How do I take a large amount of files/photos from an external hard drive and move/backup to One Drive?

Hi, I'm John! I will help you with this.

Drag and drop can struggle when moving a very large number of photos and files to OneDrive, especially if there are thousands of items.

If you haven't already, a more reliable way is to copy the files directly into your OneDrive folder using File Explorer.

• Open File Explorer > Open your external hard drive > Open your OneDrive folder on the PC
• Create a new folder inside OneDrive if needed
• Copy the files in smaller batches instead of all at once

I recommend starting with a few folders first to make sure syncing works properly.

"Copy, transfer or import files to your personal OneDrive" https://support.microsoft.com/office/copy-transfer-or-import-files-to-your-personal-onedrive-7dbda93c-71e6-483f-8914-ad445554cd31

If you have any further questions or concerns, feel free to reach out again. I'm here to help you with further. :)

Click "Add comment" to let me know.

To move or back up a large number of files/photos from an external hard drive to OneDrive, use one of these supported methods instead of browser drag-and-drop:

1. Use File Explorer with the OneDrive folder (recommended on Windows)
   1. Make sure the OneDrive sync app is installed and signed in on the PC. This creates a OneDrive folder in File Explorer.
   2. Connect the external hard drive and open File Explorer.
   3. In the left pane, open the external drive and browse to the folders with your photos/files.
   4. In another File Explorer window (or another tab), open the OneDrive folder.
   5. To move files: drag them from the external drive’s right pane into the desired folder under OneDrive in the left pane. This removes them from the external drive and uploads them to OneDrive.
   6. To copy (keep a copy on the external drive): right‑click the files/folders on the external drive and select Copy, then right‑click inside the target folder in OneDrive and select Paste.
   7. The OneDrive sync app will upload everything in the OneDrive folder to the cloud. Large batches may take time depending on internet speed.
2. Use the OneDrive website (for smaller batches or when sync app isn’t available)
   1. Go to onedrive.com and sign in.
   2. Browse to the folder where the photos/files should be stored.
   3. Select Upload > Files or Folder, then choose items from the external drive and select Open.
   4. In Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome, entire folders can be uploaded directly via Upload > Folder or by dragging folders into the browser window.
   5. For very large sets of files, repeat in smaller batches if the browser becomes unreliable; for very large or numerous files, the desktop sync app is recommended instead of the website.
3. On Mac (if applicable)
   1. Install and sign in to the free OneDrive desktop app. This creates a OneDrive folder in Finder.
   2. Open Finder, browse to the external drive, and locate the photos/files.
   3. In another Finder window, open the OneDrive folder (under Favorites if configured).
   4. Drag files/folders from the external drive into the OneDrive folder to move them, or use Copy and Paste to keep copies on the external drive.
   5. The OneDrive app will upload the content automatically.

If drag-and-drop of a huge set of files is unreliable, prefer:

• Copy/paste in File Explorer or Finder into the OneDrive folder, and
• Let the OneDrive sync app handle the upload in the background, possibly in several smaller batches.

References:

• Upload photos and files to OneDrive