Forum Discussion
versioning fails when copying
Hi mtarler,
I thought a custom permission level would work but it did not. I could not find a site, document library or versioning setting that would help either.
This is not ideal, but you can create a trigger to notify you when a file is deleted using Power Automate. This will provide an opportunity to intervene and restore the file (and version history) from the site recycle bin.
I hope this helps.
Norm
Hello mtarler and Deleted,
This is interesting behavior and not what I would have expected. I've reached out to others for confirmation of the behavior. I will follow up when I hear back
I hope this helps.
Norm
Turns out this behaviour is by design.
When you use Copy to with documents that have version history, only the latest version is copied. To copy earlier versions, you need to restore and copy each one.
More information on the Copy files and folders between OneDrive and SharePoint sites site.
Thanks to Susan Hanley for pointing us to the official answer.
I hope this helps.
Norm
Norman Youngsorry I didn't see your reply while I posting my updated info.
But your answer does NOT help. I know that behavior and even mentioned it in my original post. The behavior I have complaint with is that if you copy or move a file to over write a file in a protected library it doesn't save the previous version. If I upload from my computer (which is basically what I guess is also happening using the mapped drive technique I mentioned just a few mins ago) it overwrites the file but adds it as a new version (i.e. maintains the old file a prior version). Even, as I just noted in my update, if I copy or move a file between 2 windows using the mapped drive in file explorer it over writes the file as a new version. BUT if you use the copy or move feature in the online sharepoint to over write a file with a new version it completely wipes out the prior version. That seems to defeat the whole controlled library point.
Let me give an example because I think it might be confusing:
I have Doc123 and it is an a controlled library with versions 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and the current version is 5.0
IF I copy that Doc123 somewhere else I understand that it will ONLY copy version 5.0 and lose all the prior history.
IF I check out Doc123 and upload a local updated version of the document to over write it, it will then become version 6.0 and I can then check it back in.
IF my new updated version of the document is in a shared working directory in a different sharepoint library, then if I copy that file (using the online copy to feature) when it overwrites Doc123 in the controlled library it wipes out all previous versions there also (i.e. not only does it not keep prior versions from the source file you are copying from but it also wipes out all prior versions of the file you are copying it TO).
Let me explain why this is such a PROBLEM:
The 'how it is intended to work' is fine since if you MOVE a file you keep all version history and if you COPY a file you only keep the most recent version BUT the original still has the full version history. So that is all fine. But if I have a pdf file (let's say a pdf drawing from SolidWorks) in a protected controlled library that must keep all past versions and I need to update it I have to overwrite it using a new pdf created from SolidWorks. That works if I upload it from my desktop but gets destroyed if I copy it from a shared/working library. Fine, I know to download the file then upload it to prevent loss, but what if a new employee comes in and doesn't know. How do I protect my version history.
Hi mtarler,
The issue was not clear to me at first. Now that I follow, what are the specific settings do you have on in the "controlled library"?
Norm
