How to Transfer Files Between Archives

How to Transfer Files Between Archives

Currently, transferring files between archives is not a fully supported feature on Permanent. We are working on making it easier to transfer files between two archives. 

In the meantime, this tutorial provides an alternative to downloading the files from your original archive and then reuploading them to the destination archive. This article will walk you through how to share files in the original archive with the destination archive, and then make a copy of them in the destination archive. This creates another copy of the original files into the destination archive, and retains any metadata you have already created in Permanent without having to reupload the files to your destination archive.

Check archive roles and permissions

To begin, ensure that you have the proper access to the destination archive and the original archive. You will need to be a member of both the destination archive and the original archive and have the correct permissions to add files and share to the archive (we suggest being a curator or higher on the destination archive and a manager or owner of the original archive). Learn more about access roles here.

To check your access role, navigate to your Account Menu in the top right corner of your screen, then click Archives.



In the Archives window that opens, locate the destination archive and the original archive. Under the archive name, you will see your role for that archive.



If you do not have the correct access to the archive, or if you need to become a member of an archive that you are not an owner of, you will need to reach out to the archive owner to join the archive and have them change your role. Learn more about archive members here.

Set destination archive as default archive

Next, ensure that your destination archive (the archive you want your files saved in) is your default archive by navigating to your Account Menu in the top right corner of your screen, then clicking Archives.



Find your destination archive in your archive list and make sure that it has a star next to it.



If your destination archive is not your default archive, you can change it by clicking the three dots icon on the right side of the archive name, then selecting Make Default.



Share files to the destination archive

Once you have the proper permissions for each archive, navigate to the original archive that contains the files you wish to transfer. 

Select the first file or folder that you wish to transfer by clicking on it. The selected file or folder will highlight orange. Then, click Share in toolbar at the top of your workspace.



A new window will appear. Type the email address associated with your Permanent.org account into the search bar. Your default archive, which you set as the destination archive earlier, will appear. Select it and then select Curator as the access role. 



The file or folder that you selected is now shared with the destination archive. Repeat this step with the other files you wish to transfer to the destination archive.

Please note that while you can select multiple items in an archive, you can only share one file or folder at a time. To expedite the transfer process, we suggest moving loose files in your archive into a folder for transfer. You can remove them from the folder after transfer and organize them however you wish.

View shared files and copy to destination archive

Once you have shared all of the files you wish to transfer with the destination archive, open the destination archive by going to your Archive Menu in the top right corner of your screen, then selecting Archives. Find and click on your destination archive to open it. 

Next, navigate to your Shares workspace in your destination archive by clicking Shares on the left side of your screen. You should see all the files you shared from the original archive listed in this workspace.



Select the first file or folder by clicking it. In the toolbar that appears at the top of the workspace, click Copy. A new window will appear where you can choose which workspace you want to copy the files into. Choose My Files if you wish to keep the files private, or choose Public if you want to publish the files to your Public Archive. When you have selected the location you wish to copy the files into, click Copy.



This will create a copy of the files in your destination archive in the workspace you have chosen. The original copy will still reside in your original archive, but the new copy in the destination archive includes any metadata you added in Permanent in the original archive. 

Repeat this process for the rest of the shared files, copying them into the workspace you want them to reside in your destination archive.

Please note that creating a copy in any archive requires having the appropriate storage amount to make the copy. You can check how much storage you have by going to your Account Menu and looking at the storage bar at the top of the screen.

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