How to Import Google Photos to OneDrive for Business Without ZIP Files
Question details
The user needs to migrate approximately 1 TB of media from Google Photos to OneDrive for Business without retaining the downloaded ZIP files or the original Google Photos album structures.
- Product
- OneDrive for Business
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Migrating large amounts of photo data from a Google Workspace account to a Microsoft 365 OneDrive for Business account.
- Observed behavior
- The goal is to transfer the media as loose files or standard folders, eliminating the restrictive ZIP archives typically generated by the Google Takeout export process.
Ensure you have a stable, high-speed internet connection and sufficient local hard drive space to temporarily store the 1 TB of downloaded ZIP files and their extracted contents before uploading.
Use Google Takeout and the OneDrive Sync Client (Recommended)
This method is highly recommended for handling massive amounts of data (like 1 TB) because the desktop OneDrive sync client handles large uploads and network interruptions much better than a web browser.
By utilizing the official desktop synchronization tool, you avoid browser timeouts and gain the ability to resume uploads automatically if your PC restarts or disconnects from the internet.
Navigate to Google Takeout, deselect all products, and select only 'Google Photos'. Proceed to the next step, set the file type to ZIP, and maximize the export size to 50GB to minimize the total number of files. Click 'Create export'.
Once the export is ready, download the ZIP archives to a local drive with adequate space. Extract the contents using your system's built-in extraction tool, then delete the original ZIP files to free up local disk space.
Install the Microsoft OneDrive desktop application on your computer and sign in with your OneDrive for Business credentials to set up your local sync folder.
Copy or move the extracted loose photo files and folders into your local OneDrive synchronization folder. The OneDrive client will automatically process and upload them to your cloud storage in the background.
Extract and Upload Manually via OneDrive Web Interface
This is a straightforward approach if you prefer not to install the desktop sync client, though it is better suited for smaller batches of photos.
Enhance Your Document Workflow with WPS Office
While migrating your media and files to Microsoft 365, consider WPS Office as a free, lightweight alternative for your daily document processing needs. It seamlessly integrates with your workflow, allowing you to edit cloud documents with ease.
- 1. Download the Installer: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free installation package for your operating system.
- 2. Install WPS Office: Run the installer and follow the on-screen prompts to set up the office suite on your computer.
- 3. Manage Your Files: Open WPS Office and start editing your documents, spreadsheets, and presentations with full Microsoft format compatibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer Google Photos to OneDrive directly without downloading them to my PC?
Currently, neither Google nor Microsoft provides a direct, native cloud-to-cloud transfer tool for Google Photos to OneDrive for Business. You must either use an intermediary local step like Google Takeout or subscribe to a third-party cloud migration service.
Will my photo metadata (like date taken and location) be preserved during the transfer?
Most standard EXIF metadata physically embedded within the image files (such as camera model and timestamp) will be retained. However, metadata manually edited inside the Google Photos web interface may be exported as separate JSON files, which OneDrive cannot automatically merge with the photos.
How can I prevent Google Takeout from creating hundreds of small ZIP files?
When configuring your export in Google Takeout, scroll to the 'File size' dropdown menu and change it from the default 2GB to 50GB. This will drastically reduce the number of ZIP files generated for a 1 TB library.
What happens to my Google Photos albums when I extract the files?
Google Takeout organizes exported photos into folders based on their album names. If you extract the contents and dump all images into a single OneDrive folder, that structure will be lost. To avoid this, copy the extracted album folders directly into OneDrive.
