Restricted Storage Zones in ShareFile will reach end-of-life (EOL) on December 07, 2026. After this date, Restricted Storage Zones will no longer be supported or operational.

If you currently have content stored in a Restricted Zone, you should move it to a supported standard storage zone as soon as possible. This helps reduce the risk of access disruption and gives your team time to validate files, folders, permissions, and any required metadata before the EOL date.

This post outlines two ways to migrate content from a Restricted Zone to a Standard Zone.

Option 1: Use the ShareFile Desktop Apps (recommended)

This is the recommended method, especially for folders with multiple files or nested folder structures.

1. Open the ShareFile for Windows or ShareFile for Mac desktop app.
2. Locate the content currently stored in the Restricted Zone.
3. Create a temporary folder on your local machine.
4. Copy the Restricted Zone files and folders into the temporary local folder.
5. Check and confirm that the copied files can be opened and read locally.
6. In the Standard Zone of your ShareFile account, create a destination folder. For example: Content migrated from restricted zone.
7. Drag and drop the copied files and folders from your temporary local folder into the new Standard Zone destination folder.
8. Wait for the upload to complete.
9. Reapply any required users, permissions, and folder settings to the destination folder.
10. Validate the migrated content, including folder structure, file count, file accessibility, metadata (where applicable), and permissions.
11. After successful validation, delete the original Restricted Zone content.

Option 2: Use the ShareFile web application

Use this option if you are not using ShareFile desktop app(s).

1. Download the Restricted Zone content using the ShareFile web app. For large folders, use the bulk download option if available.
2. Extract the downloaded ZIP files to a temporary local folder.
3. Check and confirm that the extracted files can be opened and read locally.
4. Navigate to the destination folder in the Standard Zone on the ShareFile web app.
5. Upload the extracted files and folders from your temporary local folder.
6. Reapply any required users, permissions, and folder settings.
7. Validate the migrated content, including folder structure, file count, file accessibility, metadata (where applicable), and permissions.
8. After successful validation, delete the original Restricted Zone content.

Important caution

Do not delete the original Restricted Zone content until you have verified:

• Upload completeness
• File integrity
• Folder structure
• User permissions and access
• Any required metadata

For additional background on the Restricted Storage Zones EOL, please refer to this knowledge base article.

FAQs

Why do I need to migrate content from a Restricted Zone?

Restricted Storage Zones will reach EOL on December 07, 2026. Content stored in these zones should be moved to a supported Standard Zone before that date to help avoid access disruption.

Which migration option should I use?

We recommend using the ShareFile desktop app (Windows or Mac) when possible. It is generally better suited for moving folder structures and larger sets of content. If you do not use ShareFile desktop app(s), you can migrate content through the ShareFile web app.

Do folder permissions move automatically?

No. After content is moved to a Standard Zone, you may need to review or reconfigure folder access permissions for users and clients. This is an important validation step before you consider the migration complete.

Can I delete the original Restricted Zone content after uploading it to a Standard Zone?

Only after you have fully validated the migrated content. Before deleting anything, confirm upload completeness, file integrity, folder structure, user access, permissions, and any required metadata.

What should I validate after migration?

At a minimum, confirm that the folder structure is correct, the file count matches expectations, files can be opened, permissions are configured correctly, and any required metadata has been retained or addressed.