How to sync OneDrive across multiple devices that have different email accounts

Question

How to sync OneDrive across multiple devices that have different email accounts

Kevin 0

I have one PC that has a Microsoft account with an old email address, and a new PC that I set up under a new email address. What is the best way to sync the OneDrive accounts to pull the information from the old PC to the new PC? I tried updating the email address on the old PC, but that did not work. I also tried adding the old email address to the new PC as a secondary email, but I am not allowed to do that without entering the PIN associated with old email address. When I enter the PIN associated with the old PC/email address, the new PC says that PIN is incorrect (even though I just updated the Microsoft PIN on the old PC). Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

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2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Two personal Microsoft accounts cannot be merged or continuously synchronized, so copy the old account’s files into the new account’s OneDrive and sign in with the Microsoft account password, not the old PC’s PIN.

Transfer the OneDrive files

Since changing the email address and adding it as a secondary address did not work, keep the accounts separate and transfer the data:

Check the old PC for files not yet in OneDrive.
- Open File Explorer and copy any required files from Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Downloads, or other locations into the old account’s OneDrive folder.
- Wait until OneDrive finishes uploading before proceeding.
On the new PC, sign in to OneDrive with the new account.
- Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar.
- Open Help & Settings → Settings → Account.
- Confirm that the new Microsoft account is the personal OneDrive account currently connected.
Download the old account’s files.
- Open OneDrive on the web in a browser.
- Sign in using the old Microsoft account’s email address and password.
- Select a folder and choose Download.
- OneDrive downloads folders as ZIP files; repeat for each top-level folder.
Import them into the new OneDrive.
- Open each downloaded ZIP file.
- Copy the extracted folder into the new account’s OneDrive folder in File Explorer.
- Wait for the OneDrive cloud icon to report that synchronization is complete.
- Check the new account on OneDrive.com before deleting the ZIP files or retiring the old PC.

This is the documented transfer approach for two separate personal OneDrive accounts.^1^ Microsoft personal accounts themselves cannot be linked, merged, or combined.^2^

Ensure the new account has enough OneDrive capacity for everything being copied. Files copied into another OneDrive are treated as new items, and previously shared files may need to be shared again.^3^

Why the old PIN is rejected

A Windows Hello PIN belongs to the specific device where it was created. Updating the PIN on the old PC does not update or authorize that PIN on the new PC.^4^

When signing in to the old Microsoft account through a browser or OneDrive setup:

Choose Sign-in options if necessary.
Select the option to use the Microsoft account password.
Do not enter the old PC’s Windows PIN.

If Windows requires a PIN after the account password has been accepted, create a new PIN for that account on the new device. It does not need to match the old PC’s PIN.

Alternative for local or very large files

If browser downloading is impractical, copy the files from the old PC to an external USB drive and then paste them into the new PC’s OneDrive folder. OneDrive will upload them under the new account. Microsoft also identifies an external hard drive or USB key as an alternative for transferring personal files to a new computer.^5^

Do not erase the old PC until the files are visible in the new account on OneDrive.com and any required online-only files have been opened successfully.

References

Answer 2

First of all PIN is specific to the device not the Microsoft account. So you cannot use pin from old device on new device. They don’t talk to each other.

anyway. On the old pc, please do this.

Right click on the OneDrive cloud icon on the lower right on your taskbar to go to Settings.
On the "Sync and Backup" tab, click on "Advanced Settings" to expand that section. Then under File On-Demand, click on "Download all files".
Give it plenty of time to allow the files to be downloaded from the online cloud. On your computer's file explorer, you can observe the OneDrive folder and its folders/files inside. You want all of the green checkmark icon to turn solid green with a white checkmark. Depends on how many files you have, this process can take a while, so please be patient.
Once all of the folders and files turn into the solid green icon with white checkmark, you can go back to OneDrive Settings. Very important - click on "Manage Backup" button, then turn off all folders listed there.
After you turn off the folders sync in Step 4, now go to Account tab, click on "Unlink this PC"

Restart the old PC. Now perform these steps

Go to Settings > Accounts > Your info

Click on Sign in with local user instead. follow the steps and finish the rest.

(If you don't see the "sign in with a local account instead option, click on "Stop signing into Microsoft apps automatically" first, then relaunch this page. )

Restart the computer (Do Not skip)

Go to Settings > Accounts > Your info

Click on Sign in with Microsoft account instead. follow the steps and finish the rest. This time you sign into the account used on the new PC.

Restart the computer (Do Not skip)

Now launch your OneDrive and sign into the new account as well. And allow it time to sync all your files. They should then automatically show up on the new PC OneDrive.