Moving files from a site up to sharepoint root site.

Brass Contributor

Greetings from snowy Vancouver Island! (Office 365 Admin)

We have a top level site acme.sharepoint.com

Under it two sites: acme.sharepoint.com/sites/admin and  .../sites/research

All three have document libraries.

I can easily move/copy files between the /admin site and the /research site.

I can also move/copy files between the top (acme.sharepoint.com) document library and the two site.

What I can't do is go from a site up to the root site, e.g. from research to the main document folder.

Once you select the move or copy option after picking what you want to copy, only the sites show up as options when you are in /research or /admin.  When you are at the root, you see as options both sites and the root itself.

 

Is this by design, meaning you can't go from site "up" and only from one site to another and from the 'top' to a site.

 

I know I'm not using the correct terms (site collection and individual sites being better), but just trying to make the point about what I'm trying to do.

 

Thanks in advance!

15 Replies

Hi @Rick Segal,

 

If I am understanding you correctly, simply "Follow" the root site and it will show up in the Copy To / Move To destinations. You may have to refresh the screen for the site to show up.Capture.PNG

I hope this helps.

 

Norm

Hi @Norman Young,

 

Thanks for the tip but, unfortunately, this didn't work for me/us.  I have the root followed.  It shows as a followed site when you look at the sites that are followed (main sharepoint site when you click on sharepoint from the admin page) but no dice on the copy/move.

 

I appreciate your trying to help.

 

Rick

Hi Rick,

Are you getting the option to 'browse sites' and get to other sites not immediately shown? I don't believe this behavior is by design as I am able to move files up in my SPO.

Hi, @Rick Segal

Greetings from mainland. :) 

 

The root site collection is a placeholder at this time. See this thread as there are plans to make changes to it.

 

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/SharePoint/Approaches-to-convert-the-built-in-root-site-colle...

 

Fred

#FredO365tips

Hi @Kelly_Edinger,

I am able to browser other sites and go to other sites, just not the root collection.  Thanks for trying to help.

Hi @Fred Y , 

The link didn't work.  Gave me 

"An invalid set of parameters has been specified in the url."

(started snowing again, so I'll be here.. ;) )

 

Rick

Hi @Fred Y @Kelly_Edinger @Norman Young,

 

It's still snowing on Vancouver island so I made a movie.. of the problem.  You can see, live on tape, what's happening and then see if that happens to you.

 

Thanks again for your engagement.  If you're every on the island, first round is on me.

 

Rick

great idea to send a video! on the first part, when you're in Management, you click Browse Sites over on the right, but there's 2 'show more' over there and I didn't see you actually click Show More while you were in that library. I did see you click Show More after you went to the top level library...sorry if I missed it.

Hi @Kelly_Edinger ,

Snow, it always inspires me.  Yes, I did click more and no, it didn't show up.  So, the big question <drumroll>, does it work like that for you or do you see your root site?  Enquiring minds want to know primarily as this could be a signal that we've got a larger/deeper underlying problem with ctrl-alt-del at my fingertips to 'restart it'.  Old Windows NT joke, sorry.

 

Rick

Hello again @Rick Segal,

 

I reproduced the steps and it worked fine. Here are the images:

 

This is the root site collection and I am following the site. Also, I am site collection administrator.

1.png

 

This is from my sub-site. Select document, copy to and the root site collection is available.

2.png

 

Copy done.

3.png

 

I don't think you should be experiencing these issues unless it is a permissions thing in the root site collection.

 

MS Tech Support might be your next step.

 

Norm

Yes, it works for me. I agree with Norman that a help desk ticket with MSFT may be your best next step.

Hi @Kelly_Edinger , 

Thanks for the confirmation.  I sincerely appreciate the help!

 

Rick

Hi @Norman Young ,

I very much appreciate your taking the time to reply with the screens.

I noticed that on your top header/nav bar, this is, I think the modern template/site?  Mine is classic?Screenshot 2019-02-17 14.36.50.png

I only ask as I'm wondering if I have a classic top, new subs, and there's a quirk in here someplace.  Flipping this to MSFT is probably the next step, indeed, just want to eliminate all the possible issues.  

Again, thanks very much.

I noticed that on your top header/nav bar, this is, I think the modern template/site?  

Mine is a classic as well only with a Site Page for the modern look and feel.

Helpful.

 

Thanks again for the assist.

 

Rick