---
id: data-transfers.is-move-safe
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/data-transfers/is-move-safe
category: "Data Transfers"
subcategory: "Copy, Move and Sync"
question: "Is Move safe — when are the original files removed?"
alt_questions:
  - "Does Move delete the source before copying?"
  - "move files to cloud and delete local copy safely"
  - "when does storage studio delete originals after a move"
  - "is moving files to the cloud risky"
  - "move verifies before deleting"
  - "Will I lose files if a move fails?"
short_answer: "Yes. Move copies each file, checks it at the destination, and only then removes the original. If something fails, the originals that didn't make it across stay where they were."
tags: ["move", "safety", "verification"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/data-transfers/copy-vs-move-vs-sync", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/data-transfers/a-transfer-failed-what-now", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/data-transfers/what-happens-when-i-cancel"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# Is Move safe — when are the original files removed?

Yes. **Move** copies first, checks what arrived at the destination, and only then removes the source. If a file doesn't make it across, its original stays where it was.

If a Move is cancelled or fails part-way, files that already finished are at the destination and everything else is still at the source — nothing is left in neither place. Open the transfer's detail to see what happened, then start a new Move to finish the rest; already-moved files are no longer in the source, so only what's left is sent.

If you're unsure, run a **Copy** first, check the destination, and delete the originals yourself.

Related: [Copy, Move or Sync?](https://storagestudio.us/faq/data-transfers/copy-vs-move-vs-sync) · [A transfer failed — what now?](https://storagestudio.us/faq/data-transfers/a-transfer-failed-what-now)