can transfer files from OneDrive account to another, but when dealing with large files, you need a professional OneDrive Migration solution.

Conclusion

Transferring files between OneDrive accounts can be straightforward when working with a small number of files, especially using methods like downloading and uploading or sharing. However, as the volume of data increases, these approaches can become time-consuming and harder to manage. Understanding the limitations of each method can help you choose the most suitable option and avoid common issues during the process.