SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) download returns ContainerNotFound / 404 (0x08000301) and installed copy won't open

Question

SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) download returns ContainerNotFound / 404 (0x08000301) and installed copy won't open

Sujith Kumaar 10

I can't download or install the SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT), and an existing installation also fails to open.

1. Official download links fail

https://aka.ms/spmt-ga-page (and the Public Preview link) redirect to spmt.sharepointonline.com and show this error:

Code: ContainerNotFound

Message: The specified container does not exist.

Affected URLs:

Sample RequestId: f7ac83cd-e01e-0071-69a4-6a9ccf000000 (2026-11-02, 08:33 UTC)

2. Setup file shared by a colleague also fails

It stops at "Preparing" with:

Error (0x08000301): Web failures encountered when downloading remote builds. (The remote server returned an error: (404) Not Found.)

3. Already-installed SPMT will not open

SPMT installed on a colleague's PC now fails to open too.

Environment

Windows [10/11]
Browser: Chrome
Region: India
Migration source: [file share / SharePoint Server version]

Tried so far

Official GA and Preview links: same error
Setup file from colleague: 404 during Preparing
Installed copy: will not open

Questions

Is the SPMT download location down or has it moved?
What is the current working download link?
Is SPMT being retired or replaced (for example, by Migration Manager)?
Is there an offline installer, or a way to make an installed copy work?

0 comments

2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Hello @Sujith Kumaar

Since this is a user-to-user community forum, my role as a moderator is mainly to provide general guidance and troubleshooting suggestions based on the information available.

At the moment, the original download link attached on the KB Step 1 - Install the SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) - Migrate to Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn is not working. As an alternative, please try downloading the required file from the following link:

https://spmt.sharepointonline.com/betainstall/default.htm

Additionally, I understand that similar behavior has also been reported by other users. However, at this time, I am unable to identify a related service incident or confirm the underlying cause based on the information currently available.

Therefore, I recommend reaching out to Microsoft Support directly for further investigation. The support team has access to additional diagnostic resources and internal tools that can be used to investigate the issue in more detail. They can escalate to the back-end team to resolve the issue. If you are a Microsoft 365 administrator, you can create a support request by following the guidance here: Get support - Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn

When opening the support request, please make sure to disable the Support Assistant (AI) in the Help panel first. After that, enter a brief description of the issue. Once the AI assistant is turned off, the Contact Support option should become available, allowing you to submit a support ticket directly to Microsoft's support team.

If you are an end user and do not have administrator access, please contact your organization's IT administrator and ask them to open the support request on your behalf.

I hope this information helps and that the issue can be investigated further.

Stephen House 0 Reputation points

2026-11-02T12:59:36.97+00:00

The link provided doesn't work, when you agree to the terms and click on Install it redirects to https://spmt.sharepointonline.com/spmtinstaller/spmtbuild/publicpreview/spmtsetup_beta.exe which throws an error.
BobH-13335 5 Reputation points

2026-11-02T20:23:43.9433333+00:00

Same. None of the links seem to be working at this time.
Nam-D 4,670 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-11-04T06:29:22.51+00:00

Hello @Sujith Kumaar

From my side, the link is working as expected, and I’m able to download the file without any issues. If you’re still unable to download it, please consider creating a support ticket with Microsoft Support. They can investigate the issue further and, if necessary, work with the appropriate back-end team to address the problem with the download links.

Answer 2

The matching ContainerNotFound and HTTP 404 failures across the official links, bootstrap installer, and an existing installation indicate a current Microsoft-hosted SPMT installer-resource incident; check Microsoft 365 Service health and report the incident rather than repeatedly reinstalling or repairing Windows.

Current status and download link

As of November 2, 2026, a current Microsoft Q&A report documents the same SPMT/Migration Manager installer-resource failure. It identifies ContainerNotFound, HTTP 404, and 0x08000301 as a download/build-retrieval problem and recommends checking Service health and opening a support case when the official paths remain unavailable.^1^

Microsoft’s documentation still designates these as the current installation links:

GA/First Release: https://aka.ms/spmt-ga-page
Public Preview: https://aka.ms/spmt-beta-page

Both are listed on the canonical installation page.^2^ The current release notes also identify [IP Address] as the latest GA and preview build and point to those same links.^3^

Therefore:

The documented location has not moved.
There is currently no independently documented working replacement URL.
The preview is not a workaround while its Microsoft-hosted container also returns 404.

Report the outage

In the Microsoft 365 admin center, open Health → Service health.
Look for a SharePoint Online or migration-related advisory.
If no relevant incident appears, use Report an issue from Service health or open Support → New service request.^4^

Include:

ContainerNotFound and 0x08000301
The failing GA and preview URLs
UTC timestamp and Request ID
Confirmation that the failure occurs with a colleague’s setup and an existing installation
Results from another network, if available

Service health is tenant-specific and is the primary incident channel; the public service-status page is the fallback if the admin center itself is unavailable.^5^

Retirement and Migration Manager

SPMT is not documented as retired. Microsoft still publishes current SPMT release notes and describes it as the supported downloadable tool for file-share and SharePoint Server migration.^6^

Migration Manager is an alternative only for supported sources:

File share source: Migration Manager is a suitable alternative. Open the SharePoint admin center → Migration Center → File shares, install an agent, and create the migration task there.^7^
SharePoint Server source: Migration Manager does not support SharePoint Server content; Microsoft directs that scenario to SPMT.^8^

Offline installer and existing installation

Microsoft’s current SPMT installation documentation provides bootstrap/web installation links but does not document a standalone offline installer. A setup executable copied from another computer still needs to retrieve remote builds, matching the 404 shown during Preparing.

Likewise, an installed copy can depend on its online deployment/update location. ClickOnce deployments can check a web update location at launch, so a broken publishing endpoint can prevent startup.^9^

Do not manually copy or modify installer/cache directories. Wait for Microsoft to restore the endpoint, then:

Launch the existing installation again.
If it remains broken, uninstall SPMT from Settings → Apps → Installed apps.
Reinstall from the canonical GA page.
Only if installation still fails after the URLs return normally, verify x64 Windows, .NET Framework 4.6.2 or later, and the x64 Visual C++ Redistributable as documented in Microsoft’s installation troubleshooting guidance.^10^

References