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Simple – OneDrive for Business & SharePoint Online Library – File Copy

If you want to copy files to / from / between OneDrive and / or SharePoint Online document libraries then an easy way to do this is to open library with file explorer.

In file explorer (not internet explorer) open one drive.  The address will be something like;
https://company-my.sharepoint.com/personal/me_company_onmicrosoft_com/Documents
Basically when you click on OneDrive you see the following url in the browser –
https://company-my.sharepoint.com
/personal/me_company_onmicrosoft_com/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx
You are changing the last bit to documents which is the default name of the library that actually has the files in it
If you have problems opening the folder this way you will find some alternatives further down the article. 
In file explorer open your destination library.  The address will be something like
https://company.sharepoint.com/Documents
Now you have two windows that you can drag and drop to / from / between.  Explorer should then copy the files over (normally very slowly).

OneDriveToSharePoint

Once the files have copied go to the destination library in SharePoint.

You will may find that the files are checked out.

Do a bulk select and check in otherwise other users than yourself will not see them

BulkCheckin

Or, better, just go to library settings and turn off Require documents to be checked out before they can be edited? whilst you are drag and dropping and then you won’t have to do this.

Ok so that was easy enough – but!

Limitations are speed and the fact that you are copying the file not any SharePoint meta data, though most OneDrive implementations don’t have much in the way of meta data anyway.

Alternatives?

You could sync your OneDrive library locally and then drag and drop to other locations such as a SharePoint team site.

For large migrations either outsource to your preferred SharePoint services provider (contact us?) or invest in a migration tool.

What didn’t it work for you?

Perhaps everytime you entered your presumed url for library into file explorer it claimed it cannot find the url.  If this happens then you can try one of the below.

  • Use the Open With Explorer Link in SharePoint
  • Use the WebDAV address
  • Use a drive mapping

Use the Open With Explorer Link in SharePoint

Run Internet Explorer (Not Microsoft Edge) using “Run as administrator”.

Go to your OneDrive Site – authenticate.

Go to your SharePoint site – normally – http://mycompany.sharepoint.com – authenticate.

Site actions

Site contents

Documents

Click open with explorer as shown below.

OpenWithExplorer

This library should now open in File Explorer.

Once this is working enter into file explorer your localised version of this url.

https://company-my.sharepoint.com/personal/me_company_onmicrosoft_com/Documents

Should now work and you can drag and drop to your hearts content between one drive and a SharePoint Library.

Use the WebDAV Address

Run Internet Explorer (Not Microsoft Edge) using “Run as administrator”.

Go to your OneDrive Site – authenticate, set to log on automatically in future.

Go to your SharePoint site – normally – http://mycompany.sharepoint.com – authenticate, set to log on automatically in future

File Explorer should now accept WebDAV addresses for SharePoint.

The WebDAV address of your SharePoint landing site collection would be

\\mycompany.sharepoint.com@SSL\DavWWWRoot

Another site collection might be;

\\mycompany.sharepoint.com@SSL\DavWWWRoot\sites\sitename

The OneDrive site would be something like;

\\mycompany-my.sharepoint.com@SSL\DavWWWRoot\personal\

me_mycompany_onmicrosoft_com\Documents

Use a Drive Mapping

Load internet explorer (Not edge or any other browser).

Go to the OneDrive site, ensure that you set the site to log in automatically.

Add the site to Trusted Sites

Go to the SharePoint site, ensure that you set the site to log in automatically.

Add the site to Trusted Sites

Go to a DOS prompt

Map a drive to the OneDrive document library

Net Use * https://company-my.sharepoint.com/personal/me_company_onmicrosoft_com/Documents

Map a drive to the SharePoint document library

Net Use * https://company.sharepoint.com/Documents

You will normally end up with two new mappings z:\ and Y:\ – you can drag and drop between these new drives using File Manager.

Note that you might find that creating new folders using File Manager is problematic.  Create new folders using the browser interface.  Dragging and dropping folders seems to work just fine,

 

 

 

 

 

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