Migrate to OneDrive – Windows

Migrating to OneDrive syncs your Desktop and Documents folders with your 1TB Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage, instead of with your 10GB personal network drive.

Once you've migrated, your files stay in sync and backed up even when you're not on campus. You can work offline, and whenever internet access is available, changes are synced to OneDrive automatically. No need to connect to Deakin's VPN. You can even restore deleted files or revert to a previously saved version.

Anyone can migrate their Desktop and Documents folders to OneDrive. If you are receiving a new computer, you must complete migration to OneDrive on your existing computer before you receive your new one. This ensures your files are not lost during the computer changeover. Once the data on your current computer has been migrated, you can continue to use your existing computer until your changeover occurs.

Why migrate?

• Files stored in My Documents, My Pictures and the Desktop are automatically backed up over the internet into Deakin's Microsoft OneDrive cloud service. This is available 24/7 and only requires internet access to silently backup and sync.
• Your My Documents, My Pictures and Desktop folder files, and anything else you store in OneDrive can be accessed on any device - other Deakin PCs and Macs, in Teaching Spaces, your personal computers and even your mobile devices. 
• Changes are automatically synced and available across devices as you make them.
• You can share your files and collaborate on the same file - no more emailing versions of files and trying to keep track of changes
• Your Deakin Onedrive gives you access to 1 terabyte of data - over 100 times more space than your Deakin H: home directory drive
• If your computer is low on space, OneDrive's Files on Demand feature lets you free up space. Infrequently used files can be kept in the cloud service, they take up almost no space on your computer, and you just double-click to restore the file back to your computer.
• OneDrive is integrated into Microsoft Office, so you can easily access, share and collaborate with others.

How long does it take to migrate?

Migration time depends on how many files you have in your My Documents, My Pictures and Desktop folders, how large these files are, and the speed of your internet connection. Most migrations complete within 1-2 hours.

Note that migration process occurs in two stages.

First, your files are prepared for migration. This occurs quickly and requires you to log out.

When you log in again, the second stage begins. All your files and folders stored in My Documents, My Pictures and Desktop folders begin syncing into OneDrive. This process can take considerable time depending on the number and size of files and your internet connection.

Should I do anything before migrating?

EndNote libraries may cause sync issues. Clarivate advise not to store EndNote libraries within the sync folder of any service such as OneDrive, Dropbox or iCloud. See: Clarivate: Tips for getting started with EndNote

Create a folder directly in your main user folder (located in C:\Users\username) such as "EndNote" and move your EndNote libraries into there before migrating to OneDrive.

You can use EndNote's File > Compress Library feature to create a backup archive which can then be saved into your Documents folder to back it up to OneDrive. Or you can set up an EndNote Online account and sync your library with EndNote's own online service. See: Clarivate: EndNote Online and Deakin: EndNote Online.

To begin your migration on your existing Windows PC:

1. Click the Windows Start button and open Software Center.
   
   
   
   
2. In Applications, locate and click Migrate to OneDrive.
   
   
   
   
3. Click the 'Install' button.
   
   
   
   
4. Click the Start Migration button.
   
   
   
   
5. Check that the status of this step was successful. Click the 'Logoff and back on to Continue Migration' button.
   
   Once you have logged out, log in again to continue.
   
   
   
   
6. Once you log back into windows, OneDrive's wizard begins.
   
   Wait until the Start backup button is available, then click it to proceed.
   
   
   
   
7. The wizard shows the progress of each folder as it begins syncing.
   
   
   
   

   Please note: This step may take considerable time. You can leave your computer unattended and wait for the process to complete.

8. To check if the sync is complete, click the OneDrive icon in the system tray (beside the clock in the bottom right hand corner of your screen).
   
   Once completed the icon will change to a cloud and the status will be OneDrive is up to date.
   
   
   
   

   Note: OneDrive may warn that some files can't be backed up. This occurs when files are named with unusual characters not supported by the OneDrive service. If you receive the message "Some files aren't backed up", click the Skip button to review and complete the migration process. Skipped files should be renamed to remove unusual characters, or deleted if the file is no longer needed. Once the name is corrected, OneDrive syncs the file. For details of file name characters not suported by OneDrive, see Microsoft's file name and file type support article.

   
   
   
   
9. You have now migrated to OneDrive management for your My Documents, My Pictures and Desktop folders.
   
   Files and folders stored within these directories are automatically saved as you create or modify them. You can access all your data in OneDrive on any device over the internet.