How to Migrate Large Volumes of Data Between SharePoint Sites
Question details
The user needs to move a large volume of files from an old SharePoint site to a new cloud-based SharePoint site while tracking modified files over a transition period of several months.
- Product
- SharePoint
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Migrating a large amount of data between two SharePoint sites while ensuring modified files are properly tracked and updated during a long-term transition.
- Observed behavior
- Users need a reliable way to stage, transfer, and verify file migrations without losing metadata like 'Modified' and 'Modified By' during a prolonged migration phase.
Ensure you have site collection administrator permissions on both the source and destination SharePoint sites, and communicate the migration timeline with your team to minimize concurrent edits.
Use a Dedicated SharePoint Migration Tool or Script
The most reliable approach for moving large volumes of data and preserving metadata during a long-term migration.
For migrations that span several months with large volumes of data, drag-and-drop methods are insufficient. Using an official migration tool or a tested script allows you to automate the process, perform delta migrations (copying only changed files), and preserve critical file metadata.
Download and install a dedicated solution such as the official SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) or prepare a tested PowerShell script designed for SharePoint Online environments.
Launch the tool and input the URL of your old source SharePoint site and the URL of the new cloud-based destination SharePoint site.
In the migration settings, ensure that options to preserve file metadata—specifically 'Modified' and 'Modified By' columns—are enabled.
After the initial bulk migration, configure the tool to compare file hashes or checksums. Run delta passes periodically to copy only the files that were modified by users during the transition period.
Move Files Manually Using the OneDrive Sync Client
Suitable for staging or moving smaller batches of files by syncing SharePoint libraries to your local file explorer.
Experience Seamless Document Editing with WPS Office
While managing complex SharePoint migrations, ensure your team has a reliable, lightweight, and highly compatible office suite for daily document tasks. WPS Office offers a familiar interface and excellent compatibility with standard document formats, making transitions seamless.
- 1. Download the software: Visit the official WPS website to download the free and lightweight installer for your operating system.
- 2. Install and launch: Run the setup file and open WPS Office to access the unified workspace for Writer, Presentation, and Spreadsheets.
- 3. Open your documents: Directly open your synced SharePoint files or local Office documents to continue editing with full formatting compatibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I just drag and drop all files between SharePoint sites using my browser?
While it is technically possible for very small amounts of data, dragging and dropping large volumes of files is highly prone to network timeouts, browser crashes, and makes it almost impossible to track metadata changes over a period of months.
How do I identify which files were updated during a months-long migration?
You can identify updated files by checking the 'Modified' and 'Modified By' metadata columns in SharePoint. For large migrations, it is highly recommended to use a migration tool that automatically compares file hashes or checksums to find and transfer only the altered files.
What is OneDrive Files On-Demand and how does it help?
OneDrive Files On-Demand is a feature that allows you to view and access all files stored in SharePoint and OneDrive via your computer's file explorer without actually downloading them to your local hard drive. This is incredibly helpful as a staging method to browse massive document libraries without running out of local disk space.
