Forum Discussion
Kimberly Roetman
Dec 11, 2020Iron Contributor
SharePoint Online - Cannot move folder to a different site
I'm trying to use the 'Move To' function to move a folder to a library on a different site. Typically, I select the folder, click "Move To", and select a site from the information panel. Today I see the following message, "Move 1 item" - the folder name - 'additional destinations are available for moving smaller items". However the only option I have is the current library. There is no sites list or even other libraries as options for destination.
(we are a current release tenant, however I am a first release user). Any advice?
It has been fixed. "Move" works for big files (over 600MB) and many items as before.
- JGibbs2400Copper Contributor
Kimberly Roetman I was able to work around this by syncing my account with the OneDrive client but then adding the destination as a OneDrive shortcut which then shows up under My Files when I went to move from the source. Shortcuts show up with the link icon
- BrBarryCopper Contributor
Kimberly Roetman I have gotten around this, by synchronising the site(s) and using Windows File Explorer to move the files/folders. The main limitation to this is how much physical drive you have for the move, you need double the size of the content to be moved. I will explain by way of our own current situation.
Our College's very old Dell Hyperserver storage system had been haemorrhaging and throwing larger quantities of warning of potential failure though most of 2020. So we took the leap and have/are moving everything to SharePoint. The Photo Archive alone is about 2Tb spanning back to 2009 with more than 450,000 files+folders.
I started laying out the individual year using the SharePoint Photo Library App(s). However, they end up as individual Libraries with no association to the default Document Library, which after uploading a couple of years (2020-2019) the leadership team decide don't want, but want ALL the folders structured in the Document Library. Hence, possibly the same/similar situation you are in. Each year's content is about 160Gb to 250Gb of average 30+ thousand files/images, mostly high resolution images.
I struggle to move very small quantities of files (less than 1500 files) within SharePoint Online. Therefore, I have found it easier to sync the SharePoint Libraries to my computer and use Windows file explorer.
There are limitation and minor consequences.
- Try not to move more 30,000 files at a time (I have had dropouts doing more and becomes another pain to work out where I'm up to).
- As mentioned earlier you need twice the size you are moving, because everything become "Always keep on this device" for both locations. Your computer literally download and then uploads the entire content, wait for the entire 'batch' process to complete.
- Hence, this will take a significant amount to time, especially to re-upload. I have a remote laptop plugged directly into that same switch our Fibre optic comes into the premises. (and I'm moving into week 3 of this project, with the laptop running 24/7. Only 3 more year of content to go, yeah....).
- With the computer downloading then uploading the content, it also in between deletes the content from the old Library structure on SharePoint and SharePoint registers the deletion in both the Recycling Bin and the Retention policy (if you have it switched on), which may impact on your Site overall storage capacity. After moving 163Gb of the year 2020 content, the Site thought it had about 500Gb of content somewhere on the site.
- A final suggestion especially if you are low on drive space, is to periodically "Free up Space" from the target Library. Wait for this process to completely finish before doing the next batch. Otherwise, (and you also may get this occasionally anyway), will get a SharePoint/OneDrive cache error that will require a "chkdsk /f /r" to correct (I have only had 3 in all the 2 weeks so far).
As you can see it very doable, just very resource and time-consuming.
Apologies for the long-winded explanation.
- kvaden357Brass ContributorBrBarry
RE: "As you can see it very doable, just very resource and time-consuming. Apologies for the long-winded explanation. "
No apology needed, I very much appreciate you detailing all that out! I've already been following that method for a few months but you did a great job of documenting it.
'Tis a very ridiculous and convoluted process, one would think Microsoft could do better than this, but apparently not.
One aspect that you didn't highlight is that all this downloading/uploading is using whatever network your workstation computer is on, so in my case it hogs my home bandwidth unless I meter (in the ODFB Network settings) or more often than not, I open those up full and let the operations run overnight. Still counts against my ISP quota cap of course. 😞
- erikkllCopper Contributor
Just chiming in here, was also waiting for the 11th to see whether the problem would be resolved... unfortunately it isn't. Thanks for the workaround developerds!
- LethalDoseCopper Contributor
Hi there,
MS contacted me yesterday:
Please be informed that the fix for this issue (SPO move folders between libraries) will be rollout this month to resolve the issue as the Product Group is working on it.
We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience as we know that this would have eased your endeavor
Thank you for choosing Microsoft.
So still waiting.
- microdot187Copper Contributor
LethalDose, same here. Mentioning that it could be later on this week.
- developerdsCopper Contributor
I am another user who has been experiencing this problem. I can confirm the files I'm trying to move are to and from places that did not experience this behaviour last year, and that they are well within the published limits. I waited until today to see if the hotfix mentioned in earlier replies (for the 11th) changed anything but today the behaviour is the same for me.
I'm replying here also because today I found a workaround for myself, which may be useful to others.
Given that there are often multiple ways to do the exact same thing, I thought I'd try some. Surprisingly I had success with using the OneDrive web client! In the web client, I navigated to relevant SharePoint site using the "Shared Libraries" section on the main left navigation pane (which I actually hate even exists - but that's another thing altogether). This opens up what I see as "SharePoint lite" i.e. a files only view. Once you select a library the interface is then basically identical to SharePoint modern library view. The critical difference is the "Move" function actually worked for me.
Hopefully this helps someone.
- idler87Copper Contributor
- garet1100Copper ContributorAn anecdotal sad update to this workaround.
This "worked", that is, allowed me to MOVE folders with OneDrive online which I couldn't via SPO so great.
BUT it didn't actually move all the items YET said it had completed, so left me with file/folder orphans on both sides of the move. (I was moving 15 folders, less than 100 files and under 100Mb of data, so not a tough task). Which tbh I've been experiencing move inconsistencies all week in SPO and thought I was doing something wrong, but it seems the Move/Copy function is severely problematic as of Jan 16th.
