Overview
In this compilation, we link to our file transfer guides, which can be useful when:
- You're getting a new computer, and you need to transfer files from your old computer or from a loaner computer
- You're running out of storage space on your current device or USC account, and want to switch to another device or account
- You want to move your files to a shareable location that your team or department can easily access
- This is especially important if you depart USC, as your coworkers will lose access to your shared files if they are not set up correctly
Be sure to set aside time for this process, as it can take longer depending on how many files you need to transfer, and you will want to double-check that you haven't forgotten any files.
You can also reach out to DTS if you would like assistance.
Transferring files between your own devices or accounts
Transferring files between devices
If you are replacing your work computer or iOS device, these guides will help you transfer files from the old device to the new one:
Transferring files across platforms
If you are running into storage limits or need to store FERPA-protected data, you can transfer files from your Dornsife network drive (several hundred MB) or Google Drive (100 GB) to Microsoft OneDrive (250 GB):
Transferring files from your Dornsife network drive to your Microsoft account
Transferring files from your Google account to your Microsoft account
Transferring files to a shared location for collaboration
If you have files that you collaborate on heavily with colleagues, consider moving those files to a shared location. Advantages:
- Files will not count against your individual storage limit, since they will be stored in a team location instead
- Files are still available to the rest of the department or team if a file creator departs USC
If your team or department does not currently have a shared location for file collaboration, we recommend setting up a Microsoft SharePoint site and then following the steps below for transferring files to SharePoint.
Transfer files to Microsoft SharePoint
Transfer files to a Google shared Drive
Transfer files to Dornsife network drives (G:)
To move files from your computer to a Dornsife network drive, use File Explorer on a Windows or Finder on a Mac. Make sure that you are connected to the network drive:
Transferring files to a colleague
We recommend transferring files to a shared location when possible, but you can also transfer files directly to a USC colleague. For instance, if you are leaving your team or department, you may want to transfer important files to your supervisor.
Transfer OneDrive files
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Share the OneDrive files with your colleague. If you have a lot of files, you can zip them into a folder to reduce their size.
- Your colleague should download the shared files to their computer or copy them to their own OneDrive account.
Transfer Google Drive files
- Share the Google Drive files with your colleague. If you have a lot of files, you can zip them into a folder to reduce their size.
- Once the files are shared, you can change your colleague's access level by selecting Make owner. Once you do this, the files will no longer live in your Google Drive. Detailed instructions are available in our guide for transferring Google Drive files.
Transfer computer files or Dornsife network drive (U:) files
If your files reside on your computer or on your U: drive on the network drives, you can transfer them using one of the methods below:
- Method 1: Upload your files to OneDrive or Google Drive, and then follow the steps above for transferring files.
- Method 2: Copy your files onto an encrypted external storage device, and then give the storage device to your colleague. We recommend having your colleague then download the files to their own computer or save them to OneDrive or Google Drive: if they lose the password to the storage device, DTS is unable to retrieve it.