How to Copy OneDrive Files to Another OneDrive Account – Top 3 Ways

Managing data transfers between OneDrive for Business accounts is crucial for employee transitions or organizational restructuring scenarios. This guide outlines efficient methods and tools to help you seamlessly transfer files from one OneDrive account to another within Office 365. So, without any further discussion let’s dive into it.

Let’s start with the user query and understand the real-life situation:

User Query:

How do I automatically copy OneDrive files to another OneDrive account?

Just looking for a little advice. I have to automate to copy of newly created files in one user’s OneDrive to another user’s OneDrive. Both these accounts are located in the same tenancy and as the admin, I can have access to them. I’ve tried to use Power Automate; however, the flow I was using would ask that I specifically need to log in to each OneDrive account. I do not have the user’s credentials. Moreover, I am not technically sound enough to proceed with this script.  Is there a better way to do this operation in Office 365?

OneDrive is a popular cloud storage service offered by Microsoft that allows users to store, share, and access their files from anywhere. With the daily operations, you might encounter several situations such as employee turnover, position changes, or subscription upgrades. Where you need to transfer OneDrive files to another account. 

When an employee leaves the organization it becomes crucial to keep its data safe for compliance or legal purposes. By default, OneDrive for Business data is retained, when you disable an account, as per your Microsoft 365 retention policy setup. Eventually, it deletes the data forever when the retention period is reached. Hence it becomes a critical task to copy OneDrive files to another OneDrive account before they get deleted.

Method 1. Transfer OneDrive Files to Another Account Via the Admin Center

Step 1.  Log in to the Microsoft Admin Center by browsing this – https://admin.microsoft.com/#/users on your browser. You will find a list of active users on the main screen. 

Step 2. Search for the desired user, for demonstration purposes, we are taking the example of Test MJ user. Click on the User name and navigate to the OneDrive tab.

Step 3. Now, navigate to Get access to files and click on the Create link to files.

Step 4. It will generate a link to the user’s OneDrive files. Click on the provided link to access the user’s OneDrive location.

Step 5. Here you can see the list of files and folders available in the source user’s OneDrive. 

Step 6. Select all files and folders by clicking to the left of the Name column or choose specific files and folders. Click Download at the top. The files will be downloaded as a .zip file to your downloads folder.

Step 7. Now extract the files and folders from the .zip file.

Step 8. Following the same step access the target OneDrive for Business account in the admin center. For demonstration purposes, we are taking the Test User account.

Step 9. Similarly, Click on Create a link to view and edit the user’s OneDrive files. Click on the link to access the target Test User OneDrive account. 

Step 10. Click on the Add new button, and choose Upload folder. Choose the extracted zip folder and click Upload to transfer the files. 

Following the above steps you can easily transfer files to another OneDrive account. 

Method 2. Copy OneDrive Files to Another Account Via Download & Upload

This method is suitable if you have to perform this task for a few numbers of accounts with limited data. It requires you to manually log in to the source account copy files, and then log in to the destination account to upload them. 

Step 1. Log in to your source OneDrive account

Navigate to https://onedrive.live.com/login/ Use the source OneDrive for Business account credentials to log in. Create a folder named Backup. Now select the required files and folders, that you want to migrate. You can select multiple files by holding the “Ctrl” key while clicking.

Step 2. Download selected files and folders

Move all these files and folders to the Backup folder. Click Download to download the selected files to your local device. The Backup folder will be downloaded in the .zip. Now Extract the folder and save it as the Backup folder on your local system.

Step 3. Log in to the target OneDrive account.

Following step 1, browse https://onedrive.live.com/login/ in another browser use the target account credentials, and log in. 

Step 4. Upload downloaded files and folders

Navigate the Backup folder in your local system. Now upload it by clicking on the Add New >> Folder Upload button. 

Following these steps, you can transfer files from one OneDrive to another account but it might seem a repetitive and time-consuming task to you. Moreover, if you have several user accounts, then this approach might not be suitable for you.

However, before getting into the migration process, it is always a good idea to go through a complete pre and post-migration checklist to ensure a smooth and effort-free data transfer. Following the above checklist will facilitate a smooth and efficient transfer of your OneDrive data to another account, mitigating potential data loss or errors.

Note: If you have a large number of data files to download then it might take several hours or days, depending upon the internet bandwidth.

Major Limitations of Manual Methods to Transfer OneDrive Files to Another Account

The manual method of migrating OneDrive data to another account, as described in the above article, has several limitations that users should be aware of:

• It becomes time-consuming to manually download and upload large files to another OneDrive for Business account. 
• The manual method requires a high speed and stable network connection otherwise it can lead to failures or prolonged migration times.
• Unlike automated software, the manual method does not provide any option to transfer data based on a specific time or date range. 
• Manual transfers expose data to hacking, malware, and other cyber threats, lacking post-migration data integrity and document permission migration.
• No built-in dashboard to monitor migration progress, leaving users unaware of completion status or potential errors.
• Users must manually select files/folders for migration, potentially leading to missed items and increased time consumption.

