Transition Department Files to Microsoft Teams

Questions

  • How do I move my department's shared files from the Microwave department drive (J:) to Microsoft Teams?
  • How do I request help migrating department files to Teams?
  • Who coordinates a department's file transition to Teams?
  • Who actually moves the files, IT or someone in my department?
  • Where should old, personal, or archival files go when we move to Teams?
  • How should we name and organize folders so files do not fail to move?
  • What happens to the J: drive after the migration is complete?
  • Why should my department use Microsoft Teams for files instead of the J: drive?

Environment

This article is for department heads and staff responsible for coordinating a department's transition from the Microwave department drive (J:) to Microsoft Teams. The Bowdoin Service Desk partners with your department to set up or update your Team(s), identify folders to move, and transfer files to Teams. The College Archives' Records Management Program advises on records that should be preserved in the College Archives.

Why Microsoft Teams for files? Teams provides real-time collaboration, version history, easier sharing, improved search, secure access from anywhere, and stronger protection than the J: drive.

Resolution

The Service Desk guides your department through the steps below so you can begin working in Teams with your active departmental files.

  1. Submit the Migration Assistance Request. Request help through the Migration Assistance Request. A Service Desk member will meet with you to develop a plan that works for your department.
  2. Assign a department migration lead. Choose a staff member or members to coordinate the transition and work with the Service Desk.
  3. Design your Team structure.
    • Start simple: typically one Team per department.
    • Some departments already use multiple Teams. In some cases these can be consolidated by using additional channels within the main department Team.
    • Maintain at least two Team owners for continuity.
    • Create additional channels only when they support a clear purpose, such as private or cross-department collaboration. For more on channel structure, see the Understand Microsoft Teams: Channels, Permissions, and File Structure article in the Related Articles section.
    • Keep folder names short and nesting shallow, around three levels where you can. A Teams channel adds a long prefix to every file path, so a deep folder tree that worked on Microwave can exceed the 400-character path limit once it is in Teams. See the Best Practices and Limitations in Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive article in the Related Articles section.
  4. Take a folder inventory.
    • The Service Desk will provide a File Review spreadsheet showing top-level folders, size, number of files, and last accessed dates.
    • This overview helps departments quickly identify large or outdated folders. Whenever possible, make decisions at the folder level rather than reviewing individual files. See the Using the File Review Spreadsheet to Organize Your Department Files article in the Related Articles section.
    • Reducing the volume before anything moves is the single biggest factor in how smoothly the migration goes. See the Manage and Clean Up Department Files Before the Teams Migration article in the Related Articles section.
    • The College Archives' Records Management Program will advise on records that should be preserved in the College Archives.
  5. Move active working files first.
    • Identify the active files your department currently uses and move them to Teams.
    • Depending on the number and size of the files, the Service Desk can move them for you, or someone in your department can. Large folders are best left to the Service Desk, which uses migration tools that carry the folder structure and permissions across.
    • For the method to use in each case, see the Move Files into a Microsoft Teams Channel article in the Related Articles section.
  6. Train staff and begin working in Teams. A Service Desk staff member will lead a short kickoff session to introduce the new file structure, explain when to use OneDrive versus Teams, demonstrate how to find Team files on your computer, show how version history works, and answer questions. See the Find Your Department's Files in Teams and Choose How Teams and Shared Files Appear on Your Computer articles in the Related Articles section.
  7. Decide where the remaining files go. As you work through the rest of the folders, decide where each set of files belongs:
    • Teams: older departmental files that should be retained but are rarely used. Consider a "Department Archive" channel or folder.
    • OneDrive or \\microwave\research: personal work or research files belonging to an individual.
    • Delete: duplicates, temporary exports, outdated drafts, or files beyond retention.
    • College Archives: records identified for long-term institutional preservation.
  8. Group folders by destination. To make the move easier, move files into top-level folders that indicate the destination, for example: MIGRATION, COLLEGE ARCHIVES, DELETE, TeamName-ChannelName, OneDrive-Username, Research-Name. Someone from the Service Desk will check in regularly on progress and answer questions. When the review is complete, the Service Desk can assist with transferring the grouped folders to their final locations.
  9. Complete the transition.
    • Confirm files are in the expected locations.
    • Once the main migration is complete, access to the Microwave folder will be set to read-only for one year in case additional material needs to be moved to Teams.
    • Access to the department drive on Microwave will be removed after one year.
    • Submit the Records Transfer Form for materials moving to the College Archives.

Warning: Do not delete anything from Microwave until you have confirmed it arrived in Teams. Files with unusual characters in their names, or paths that are too long, are quietly left behind during a move rather than reported. Check the file count at the destination first.

Additional Help

If you need further assistance, you have several options:

  • Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
  • Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
  • In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
  • Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.

Additional Resources

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Related Articles (10)

A Starter Folder Structure for a Department Team
This article gives a department a structure to start from when moving shared files off the Microwave (J:) drive into a Microsoft Team. It includes two worked examples, the naming and nesting rules that keep the result usable, and guidance on what belongs in OneDrive instead.
Best Practices and Limitations in Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive
One table collecting the limits that apply to files in Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive at Bowdoin: file size, path length, item counts, sharing link and guest expiration, and how long deleted files are kept. Also covers how to structure Teams and channels, how to name files so they do not fail to sync, how to connect Teams files to your computer, and what happens when a Team goes inactive or someone leaves the College. Applies to Bowdoin students, faculty, and staff.
Choose How Teams and Shared Files Appear on Your Computer
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Move Files into a Microsoft Teams Channel
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Department Drive Migration Assistance Request
This request applies to a department looking to transition from Microwave to Microsoft Teams with SharePoint files.