I'm off to the ShareGate trial I guess to save my relationship with this client. Finger's crossed. - Kimberly RoetmanIron Contributor
developerds - Thanks for the idea to try the OneDrive interface, I'll give that a try.
I attempted to migrate 3 libraries to a new site yesterday. Unfortunately only 2 of them could be migrated using the 'Move to' feature, the other I migrated using ShareGate. Perhaps the hotfix isn't fully deployed. Or maybe it just didn't fix things 🙂
- LethalDoseCopper Contributor
Kimberly Roetman Hi Kimberly, MS support contacted me today, they are working on the issue and promise to fix it on the next week.
It's a bug and as they say about 100 tenants are affected. I have this problem in both my tenants so I'm double lucky to be in top 100 😄
- BenSteginkSteel Contributor
LethalDose Thanks! I opened a ticket a few days ago as well as I have 3 tenants that all have this issues. Definitely seems to be a lot more than 100 tenants with the issue, but glad they are aware of it and working on fixing it. Even with the open ticket I wasn't made aware that a fix is in progress.
- PolymathinkCopper Contributor
LethalDose Yeah, we must be one of the 100, or the problem is much wider. Just got off the phone with what seemed 1st level support and he had a workaround that wasn't very palatable. I hope there is a resolution soon.
I'm wondering if this is somehow related to the issue some experienced a few weeks ago with moving large file sizes. There was an advisory in the Admin Center, but that advisory is gone, now.
- microdot187Copper Contributor
Polymathink in the same boat over here... jumped on with the users for a workaround solution in the meantime, but as you stated, not at all a sustainable strategy for the. Further compounded with all of them being Mac users... so file explorer isn't an option, let alone routing that traffic down and up again from a client workstation/laptop.
- Lachlan HughesCopper Contributor
Will MS update you on 11th Jan to confirm hotfix is in place? If so, are you able to test and respond here with your findings?
We are seeing the same issue here, and I am wondering if/when the hotfix or actual fix will be working for us. Will we need to lodge this with MS ourselves?
Thanks,
- paulcube6itCopper Contributor
Has anyone heard back from Microsoft yet? I have a client suffering with this today.
I can put in a support request, but just wanted to check any other responses first.
Thanks!
- microdot187Copper Contributor
paulcube6it I just got back to look at versions... if there are too many versions that push over the limit, that could be the culprit. For us, that was not the case, so still working on this with Premier.
- cgsisCopper Contributor
I raised issue with O365 support and was informed this is by design and the Move To and Copy To options can only handle up to 500MB and should use the OneDrive client to move files from OneDrive to Sharepoint Online site. It used to work fine in the online web portal but now its broken in my opinion.
Was told to vote on the feature request, at 38 votes can't see it being added anytime soon.
This link may of be of use to: Move files and folders between OneDrive and SharePoint
- Darren ChapmanCopper Contributor
- microdot187Copper Contributor
Darren Chapman No update yet and not looking like there will be an answer. Digging around, i moved a bunch of <500MB files into a new Library in the same site, attempted to move to a different site, everything worked as expected, as they are well under the single file 2 GB threshold. So great, does that put me back to looking at errant permissions? Can't be permissions... there's nothing there and that'd have to be a fairly obvious custom permission set that would prevent files >500MB being moved/copied.
Not that that's helpful, there are thousands of files in this library and these users are just not "techy" enough to abandon that Library, plus they need the metadata for "Created By" and "Created Date" for their operational processes in this particular case.
- Alan BirchCopper Contributor
Kimberly Roetman same thing just happened to me. I copy a synced backup of our student management database to a different library in the same site every Wednesday morning and have been for 2 years now, until today. The files are around 7GB and several sub-folders. If I have to copy smaller subsets that's going to be a pain. I just tried copying one of the smaller folders and it brings up the usual panel on the right. So now I'll have to create a bunch of folders first then copy the larger folders several bits at a time. I'm going to raise a support request.
- Kimberly RoetmanIron Contributor
Alan Birch Thank you! I'm relieved to know that I'm not alone, but really bummed if this change is permanent. I've moved thousands of files with the simple 'move to' function in the past without issue.
- microdot187Copper Contributori just raised a support ticket for this for our tenant. Hopefully we'll have an answer or a new strategy!
- microdot187Copper ContributorJust had a report of a similar issue in our tenant. Doesn't look like the copy/move limits we're changed and the files in question are large(ish) but well under the 2 GB limit. Still hunting this down.
- Kimberly RoetmanIron Contributor
microdot187 I've only had this happen in one library to this point. On a different library, same site, the 'Move to' and 'copy to' function works as expected, with the panel rendering properly. It was a single folder with less than 500 files in it where this new UI showed up.
(Side note: I ended up moving the files using the ShareGate software which I have from a previous tenant to tenant migration)
- Kimberly RoetmanIron Contributor
I think file size might have something to do with this. I typically move many folders at a time without issue. If I grab 8 folders (with many files), now I get a different message in the panel, instructing me to select fewer items (image attached). If I select a single folder, the panel shows the 'other sites' as a destination option.
- jimas_1966Copper ContributorHello Kimberly,
Are you sure that the panel is being rendered correctly?
If yes, you could try Copy To. More on the differences here: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-sharepoint-blog/now-move-files-anywhere-in-office-365-sharepoint-and-onedrive/ba-p/146973
If you have set up a OneDrive Client you could sync the contents of the library and then sync to the Destination folder. I know if seems like an old-fashioned solutions, but it might be a quick workaround.
You could also setup SPMT, choose source and destinations and let SPMT handle the file transfer. More on this subject here : https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepointmigration/introducing-the-sharepoint-migration-tool