How to Change File Ownership in OneDrive Personal & Business

There is no direct answer on how to transfer ownership of files in OneDrive. However, you can achieve the same result by moving or copying files to another account. You may operate multiple personal OneDrive accounts and decide it’s time to get a premium subscription. Or there could be business scenarios. For example, if a person leaves an organization abruptly and the IT department deletes the account, all data shared with colleagues can vanish without warning.

In OneDrive, sharing files does not transfer ownership. If you simply give OneDrive access to another user, the data still lives in the original owner’s drive, and it dies when their account is deleted.

I learned this the hard way, but you don’t have to repeat the same mistake. Simply follow what I tell you, and soon you will be able to change the OneDrive file owners. Here I will cover the steps that work for both personal and business OneDrive accounts that I have tested myself.

Let me first address the biggest query that OneDrive users have regarding the topic.

Can You Transfer Ownership of a OneDrive Folder Directly?

You can look everywhere in your OneDrive account (free or premium, business or personal), you won’t find any “Change Owner” button like the one we see in Google Drive.

Microsoft hasn’t built one yet; even the supposedly next-gen OneDrive file sharing does not mention anything about ownership transfer.

So if you were planning to change ownership of OneDrive files by toggling some settings, then unfortunately, it isn’t possible.

If you are new to the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, remember this simple rule: location determines ownership.

So, if a file is in your OneDrive, you own it; nobody else. The storage it occupies counts towards your quota, not anyone else’s. This remains true even if you share the files with others.

So, to transfer ownership of a folder in OneDrive, we must physically move those files into the target OneDrive (or a Team Site) account.

Don’t worry, I will tell you three unique ways to handle this request.

Method 1: The “Copy To” Method (For Active Users)

This is the standard method that I use when both users are still active, and it is what I recommend to my colleagues when they ask me how to transfer ownership of excel file in OneDrive.

Moreover, if you use two personal OneDrive accounts, use this method to make one account in charge of all files.

It involves both the current owner and the future owner, so see the steps clearly.

• As the current owner, start by creating a parent container.
• Then, put all the document files, folders, and all other data you want to transfer ownership of in the said container.
• Use the default sharing feature and add the second account/user as the recipient.
• Your job is now done.

However, the task is not complete yet.

• Log in to the second account (or ask the other person if you are not the actual owner).
• Look inside the Shared tab, where you will find a new folder with all the content.
• Open and then select all items. After that, use the built-in Copy to mechanism to move the data into My files.

By doing this, you create a new version of the file in the destination. Keep in mind that the two versions are not in sync, so no new changes will reflect.

The new user now owns this copy because it resides in their OneDrive. This is effectively how to transfer file ownership in OneDrive without using IT support.

Note: Once copied, don’t forget to delete the file in OneDrive from the original location if you want to avoid duplicates or regain storage.

Method 2: The Manual “Download & Upload” (The Hard Way)

If the “Copy to” function fails (which may happen if the amount of content is too large), I go back to the basics. The download & upload combo is another possible answer on how to transfer ownership of a OneDrive folder in a purely manual way.

Here is what I did: all you have to do is repeat:

1. Create a new folder in OneDrive to organize the files you want to move.
2. Download all data from OneDrive (the specific folder) to your local PC.
3. Sign out and sign in as the new user (or send the zip file to them).
4. Upload the folder to the new account.

This works, but at the same time, it breaks the metadata. After you upload the files, the modified date resets and shows the date you uploaded. There is no way to prevent this. So if file history is something you can’t compromise on, skip this method entirely.

Method 3: OneDrive Transfer Ownership for Deleted Accounts (Admins)

This method is only applicable if you have M365 global or SharePoint admin privileges in O365. Use it in emergency scenarios where an employee has left, and you need to quickly save all of their work/reassign the tasks to another person.

Don’t worry, I will teach you exactly how I transfer OneDrive ownership before the 30-day retention period expires and how you can do it too.

• Step 1: Enter the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
• Step 2: Use the side panel and select Users > Active users (or Deleted users)
• Step 3: Directly click the former/current employee name (don’t mark the checkbox).
• Step 4: Toggle the OneDrive Tab and click Create link to files.
• Step 5: Now, press the link to open their OneDrive in your browser.
• Step 6: Finally, select the files and use the “Move to” or “Copy to” feature to send them to your own drive or a shared library so other users can use them too.

Alternatively use PowerShell

If you are comfortable with scripts, then the PowerShell method can be a lot quicker. Before you use these commands, ensure that you have the PnP PowerShell module on your system and you are connected to SharePoint Online using:

Connect-PnPOnline

Modify the commands as per your exact preference and transfer OneDrive Ownership with ease:

# 1. Enter the email of the person you need to access
$TargetUser = "[email protected]"

# 2. Get their OneDrive URL automatically (No guessing needed)
$OneDriveUrl = (Get-PnPUserProfileProperty -Account $TargetUser).PersonalUrl

# 3. Grant yourself access immediately
Add-PnPSiteCollectionAdmin -Site $OneDriveUrl -Owners "[email protected]"

# 4. Open it
Start-Process $OneDriveUrl

All the methods discussed so far work within the same Microsoft 365 tenant. However, challenges arise when ownership must be transferred across different domains. I have an automated solution that does. Let me tell you about it.

Automated Solution (For Large Scale OneDrive Ownership Transfers)

For enterprise-scale or cross-domain scenarios, manual methods may not be sufficient. If your requirement exceeds the default usecase of intra-organization and enters into the realm of inter-organization ownership transfer scenarios (like what happens during mergers and acquisitions), then copying or downloading and uploading is not ideal. Far from it.

In such scenarios, an automated SysTools OneDrive Transfer Tool designed for business environments can be more practical.

Download Now Purchase Now

Here is why this tool is a favorite among admins like you:

• Bulk processing for transferring ownership, you can move files, and even entire user accounts, automatically.
• Keep metadata intact after ownership change. The tool preserves not only the file contents but also the original timestamps and author names.
• Works even if the ownership transfer is between two different organizations, so merge two OneDrive accounts without worrying about data loss.

What Happens to Shared Links?

Unfortunately, when you transfer OneDrive ownership to another user (via direct file movement), the original sharing link breaks:

But why? Because the path itself changes. See the example:

• Old Path: …/UserA/Documents/Budget.xlsx
• New Path: …/UserB/Documents/Budget.xlsx

No worrying, it is fixable. You just need to reshare the files. If you are confused about link types, check my guide on OneDrive Sharing Link vs Direct Download Link to choose the right one for the new owner.

My Verdict

Here, I taught you how to transfer ownership of files in OneDrive, which is less about permissions and more about location. So it does not matter if you use “Copy to” or involve the admin; our goal is the same. That is to make a new person in charge of OneDrive documents.

Moreover, if you are an admin, my suggestion is not to wait until the last day, as you already have access to the OneDrive Usage Report; use it and schedule a transfer immediately.