In this step-by-step plan, we describe how to migrate from the SURFdrive Desktop Client to the NextCloud Desktop Client.

What to check before you start...

check mark button  Check the status of your Desktop Client before the migration of your environment is planned. Do you see a green check-mark? Follow Step 1 below to make your desktop client healthy.


cloud  Check if the data in your online SURFdriveaccount the same as the data you have stored on your laptop in your SURFdrive folder.


laptop computer  Avoid data loss at all cost: make a copy of your local SURFdrive folder and store elsewhere on your computer or store on an external hard drive.

1. Make sure your existing SURFdrive Desktop Client is healthy before the migration.

Before you start, make sure your existing Desktop Client is in a healthy state.

Open the SURFdrive Desktop Client. Left click on the SURFdrive icon in your taskbar, or ricght click and choose "Show SURFdrive" from the menu.

1. Open the SURFdrive Desktop Client. Click on the SURFdrive icon in your taskbar and choose "Show SURFdrive" from the menu.

Open your Desktop Client, to verify the current state. Ensure your Desktop Client displays a green tick:



Healthy

Not healthy (sync conflict)

Not healthy (logged out of account)


No need to take any action, your client is healthy!

Resolve your conflict files.

Log in to your account and check the state of your client again.

Make sure your Desktop Client displays a green tick before proceeding to the next step

Find out why your Desktop Client is not healthy.

  1. In the Desktop Client, go to the `Activity` tab.
  2. Go to the `Not Synced` tab
  3. Check the list of action points here, to get your Desktop Client healthy again. 

    1. Resolve conflict files

    2. Rename file names, if non-allowed characters have been used

    3. Move files out of the sync folder, when non-allowed extensions have been used

    4. Sometimes restarting your computer will help


2. Download and install the Nextcloud Desktop Client

Proceed from here after the migration!

Only proceed with the Desktop Client installation after the migration of your SURFdrive environment has been carried out.
After the migration, your SURFdrive Client stops automatically and will no longer be able to connect to your SURFdrive account.

Download the Nextcloud Desktop Client for Files from the Nextcloud website (under Nextcloud Files); https://nextcloud.com/install/#desktop-files

Do you already have the Nextcloud Desktop Client ?

If you already have the Nextcloud Desktop Client installed, proceed to the next step (step 3) and follow the instructions to add a new Nextcloud account as described in scenario 2.


Having problems with the installation? Check the Nextcloud Documentation

See the Nextcloud documentation for more installation tips or consult your IT Service Desk. https://docs.nextcloud.com/desktop/latest/installing.html

3. Setup a Nextcloud client folder sync connection to your SURFdrive

There are two different scenario's possible for migrating from your SURFdrive desktop client to the Nextcloud desktop client.

Scenario 1: You are a SURFdrive user and are not yet using the Nextcloud desktop client

Clean installation Nexcloud client

If you are using the SURFdrive client to connect to your SURFdrive, follow the steps below to connect to your SURFdrive account in your newly installed Nextcloud client:


  1. After installing and opening the Nextcloud client, you will be prompted to import your SURFdrive client connection. Press "Skip" to setup a clean Nextcloud client configuration. 

    We recommend creating a new sync configuration to reduce any risk of data loss. 


  2. Now, open your Nextcloud Desktop Client from your taskbar.

  3. After opening the Nextcloud Desktop client, it will ask you to login. 


  4. Press "Login" and fill out your SURFdrive server address: https://surfdrive.surf.nl

  5. When you press "Next", a local web browser will open and you are asked to login using your SURFdrive credentials. 

  6. After logging in, you will have to grant your desktop client access to your SURFdrive account by pressing "Grant access".

  7. After granting access to your account, you can choose the desired folder you want to sync your SURFdrive files to. You can also select if you wish to Sync all your files and folders, Choose what files and folders to sync, or to use Virtual Files. Afterwards, you can press connect.

    Choose a new folder

    By default, a folder named "Nextcloud" will be created and selected, but you can also create and select a different synchronization folder. We recommend to not select your existing SURFdrive folder, but to create a new folder with a different name. 

    If you choose a folder that is not empty, a warning will pop-up: "Warning: The local folder is not empty. Pick a resolutional".

    When you pick a folder that is already a folder sync connection, a warning should pop-up as well: "The folder .... is already used in a folder sync connection"


Edit your existing configuration

Check out this page to learn how to edit your existing configuration. Here you will find more information on enabling virtual file support (VFS), turn on desktop client logging, or removing/adding folders to your existing connection.


If you decide to import an existing connection...

It is possible to import an existing connection, but we recommend creating a new sync configuration to reduce any risk of data loss. If you do decide to import an existing connection, follow the steps below.

If you are starting the NextCloud Desktop Client for the first time, you can import the SURFdrive Desktop Client configuration once.

 

Import may take a while, do not make any changes in the meantime.

Importing the SURFdrive Desktop Client configuration takes some time. In the meantime, do not make any changes to your sync folder.

Scenario 2: You are a SURFdrive user and are using both the SURFdrive desktop client as well as the Nextcloud desktop client (e.g. for Research Drive)

Add account to existing Nextcloud desktop client

If you already have the Nextcloud Desktop Client running, you can simply setup a new connection in the desktop client. 
In that case, we will need to add a new connection. Follow the steps below to set this up:

  1. Open your Nextcloud Desktop Client from your taskbar.
  2. Choose `Add Account` from the account menu at the top left



  3. Click login and in the next screen by server address, enter the web address of your SURFdrive environment.



  4. A browser will open, to log in to your SURFdrive account. 
    Login with your existing account credentials and authorize the Desktop Client to access your account.

     

  5. Choose the desired folder you want to sync your SURFdrive files to:

    Choose a new folder

    By default, a folder named "Nextcloud" will be created and selected, but you can also create and select a new synchronization folder. If you select your existing SURFdrive folder, two warnings should pop up:

    • Warning, The local folder is not empty. Pick a resolution!
    • Please choose a different location. Path\to\surfdrive is already being used as a sync folder

     We recommend creating a new folder, or that you go with the default Nextcloud folder:


Configure your existing connection

Check out this page to learn how to edit your existing connection. Here you will find more information on enabling/disabling virtual file support (VFS), turn on desktop client logging, or removing/adding folders to your existing connection.

 4. Remove the old SURFdrive Desktop Client 

Do you wish to remove your SURFdrive desktop client and the old SURFdrive folder that is now no longer synced to your SURFdrive account?

If you have successfully connected your SURFdrive account to the Nextcloud desktop client in the previous steps, you can decide to uninstall the SURFdrive Desktop Client and remove the local SURFdrive folder. To do so, follow the steps in the expand window below.

You should not be connected to the SURFdrive client with your SURFdrive account anymore, as the migration to Nextcloud by now has finished. You should see that you are not logged in to SURFdrive anymore, and you should not be able to log in to SURFdrive using the SURFdrive client.

To uninstall the app and to remove the old (now unsynced) SURFdrive folder, follow the steps below:

  1. Remove the account from the SURFdrive client:
  2. Now you can navigate to your Settings → Apps → Installed apps on Windows or Finder → Applications → SURFdrive on Mac and press uninstall:
  3. If you have successfully set up a folder sync connection with your SURFdrive account using the Nextcloud client in the steps above, you can go ahead and remove the SURFdrive folder from your file explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac). 
  4. Remove your old SURFdrive configuration profile by removing this folder:

    macOS

    $HOME/Library/Preferences/surfdrive

    Windows

    %APPDATA%\surfdrive

You are now all done and can access your SURFdrive account locally using the Nextcloud desktop client!

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