Forum Discussion
Moving Files from a Shared Drive to a SharePoint site
Hi, I've seen the moving of files from a Shared Drive to a SharePoint site can be tricky, depending on the size of the files that are to be moved. What is the best and most effective way to mov...
| Hi Chris, Since you have three shared drives and have not yet confirmed the data volume or number of files, I recommend assessing the source before choosing a migration method. Inventory is key before doing anything. 1. Scan and assess: Use Microsoft Migration Manager to review file counts, total size, folder structure, permissions, long paths, and potential migration issues. 2. Plan the destination: Organize the content into appropriate SharePoint sites and document libraries based on business ownership and access requirements, rather than simply copying everything into one library. Save yourself grief, and don't try to put it all into one site, and one SP Library. 3. Choose the migration method: Migration Manager is a good starting point for a production file-share migration because it supports centralised task management, incremental migration, and reporting. 4. Understand version history: A network file share generally does not maintain SharePoint-style version history. Historical versions cannot be migrated if they are not available at the source. Enable SharePoint versioning to track changes after migration. Ignore this if versions are not of interest. 5. Pilot and validate: Migrate a representative folder first, verify file counts, metadata, permissions, and user access, then proceed in manageable batches. Run a final incremental pass and obtain business-owner sign-off before cutover. My recommendation is to start with a Migration Manager scan. Use the results to estimate effort, plan migration waves, and address potential issues before production migration. |