“How to copy OneDrive files to another account?”

Many Microsoft users have a query like this regarding copying OneDrive files to another account. And if you are one of them, your search for an answer ends here! 

OneDrive is online cloud storage from Microsoft, enabling users to share and synchronize their files, also acting as the storage backend of the web version of Microsoft Office. OneDrive lets users store and protect their files and access them anywhere from any device.

This post is about how to copy OneDrive files to another account in detail, so keep reading the post! There are many reasons for this situation, and this post talks about them with solutions you can use to copy OneDrive files from one account to another.

Reasons for Copying OneDrive Files to Another Account?

There are three main reasons why it’s necessary to copy OneDrive files from one account to another, and we are going to discuss them in the following points - 

1. The primary OneDrive account encounters some problems related to security, internet connectivity or any other reason; hence, copying the files ensures the safety and easy accessibility in the second account.
2. Another reason for copying files in OneDrive is to make a backup in the second account to safeguard copies in case the primary account loses the data or faces any ransomware or virus attack.
3. The current storage space is almost over; hence, copying files to another account helps you store crucial files in the second account you can’t work without.

These reasons highlight the importance of copying OneDrive files to another account. We now discuss the solutions, so keep reading this article.

Also Read: Download all attachments from Outlook

Manual Methods to Copy OneDrive Files to Another Account

We will discuss three main methods of manually copying OneDrive files to another account in the following points:

Method 1: Download & Upload Method

The first method to copy OneDrive files in another account is using the Download & Upload method in OneDrive. This method involves downloading the files from the primary OneDrive account and uploading them to the secondary account.

Here are the steps to use while using this method:

1. Log in to your primary OneDrive account.
2. Select the files you want to copy (or, in this case, upload) to the other OneDrive account. 
3. Click Download to download them.
4. Now log in to the second OneDrive account and select the folder to upload the downloaded files.
5. Click Upload to upload the files from the primary account.
6. The files will get uploaded to the other account soon, depending on the time taken and the size of the files.

Method 2: File Sharing Method

Another method to copy OneDrive files to another account is the File Sharing method. This method involves sharing the files from the primary OneDrive account. Use these steps to copy OneDrive files using this method:

1. Log in to your OneDrive account.
2. Select the files you want to send to the other OneDrive account. 
3. Right-click the selected files and select Share (or click Share on the menu on top).
4. Select the second Microsoft account as the recipient and edit the shareable link settings.
5. Open your second Outlook account, and you will see a mail with the link to the OneDrive files. Click the blue Open box and open the files on OneDrive, saving them automatically.

Method 3: Microsoft Power Automate

If you can’t copy OneDrive files to another account using the methods mentioned above, the last method you can use is Microsoft’s Power Automate. It is a tool that helps you create automated workflows between applications to synchronize your files and collect data, thus saving you time and enabling you to work on other things without worries.

Here are the steps to use Power Automate:

1. Visit the Power Automate template website and click the Try It Now box.
2. Sign in to your primary OneDrive account and add the second OneDrive account by clicking Add new connection and then Continue.
3. Specify the source folder from the primary account and configure the destination folder to receive the files in the second account. 
4. Click Save to save the flow, and click Test to test it by adding a OneDrive file manually.
5. Once the test goes well, add the files to sync them with the second account.

Limitations of the Manual Methods

The manual methods mentioned above are efficient to copy OneDrive files to another account, but they have limitations restricting their usage. We are discussing these limitations in the following points:

1. The Download & Upload Method is time-consuming (since many files will get uploaded), prone to security risks like viruses, malware attacks & data loss, and dependent on high internet connectivity. 
2. Using Power Automate is not feasible for non-technical users since it doesn’t boast an easy interface and involves serious training.

The File Sharing method doesn’t have limitations since the files are easily shared from OneDrive account to another using this method. Now, let's discuss the automated method for copying OneDrive files.

Automated Method

The manual methods described above can’t copy OneDrive files to another account except for the file sharing method since their limitations restrict their usage. Hence, the best solution for moving files in OneDrive is an automated tool for smooth and flawless copying.

Hence, you can use a professionally reliable automated tool to copy OneDrive files safely without data loss and corruption. We will discuss one software here: SysTools OneDrive Migrator.

Features

• • Move data files and documents from one OneDrive to another.
  • Perform Personal to Personal and Personal to Business account OneDrive migration.
  • Migrate Documents with permissions to another OneDrive account.
  • Delta Migration to migrate new data directly to the destination account.

Follow these steps to use the tool:

1. Install the tool on your computer. Once installed, open it and activate the software. Once activated, select Office 365 as the source and the destination platform. 
2. Select the categories to migrate from the current Office 365 account under Workload selection. Here, select Documents. 
3. Two options are available for migration- Migrate Document Permissions (to execute document-level permissions) and User Group Mapping (to create a mapping between the source and destination accounts). Now, use the Date Filter to migrate date-based selective files. Click Next.
4. In the Source window, enter the Admin Email and Application ID and Validate the source tenant. Once validated, click on Next.
   
   Note: Follow this guide to create the Application ID of the Source Tenant and the Destination Tenant.

    

5. In the Destination window, enter the destination Admin Email and Application ID and click Validate to validate the destination tenant. Click Next.
   
6. The Users tab has three options to add users: Fetch Users, Import Users, and Download Template.
7. Select Fetch Users to fetch all users from the source account, and enter the destination user’s email address. Click Continue.
8. Create a mapping between the source and destination accounts after all the source mailboxes get fetched.
9. Click Validate to validate the source and destination users. 
10. Click Start Migration to start copying the OneDrive files to another account. 

The tool has a Re-Run Migration option to restart the migration process if you face any issues while copying OneDrive files. You may argue that the process is lengthy, but it isn’t. 

Conclusion

OneDrive is online cloud storage from Microsoft, enabling users to share, synchronize, store & protect their files and access them anywhere from any device. There are many reasons to copy OneDrive files to another account, from backing up the files to safeguarding them and the primary OneDrive account facing some problems. 

The manual method involves the Download & Upload, File Sharing and Power Automate methods. Except for the file sharing method, the other two methods have disadvantages that limit their use. On the other hand, the automated solution involves using the tool mentioned in this article to copy the OneDrive files in a few minutes.