Move Files Between Document Libraries with Metadata and Version History

Requirement: Move Files Between Document Libraries with Metadata and Version History
We have a very large document library with more than 100,000 documents which is causing search crawl and latency issues. So, decided to archive old documents into separate document libraries year-wise.

Solution 1 - Using Content and Structure page to move files with versions and Metadata:
All SharePoint versions including MOSS 2007, SharePoint 2010 and SharePoint 2013 supports this functionality.

• Go to Site settings >> Click on "Content and structure" link under Site Administration section
  
• Pick the items/files to be moved, Click on Actions >> Move 
• Select the target list or library and click "OK" to complete the move operation.

This sends files with version history and metadata to the target list.

Solution 2: Move files between document libraries programmatically using PowerShell:
Let's use a PowerShell script to move files between lists: The idea is to create sub-folder for each Month and move documents into sub-folders based on their creation date.

Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

#Get the web and List
$Web = Get-SPWeb "http://intranet.sharepoint.com/sites/Marketing/"
$SourceList = $web.Lists["Proposals"]
$TargetList = $Web.Lists["Proposal Archive 2009"]

#Get all Files Created in 2009
 $Query = '<Where><And><Geq><FieldRef Name="Created" /><Value IncludeTimeValue="TRUE" Type="DateTime">2009-01-01T00:00:00Z</Value></Geq><Leq><FieldRef Name="Created" /><Value IncludeTimeValue="TRUE" Type="DateTime">2009-12-31T23:59:59Z</Value></Leq></And></Where>'
 $SPQuery = new-object Microsoft.SharePoint.SPQuery
 #$SPQuery.ViewAttributes = "Scope='Recursive'" #To include Sub-folders in the library
 $SPQuery.Query = $Query
 $SourceFilesCollection =$SourceList.GetItems($SPQuery)

Write-host "Total number of files found: "$SourceFilesCollection.count

#Move each file to the destination folder
foreach($item in $SourceFilesCollection)
{
  #Get the Source File
  $file = $Web.GetFile($item.File.URL)

  #Get the Month value from the File crated date
  $MonthValue = $item.File.TimeCreated.ToString('MMMM')
  
  # Try to Get the Sub-Folder in the Library!
  $TargetFolder = $TargetList.ParentWeb.GetFolder($TargetList.RootFolder.Url + "/" +$MonthValue);
  
  #If the folder doesn't exists, Create!
  if ($TargetFolder.Exists -eq $false)
   {
     $TargetFolder = $TargetList.Folders.Add("", [Microsoft.SharePoint.SPFileSystemObjectType]::Folder, $MonthValue)
     $TargetFolder.Update() 
   }

   #Move the File
   $file.MoveTo($TargetFolder.Url + "/" + $File.name)
  
}

Solution 3: Move files using SharePoint designer

• Open your site in SharePoint Designer
• Go to All Files >> Navigate to source library. Select files you want to copy/move, choose cut/copy
  
• Go to your target library, Right click and choose "Paste"

All of the above methods move documents between libraries of the same site collection! To copy files between document libraries using PowerShell, use: Copy Files Between Document Libraries in SharePoint using PowerShell