Shared drives on an office server served small businesses well for years. Today, moving those files to SharePoint and Teams makes remote access simpler and can retire aging hardware. A successful move depends on decisions made before any files are copied.
1. Inventory what you have
Measure the total size, the number of files, and the deepest folder paths. Identify file types that don't belong in SharePoint, such as databases used by line-of-business applications, which often need a different solution.
2. Clean up first
Archive or delete outdated material before migrating. Moving years of duplicates and abandoned folders just recreates the clutter in a new place.
3. Design the structure
A single giant library mirroring the old drive letter is rarely the best result. Most businesses do better with separate sites or libraries by department or function, which makes permissions and searching simpler.
4. Plan permissions
Map who needs access to what, using groups rather than individual people. Migration is a good time to remove access that's no longer needed.
5. Check sync limits and long paths
SharePoint has limits on path length, and Microsoft recommends keeping the total number of files synced by the OneDrive app on one computer under 300,000 for best performance. Large libraries may need to be split, or used in the browser and Teams rather than synced.
6. Schedule the cutover
Copy data in advance, then run a final sync and switch users over at a scheduled time, usually outside business hours. Make the old share read-only afterward, so nobody keeps saving files in the wrong place.
7. Train your team
Show people where their files are, how to share them properly, and how to use version history. Most frustration after a migration comes from not knowing where things went.
Founder of Albano Tech, providing managed IT, Microsoft 365, and cybersecurity services to businesses in Delaware, Maryland, and the Philadelphia region. More about Zach.
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Albano Tech provides Cloud Infrastructure & Migrations for businesses in Delaware, Maryland, and the Philadelphia region.