Migrate to OneDrive – Windows

To prepare for your new PC, you must ensure files on your existing PC have been migrated to Microsoft OneDrive. This step ensures your files are not lost during the computer changeover, and must be completed as soon as possible. Once the data on your current computer has been migrated, you can continue to use your existing computer until your changeover occurs.

Why do I need to do this on my old PC?

With more staff working off campus, the way your files were previously stored - in your H:\ drive - doesn't provide the best experience or protection. This method requires you to be connected to the VPN, and sometime sync errors occur. This leaves the potential for files to be lost when your computer is changed over.

Microsoft OneDrive solves these problems by using Deakin's Microsoft cloud service, which comes as part of Office 365. Files are continuously synced as you work with them, as long as internet access is available. You can work offline, and when internet access is available again, syncing resumes automatically. Your files are stored only in Australian data centres, and the OneDrive service is managed by Deakin.

Migrating to OneDrive ensures that the files you use, stored in your My Documents, Desktop and Pictures folders, are automatically and continuously backed up as you use your computer. Whether you're at Deakin or working remotely. You can even restore deleted files within 90 days or revert to a previously saved version by using the OneDrive website.

When you log in to your new computer, your files will be available when you first log in, so you can pick up where you left off.

What are the benefits of migrating?

• 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 then 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 will it take to migrate?

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

Note that the migration process occurs in two stages. First, your files are prepared for the migration, requiring you to log out upon completion. This first step does not usually take long. The second phase begins when you then log back in. This second phase sync's all your files and folders stored in the My Documents, My Pictures and Desktop folders into OneDrive. This process can take considerable time depending on many factors, as explained above.

You can initiate the migration to OneDrive management on your device by completing the following steps:

1. Open the Software Center on your existing PC.
   
   
   
   
2. Find and click on the Migrate to OneDrive application.
   
   
   
   
3. Click the 'Install' button.
   
   
   
   
4. Click the Start Migration button.
   
   
   
   
5. Once the step is completed check that the status of this step was successful. Then click the 'Logoff and back on to Continue Migration' button.
   
   This will log you off. You will then have to log back onto Windows to continue the migration process.
   
   
   
   
6. Once you log back into windows, the OneDrive known folder migration wizard will start.
   
   Click the 'Start backup' button once it's available.
   
   
   
   
7. You can see the migration progress in the following window:
   
   
   
   

   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 process is complete you can click on 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 is because certain file names aren't compatible with OneDrive cloud storage.  If you receive the message below, click the Skip button to review and complete the migration process. Any of the files that are skipped will need to be either deleted or renamed to a format that conforms to Microsoft's standards.

   
   
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.