Given the limitations, data management in the post-migration phase becomes a cumbersome task, as it does not maintain the data/folder integrity. Hence, it may be better to consider using an automated yet professional tool that can automate the entire process, provide real-time progress monitoring, and protect against data loss and security risks. 

Method 3. Quick and Reliable Way to Migrate Files from OneDrive to Another Account

When it comes to the most reliable and professional tool for copying OneDrive files to another OneDrive account, SysTools OneDrive to OneDrive Migration Tool is the only prime choice of Office 365 administrators. It is a highly advanced cloud migration and management software that assists the transfer of data between OneDrive for business accounts easily, and not just that.

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It simplifies transferring files by making everything automatic at just one click away, and it isn’t just specific to OneDrive since it also supports services like Office 365, Teams, and SharePoint migration.

Some Features of this Software That Make It One Stop Solution

• This utility migrates several users’ OneDrive data using the Admin account in a single go.
• The utility offers a delta migration option to transfer newly arrived items.
• Offers a modern Date-based filter option for selective data transfer.
• Supports various document items such as the photo, doc files, PDF files, etc.,
• It maintains the data/file integrity and hierarchy while migrating to another account. It ensures 100% safe, secure, and error-free data migration every time.

Must Read: Migrate Office 365 Shared Mailbox Data to User Mailbox – Know Procedure

Step By Step Detailed Working Guide to Transfer OneDrive Files to Another Account

Follow these below-listed steps with respective screenshots carefully to execute this operation in a modern way with 100% data security and Integrity:

Step 1. In the very first step, download the utility from the above button and install and run it on your computer. Select Office 365 as the source and destination migration platform.

Step 2. Select Document enable Migrate Document Permissions and allow the Use Group Mapping option. Use the date filter if required to migrate selective data and then click on Next to transfer OneDrive files to another account.

Step 3. Now, log in with the source and destination Admin credentials such as Admin Email and Application ID. Then validate permission and Click Next to move OneDrive data to another account.

Step 4. Here, create user group mapping between source and destination (if you want to migrate OneDrive data). For this task, you have three options to use. Let’s use an import CSV file. Click on Download Template enter source and destination users and move to validate required permissions.

Step 5. Once a user mapping is created, validate it by clicking the validate button. Then click on the start migration button to migrate OneDrive to another account.

Comparison: Automated Migration Tool vs. Manual Method

Aspect	Automated Migration Tool	Manual Method
Ease of Use	Provides step-by-step guidance and automates the migration process.	Requires manual handling of each file and folder, which can be time-consuming.
Speed	Rapidly transfers large volumes of data without user intervention.	Relies on manual downloading and uploading, potentially taking hours or days.
Accuracy	Ensures data integrity and completeness with automated verification.	Prone to human error, leading to potential data loss or missed files.
Security	Offers built-in security measures to protect data during transfer.	Exposes data to risks like hacking or malware during manual handling.
Scalability	Scales efficiently for large-scale migrations across multiple accounts.	Suitable only for small-scale transfers due to time and effort constraints.
Monitoring and Reporting	Provides real-time progress tracking and detailed migration reports.	Lacks visibility into progress and may require manual tracking.
Compliance and Audit Trails	Maintains compliance by documenting migration actions automatically.	Requires manual logging and documentation for compliance purposes.
Technical Expertise	Requires minimal technical knowledge for setup and operation.	Demands technical proficiency for manual execution, potentially requiring scripting.
Cost-effectiveness	Saves time and reduces operational costs associated with manual labor.	Involves significant labor costs and potential for operational downtime.
User Feedback and Support	Includes 24×7 support and user communities for issue resolution.	Relies on personal troubleshooting or external support if available.

Try Before You Buy

Take advantage of the free demo version to assess tool functionality. Migrate a limited set of accounts to evaluate compatibility and performance. Moreover, the demo version can migrate OneDrive for Business to another tenant of two users’ accounts for free.
You do not need to pay anything for these two accounts. In this way, you can self-verify the workings of this utility before purchasing the full version.

Bringing It All Together

The manual method is quite time-consuming and it is not suitable for large data transfers in OneDrive as discussed above. Hence, by using the above-mentioned software, it becomes quite easy for novice users to copy OneDrive files to another OneDrive account.

Migrating OneDrive data to another account can be a simple process if follow the right approach. The manual method is quite time-consuming and it is not suitable for large data transfers in OneDrive as discussed above. Hence, by using the above-mentioned software and following the respective steps, you can easily move your important files, documents, and photos to a new OneDrive account.