If your company uses SharePoint, at some point a user may need to move a large batch of files from one site to another. Performing a file migration incorrectly can cause data loss. It can strip files of their history, change creation information, and even leave files missing.
Most employees move files in the way that’s most comfortable and familiar. They open File Explorer, find the synced SharePoint folders, and drag the files where they need to go. Within a single library, that may work fine for a handful of files. Between two different SharePoint sites, it is very risky.
When your users drag files between two synced SharePoint sites, Windows does not actually move them. The OneDrive sync app uploads a new copy of each file to the new site and then deletes the original from the old one. It does this one file at a time, through the user’s computer and your office internet connection. That causes several problems.
• Each moved file is now treated as a brand new file, so its version history is left behind.
• The person who moved the files shows up as the author, and the date of the move replaces the original dates.
• If the computer goes to sle
ep or the internet drops, the move stops partway through. Some files end up in the new site and some stay in the old one, creating confusion.
• Sync conflicts can create duplicate copies with the computer’s name added to the file name. In the worst case, files can be deleted from the old site before they reach the new one.
• Any share links stop working, and any special permissions on the files are lost.
• A large move can take days and slow down the network for everyone else in the office.
The larger the number of files being moved, the more likely it is that there will be a failure.
The safer way to move files between sites is to use SharePoint in a web browser. Select the files, choose Move to, and pick the destination. The move happens entirely in Microsoft’s cloud, so nothing is dependent on your local network or local computers.
Using this method, each file will retain its full version history, its original author, and its original dates. SharePoint removes the files from the old site only after they arrive safely in the new one, so the risk of losing data is minimized.
There are a few limits to keep in mind. A single move can include up to 30,000 files and 100 GB in total, so larger jobs need to be broken into batches. Users should keep the browser window open until the move is finished. They should also use Move to rather than Copy to, since a copy brings over only the latest version of each file.
For a very large reorganization, such as combining several sites into one, it is best to have your IT provider plan and handle the move to avoid issues.
For most small and midsize businesses, it’s best to keep all your document libraries under one SharePoint site. A single site can hold many libraries, so you can still have separate ones for different areas of your organization.
Moving files
between libraries in the same site is simpler and safer than moving them between sites. Permissions are easier to manage, since you maintain one site instead of several, and you can still limit access to sensitive libraries.
Your staff members have one place to look for everything and can search across libraries. Storage, sharing settings, and backups are all managed in one place. This helps ensure that all libraries are managed consistently.
Separate sites still make sense in some cases. A department with very different security needs, a project shared with outside partners, or a separate company under the same owner may each need a separate site. This should be a decision driven by the needs of the organization, not by habit or default.
Advise your employees to never drag files between SharePoint sites in File Explorer. To move a few files between sites, they should use Move to in the browser. To move a large number of files or reorganize your libraries, they should check with your IT provider first.
If your SharePoint has grown into a collection of sites nobody planned, or you have a big move coming up, contact Geek Girls IT. We can review how your sites and libraries are set up, recommend a structure that fits your business, and handle the move so your files, history, and permissions arrive intact.
