How to move onedrive folders from one account to another.

Kathryn Howden 0 Reputation points
2026-09-05T17:47:03.5733333+00:00

I have a new microsoft email and onedrive account and would like to move folders from my old account. What is the easiest way to do this?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | Other | Windows
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  1. John Jefferson Doyon 86,980 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-05T18:22:01.3833333+00:00

    Hi, @Kathryn Howden

    If both are personal Microsoft accounts, OneDrive does not have a direct “move to another account” option.

    The easiest method is:

    • Sign in to the old OneDrive at https://onedrive.live.com
    • Download the folders you want to move to your PC.
    • Sign out, then sign in to the new OneDrive account.
    • Upload the folders to the new account.
    • Once you confirm everything is in the new OneDrive, you can remove the local copies if you no longer need them.

    If you have a large amount of data, it may be easier to first sync the old OneDrive to the PC, copy the files to a temporary local folder, then sign in to the new OneDrive and copy them into the new OneDrive folder.

    To help narrow down the best method:

    1. Are both accounts personal Microsoft accounts, or is one a work/school account?
    2. About how much data are you moving?
    3. Do any of the folders contain files that were shared with you by someone else?

    Click "Add comment" to let me know.

    Thanks!

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-05T17:47:15.3466667+00:00

    The easiest supported method is to use File Explorer with both OneDrive accounts available on the same PC, then copy and paste the folders from the old account to the new account.

    Steps:

    1. Open the OneDrive app on the PC.
    2. Add the destination account:
      • Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar notification area.
      • Select Help and settings > Settings > Account > Add an account.
      • Sign in with the new Microsoft account.
    3. Open File Explorer.
    4. Locate both OneDrive folders.
    5. In the old account’s OneDrive folder, select the folders to move.
    6. Use Copy.
    7. Go to the new account’s OneDrive folder and use Paste.
    8. Wait for OneDrive sync to finish. Blue circular arrows mean the files are syncing; green check marks mean sync is complete.

    Important notes:

    • Copy/paste is recommended instead of drag/drop because it is less prone to mistakes.
    • If moving files between OneDrive accounts, syncing to the PC first and then using File Explorer is the supported approach.
    • Files copied to the new account are treated as new files, so some metadata such as Date created or Modified By does not carry over.
    • If any files were previously shared, they must be shared again from the new account.
    • Make sure the new account has enough available storage before copying a large amount of data.

    If only one account is currently set up in OneDrive, add the second account first, then copy between the two local OneDrive folders.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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