new account and lost files

Janet Claherty 0 Reputation points
2026-09-30T17:57:53.21+00:00

request assistance with transferring my documents from my daughter’s account to my newly created personal account, as well as resolving an issue with file access errors.

For the past few years while I was in college, I was using my daughter’s Microsoft account to create and store all of my academic and personal files. Now that I have graduated, I have started my own standalone Microsoft 365 account which I pay for on a monthly subscription.

I need your help with two specific issues:

  1. Document Transfer: I need to completely migrate all of my old documents, spreadsheets, and files away from her account and securely transfer them over to my new paid account.
  2. File Access Errors: There are several critical documents originally created under her account that I currently cannot open. I receive an error when attempting to view them, and I need a representative to help me regain full access to these files.

Could you please walk me through the correct migration process or escalate this to a representative who can assist with moving these files and fixing the restricted documents?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | MacOS
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  1. AI answer

    2026-09-30T17:58:09.3666667+00:00

    Use a file copy or transfer approach. The supported path is to move only personal files from the old account into the new personal OneDrive account.

    1. Sign in to OneDrive for both accounts on the Mac.
    2. In Finder, open the old account’s OneDrive folder and select the files and folders to keep.
    3. Choose Copy.
    4. In Finder, open the new personal OneDrive folder.
    5. Choose Paste.
    6. Wait for OneDrive to finish syncing the copied files to the new account.

    Important points:

    • Copy/paste is recommended instead of drag/drop because it is less prone to mistakes.
    • Make sure the new account has enough storage space before copying.
    • Copied files are treated as new files, so metadata such as Date created and Modified By is not retained.
    • If any files were previously shared, they must be shared again after the copy.
    • Only copy personal files. Confidential or institution-owned content must not be retained unless permitted by policy or law.

    For school-related content, these supported options are also available:

    • Transfer school files with Mover in OneDrive.
    • Export contacts, calendar, and mailbox data.
    • Save copies of OneNote notebooks, Teams assignments, and class materials.

    For the files that cannot be opened, the available support path depends on which account owns them:

    • If the files are in a personal Microsoft account, use Contact Microsoft Support.
    • If the files are still in a work or school account, contact the organization’s IT helpdesk, service desk, or admin.

    On Mac, before changing OneDrive setup, first confirm any active uploads or edits are fully synced. Then quit the existing OneDrive app from the menu bar before reconfiguring accounts. This helps avoid unsynced changes.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Xavier-D 13,840 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-10-01T02:33:56.62+00:00

    Hello Janet Claherty,

    Has the answer provided by AI able to help you solve this issue?

    Since the AI mention contacting support but fail to include the steps on how to reach support, here is how you can contact support in case you need further assistance on this issue:

    Please note that this is a user-to-user support forum. Moderators and contributors, including external Microsoft employees, are not allowed to directly interfere with Microsoft product features or access back-end systems. Our role is limited solely to providing technical guidance on reported incidents, requests, or ideas.  

    1. Open a website link - Contact - Microsoft Support 
    2. In the box below "We're here to help", type Microsoft 365, click "Get Help", and then click "Contact Support" below. 
    3. In this section, you will need to sign in to your Microsoft account. 
    4. Select "Microsoft 365 and Office" under Products & Services, select "Technical Support" as the category, and click to confirm 
    5. You can select " Chat with a support agent in your web browser " to access the chat window. 

    I hope you can get this issue resolve, have a nice day.

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  3. Charles Kenyon 171.3K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2026-10-01T12:55:42.7666667+00:00

    I need your help with two specific issues:

    1. Document Transfer: I need to completely migrate all of my old documents, spreadsheets, and files away from her account and securely transfer them over to my new paid account.
    2. File Access Errors: There are several critical documents originally created under her account that I currently cannot open. I receive an error when attempting to view them, and I need a representative to help me regain full access to these files.

    Document Transfer: I assume these files are stored on One Drive.

    • Open One Drive in her account.
    • Copy and save the files to your local hard drive. (You can copy to a thumb drive, but do not use the files from Office when they are on the thumb drive. Copy them to a hard drive or One Drive first.)
    • If you want them in your new One Drive, open One Drive using your new account and copy the files to your One Drive.

    File Access Errors:

    • Are you signed into your daughter's account when trying to access these?
    • What error messages are you getting? (You can use a screen shot rather than retyping if you want.)
    • Which operating system are you using (Name and number)?
    • Which version of Word are you using (Version number)?

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    1 person found this answer helpful.
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