Move Microsoft 365 to Google Drive with Permissions Preserved

Moving from Microsoft 365 to Google Drive requires conscientious planning, execution, and specialized tools, especially when it comes to file permissions, shared folders, and access controls. If not done correctly, you risk losing user access, breaking collaboration workflows, or exposing sensitive files.

Losing access controls during a migration from Microsoft 365, including OneDrive and SharePoint, can be a major data security risk and data loss. But don’t worry! This guide will walk you through a structured approach to move your data from Microsoft 365 to Google Drive while preserving file/folder permissions, folder structures, and metadata.

Microsoft 365 to Google Drive Migration Challenges

Moving files between two cloud platforms means moving data while preserving user access, folder structure, and sharing settings. Below are some of the challenges:

1. File Permissions Migration: Microsoft 365 has a different permission model than Google Drive. Role-based mapping is critical.
2. Shared Links & Ownership Transfer: Microsoft OneDrive and SharePoint have different sharing mechanisms than Google Drive.
3. Large-Scale Data Migration: Moving terabytes of data without downtime.
4. Security & Compliance: Ensuring regulatory compliance during the cloud migration process.

How to Migrate Microsoft 365 to Google Drive with Permissions Preserved

Look For Professional Migration Tool

Manually moving files from OneDrive and SharePoint to Google Drive for Business can result in errors, data loss, permission issues, and broken links. An enterprise-grade cloud migration tool like CloudFuze is designed to move files while preserving permissions, metadata and folder structures.

All permissions are migrated by our migration tool exactly as they are in the SharePoint/OneDrive for Business account by default. However, you can modify the default permissions here.

Our platform helps in:

1. Root folder & sub-folder permissions preservation
2. Root file permissions & inner file permissions preservation
3. Secure OAuth-based authentication
4. Bulk data transfer with real-time tracking
5. Metadata and folder structure preservation

Set Up the Migration Environment

A properly configured environment ensures a smooth migration. In Microsoft 365 (OneDrive and SharePoint), categorize files, review user permissions, and remove redundant or obsolete files to optimize migration. In Google Drive, set up Shared Drives, configure the Google Admin Console for permission mapping, and enable API access for a seamless transfer. CloudFuze makes sure that the options for maintaining sharing settings and user access are enabled.

Prepare for Migration

Before you begin the migration, review the existing permissions in Microsoft 365. This means understanding user roles, access levels, files and folders ownership in OneDrive and SharePoint. Also create a mapping of users and groups from Microsoft 365 (OneDrive and SharePoint) to Google Drive. This way the same users will have access to their file/folder after migration. Also check storage quotas and Google Drive licensing requirements.

Test Migration

Before you go live with a full migration, do a pilot test with a small subset of files. This will ensure permissions, metadata, and folder structure are transferred correctly without any data integrity issues. By finding inconsistencies or access issues early in the process, you can make adjustments before you migrate the entire dataset. This will minimize risks and ensure the final migration goes smoothly.

Perform the Migration

Our tool maps permissions, transfers files/folders with permissions intact, and preserves metadata, timestamps, and folder structure. It also detects and resolves permission conflicts, so you won’t have access issues in Google Drive.

For detailed migration steps, check out:

• OneDrive to Google Drive migration guide
• SharePoint to Google Drive migration guide

Post-Migration Validation

After you’ve migrated, check that all files are transferred correctly, and permissions are intact. Execute a post-migration audit to check:

• All files and folders are transferred correctly.
• Users can access shared files.
• No broken links or missing content.
• Security and compliance.

User Training and Support

Provide training resources for users to get used to the Google Drive interface and features. Ensure the IT support team is available for any questions or issues they may have post-migration.

How Are Permissions Moved from SharePoint/OneDrive to Google Drive?

Here’s how our advanced migration tool correctly transfers permissions from SharePoint Online/OneDrive to Google Drive:

Need Help Migrating?

Our cloud migration tool helps in migrating from Microsoft 365 to Google Drive while preserving permissions. Connect with our experts now to understand more about migration to Google Drive!