Moving Files from a Shared Drive to a SharePoint site

Hi Chris,

First, try to analyze your source data using a tool like TreeSize or Space Observer. This helps you understand how many files, folders, and total size you’re dealing with.

Next, think about metadata (like Created date, Modified date, and who created the file).

• If you do a manual move (drag and drop), SharePoint will replace these with new values (your name and today’s date).
• So, if keeping this info is important (compliance, audit, etc.), you should not move manually.

In that case, use a migration tool like:

• Microsoft Migration Manager
• 3rd party migration tools

If your organization is okay not retaining metadata, then you can move files manually, but:

• Move in small batches (not everything at once)
• Watch the 400-character file path limit
• Organize files into proper libraries if needed

Also consider:

• Network speed (large moves take longer)
• Avoid impacting your organization’s bandwidth

For example, I moved around 3,000 files (~6 GB) manually and it took about 20 minutes, but it depends on your network.

Hope this gives you a clear direction

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