OneDrive Migration Creates Confusing Shared Folder Names

After migrating user data to a new OneDrive environment, you may see shared folder names that no longer match the original folder names or display garbled text. This problem typically occurs when the migration tool copies folder metadata incorrectly or when permissions are reapplied without preserving the original display name. The folder contents are usually intact, but the name shown to collaborators becomes misleading or unreadable. This article explains the root causes of name corruption during migration and provides step-by-step methods to restore correct shared folder names.

Why OneDrive Migration Can Corrupt Shared Folder Names

When you migrate OneDrive data using third-party tools or Microsoft’s native migration service, the folder structure and permissions are copied to the target tenant. The shared folder display name is stored separately from the actual folder name in the SharePoint Online content database. During migration, the tool may copy the folder object but fail to update the display name property in the sharing records. This leaves the folder with a correct internal name but a stale or scrambled display name that users see when they accept a sharing invitation or view the folder in the Shared with Me list.

Another common cause involves permission inheritance. If the source folder had unique permissions and the migration tool reapplies those permissions using a bulk script, the display name field can be overwritten with a temporary ID or a truncated name from the migration log. Migrations that use CSV mapping files are especially prone to this because the folder name column may contain special characters or exceed the 256-character limit for SharePoint display names.

What the User Sees

After migration, a user who was previously shared to a folder named “Project Alpha – Q3 Reports” might see a folder called “3c8f2a1b-0000-0000-0000-000000000000” or simply “Reports” without the project prefix. The folder contents are accessible, but the name mismatch causes confusion in team workflows and document searches.

Steps to Restore Correct Shared Folder Names

Use the following methods in order. Start with the SharePoint Admin Center because it fixes the display name at the source. If that does not resolve the issue, use the OneDrive web interface or PowerShell.

Method 1: Correct the Display Name in the SharePoint Admin Center

1. Open the SharePoint Admin Center
   Go to https://admin.microsoft.com and sign in as a global or SharePoint admin. In the left navigation, select SharePoint and then Active sites.
2. Locate the affected site
   Find the OneDrive site that contains the shared folder. The site URL typically follows the pattern https://tenant-my.sharepoint.com/personal/user_domain_com. Click the site name to open its details panel.
3. Navigate to Sharing settings
   In the details panel, select the Sharing tab. Scroll down to Shared folder display name. This field shows the name that external and internal users see when the folder is shared.
4. Edit the display name
   Click Edit and type the correct folder name. Use the exact name that appears in the source environment. Click Save.
5. Notify affected users
   Ask users to refresh the Shared with Me list in OneDrive. The corrected name should appear within 15 minutes.

Method 2: Rename the Folder from the OneDrive Web Interface

If the SharePoint Admin Center option is not available or the display name still shows incorrectly, users with edit permissions can rename the folder directly.

1. Sign in to OneDrive web
   Go to https://onedrive.live.com and sign in with the account that owns or has edit access to the folder.
2. Go to Shared > Shared with you
   In the left pane, click Shared and then select Shared with you. Locate the folder with the incorrect name.
3. Rename the folder
   Right-click the folder and select Rename. Type the correct name and press Enter. This updates both the internal folder name and the shared display name.
4. Verify the change
   Ask other collaborators to refresh their Shared with Me list. The new name should appear for everyone within a few minutes.

Method 3: Use PowerShell to Reset the Display Name

Use this method when the SharePoint Admin Center does not show the display name field or when you need to fix multiple folders at once.

1. Install and connect to SharePoint Online Management Shell
   Open PowerShell as administrator and run Install-Module -Name Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell. Then connect: Connect-SPOService -Url https://tenant-admin.sharepoint.com.
2. Get the folder’s unique ID
   Run Get-SPOFolder -Site https://tenant-my.sharepoint.com/personal/user_domain_com -List "Documents" -ItemUrl "FolderName". Note the UniqueId value.
3. Update the display name via CSOM
   Use the PnP PowerShell module: Connect-PnPOnline -Url https://tenant-my.sharepoint.com/personal/user_domain_com. Then run: Set-PnPFolderPermission -Identity "Documents/FolderName" -User "user@domain.com" -AddRole "Read" -ClearExisting. This reapplies permissions without altering the display name.
4. Verify the correction
   Run Get-PnPFolder -Identity "Documents/FolderName" | Select-Object Name, UniqueId to confirm the name is correct.

If the Shared Folder Name Still Shows Incorrectly

Shared Folder Name Shows a GUID Instead of the Original Name

A GUID display name indicates that the migration tool copied the folder object but did not copy the display name property from the sharing record. Use Method 1 to set the display name in the SharePoint Admin Center. If the field is empty, type the correct name manually.

Only Some Users See the Wrong Folder Name

This happens when the migration tool created separate sharing links for different users during the migration. Each link may have a different cached display name. Ask each affected user to remove the folder from their Shared with You list and then re-share the folder from the owner’s OneDrive. This forces a fresh sharing link with the correct name.

Folder Name Contains Special Characters or Is Truncated

SharePoint Online limits folder display names to 256 characters and blocks certain characters such as ~ " # % & : < > ? / \ { | }. If the original name contained these characters, the migration tool may have truncated the name or replaced them with underscores. Rename the folder using Method 2 and remove any prohibited characters.

Display Name vs Internal Folder Name: Key Differences

Item	Display Name	Internal Folder Name
Description	Name shown in sharing invitations and Shared with Me list	Name stored in the SharePoint content database
Where to edit	SharePoint Admin Center > Sharing > Shared folder display name	OneDrive web > Rename or File Explorer > Rename
Character limit	256 characters, no special characters	256 characters, same restrictions
Affected by migration	Often corrupted or left blank	Usually copied correctly
User visibility	Visible to all collaborators	Visible only in the folder URL and admin tools

After migration, you can now identify why shared folder names appear confusing and apply the correct fix using the SharePoint Admin Center, the OneDrive web interface, or PowerShell. To prevent this issue in future migrations, review the migration tool’s documentation for folder metadata handling and consider running a test migration on a small set of folders first. For complex migrations involving hundreds of folders, use the Set-PnPFolderPermission cmdlet with the -ClearExisting flag to ensure that display names are not overwritten by bulk permission scripts.