Purpose of the File Migration

Why? To provide secure off-campus access to a shared file structure, similar to what we know as G and H drives, without requiring VPN. Microsoft Teams and OneDrive offer centralized, collaborative platforms that use advanced security features to keep data protected.

**Be sure to check out the Support and Resources section at the bottom! 

Structure of the New Setup

  • H Drive becomes 2 sites for each department 
    • Internal Team Site: Accessible only to department members. Think of it as your secure workspace for internal files and projects. IT staff manage access.
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    • External Team Site: Allows sharing with other departments and external users. Ideal for cross-functional projects and external interactions. The department is responsible for managing access and removing access when no longer needed.
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  • G Drive becomes OneDrive for Business 

What You Need to Do 

Important: Anything left on the H or G drive after the migration will be considered archived and set to "read-only". All content left on the G and H drive will be permanently deleted within 5 years*.

H Drive - [Department] Central

(see the bottom of this article for an example)

  • Review and Organize Files 
    • Declutter - Identify the files needed for current day-to-day operations. Keep in mind, you may need to include files from folders other than [Department] Central.
    • Restructure - Create a new file structure that will best suit your department moving forward. Start simple to cover your basic needs. You can always grow in the new structure.
  • _A1_Migration folder – found at the top of your [Department] Central folder 
    • Create the folders based on your restructuring plans. 
    • Move, not copy, the files you identified in your review to the appropriate folders. 
    • You will need to access these files from the A1 folder until your files are migrated by IT.
  • Deadline Date 
    • On the agreed upon deadline date, IT will run the process to move the _A1_Migration folder contents to your new [Department]_Internal site. 
    • Anything left in your H Drive folder will be archived (read-only).
    • While the files are being moved, they will be briefly inaccessible. 
  • Last Step – Make your team files accessible through your file explorer on your computer 
    • Go to your new Internal Team site and navigate to Documents.  
    • Click the Sync button. Do NOT click “Add shortcut to OneDrive”. 
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G Drive – Personal Storage

  • OneDrive for Business 
    • IT will make sure you have OneDrive for Business and M365 Office installed on your computer so you can interact with it through the file explorer, and it will sync to the cloud. 
  • Take the same steps as the H Drive migration: 
    • Restructure - Create the simple folder structure in OneDrive 
    • Declutter - Identify the files you want to move to your OneDrive 

  • Each employee will be responsible for moving their own G Drive files to their OneDrive. 

    • Open OneDrive in the browser or in File Explorer on computer 
    • Open G Drive in File Explorer on computer 
    • Drag and drop the files or cut (not copy) and paste the files in the appropriate folder in OneDrive
    • Once you have moved the files, you should immediately switch to accessing them through OneDrive.
    • On the same Deadline date as the H Drive migration, your G Drive will be archived (read-only)* 

Support and Resources 

  • Help Desk - [email protected] Contact us with any concerns or questions during the transition.
  • HOW: Find Your Files - The various ways you will see your files throughout M365. See what fits your work style!
  • ABOUT: M365 Tools - Feeling overwhelmed with all the M365 apps? Check out this chart that maps what we use now to the Microsoft version. Includes brief explanations of the frequently used M365 apps.
  • Training Sessions - IT will create tutorials, How To articles and/or hold training sessions to offer you support in learning Microsoft’s structure.

Example of Migration File Structure