Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How To Move Local Network Drives To Sharepoint. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

How To Move Local Network Drives To SharePoint

Moving your organisation's files from local network drives—such as the Z:\ drive—or a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device to SharePoint Online allows your team to access documents from any location without relying on physical server hardware. For NDIS providers, this transition centralises participant documentation and care plans while improving audit traceability and supporting compliance with NDIS quality and privacy requirements. SharePoint enables seamless co-authoring, meaning multiple staff members can edit the same document simultaneously with real-time autosave and version history.

Planning Your Migration

Before moving data, it is important to map your existing folder structure to SharePoint sites and libraries. Consider how your teams collaborate and which documents require restricted access for participant confidentiality.

Identify Data to Migrate

• Review current network shares and identify redundant or obsolete files.
• Group documents by department, service type, or participant category.
• Determine which folders require restricted permissions versus general staff access.

Set Up SharePoint Sites

1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin portal using your administrator account.
2. Navigate to the SharePoint admin centre.
3. Select Active sites and click Create to establish new site collections for different teams or service locations.
4. Configure site names and descriptions that reflect your organisational structure.

Moving Network Drives to SharePoint

There are several methods to transfer your data. For most small business and home office environments, the sync method provides a straightforward transition.

Method 1: Sync SharePoint Libraries to File Explorer

1. Open a web browser and navigate to your SharePoint site.
2. Select the document library you wish to populate.
3. Click the Sync button in the command bar.
4. Follow the prompts in OneDrive to sync the library to your local computer.
5. Open File Explorer and locate the synced folder under your organisation's name.
6. Copy files from your local network drive (Z:\) and paste them into the synced SharePoint folder.
7. OneDrive will automatically upload the files to SharePoint Online.

Method 2: Upload via Web Browser

1. Navigate to your SharePoint site in a web browser.
2. Open the target document library.
3. Click Upload and select Files or Folder.
4. Browse to your network drive location and select the data to migrate.
5. Confirm the upload and monitor progress until completion.

Configuring Permissions for Participant Confidentiality

NDIS providers must protect sensitive participant information. SharePoint allows granular permission control at the site, library, folder, and file level.

Set Library Permissions

1. In SharePoint, open the document library containing sensitive records.
2. Click the Settings gear icon and select Library settings.
3. Under Permissions and Management, select Permissions for this document library.
4. Click Stop Inheriting Permissions if you need unique access rules for this library.
5. Use Grant Permissions to add specific staff members or groups.
6. Assign appropriate permission levels such as Read, Edit, or Full Control.

Manage Access via Microsoft 365 Groups

For easier ongoing management, assign permissions to Microsoft 365 groups rather than individual users. This ensures that when staff members join or leave your organisation, their access is updated through group membership.

Seamless Co-Authoring and Collaboration

Once files are stored in SharePoint, your team can take advantage of real-time collaboration features that eliminate version conflicts common with network drives.

Co-Authoring Documents

• Open Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files directly from SharePoint or Teams.
• Multiple users can edit the same document simultaneously.
• Changes are saved automatically, and presence indicators show who is currently editing.

Version History

1. Right-click a file in SharePoint and select Version history.
2. View previous versions, including who made changes and when.
3. Click Restore to revert to an earlier version if needed.

Accessing Files from Different Locations

Staff working across multiple service locations can access SharePoint files through:

• OneDrive sync on desktop computers.
• The SharePoint mobile app for iOS and Android.
• Microsoft Teams, where SharePoint libraries can be added as tabs in channels.
• A web browser from any device with internet access.

Removing reliance on on-premises servers reduces hardware maintenance costs and ensures your team can work securely from any location across Australia.

If you host with us, you don't need to do this yourself — just Open a Ticket and our Brisbane team will get it sorted.

Still Having Issues?