SharePoint download multiple files + using PnP PowerShell

This is a very common requirement in SharePoint, and that is to download multiple files from a SharePoint document library. This tutorial is all about SharePoint download multiple files. Here we will see:

  • SharePoint download multiple files without zip
  • SharePoint download multiple files zip
  • Download multiple files from sharepoint using PowerShell
  • How to download multiple files at once in SharePoint

How to download multiple files in SharePoint Online

Now, let us see how to download multiple files in SharePoint Online modern experience as well as in the classic experience. Let us see step by step how to download multiple files as zip from a document library in SharePoint Online modern document library.

Step-1:

Open the SharePoint Online document library and then select the documents that you want to download and then click on the Download button from the command bar.

SharePoint download multiple files
SharePoint download multiple files

Step-2:

Then it will ask you to download the files as a zip like below.

download multiple files from sharepoint office 365
download multiple files from sharepoint office 365

This will download all the selected files. If you will unzip it, you can see all the selected files.

This is how to download multiple files in SharePoint Online.

Download files from SharePoint using Open with Explorer

If you are using the classic SharePoint site, then we can download files and folders by using the Open with Explorer option. For this, you need a browser that supports ActiveX, Internet Explorer supports this.

  • Open the SharePoint document library and click on the LIBRARY tab in the ribbon, click on Open with Explorer.
Download files from SharePoint
Download files from SharePoint
  • The it will open the entire library in the file explorer. From here you can copy the documents.
Download files from SharePoint using Open with Explorer
Download files from SharePoint using Open with Explorer

If you want to download multiple files without zip from SharePoint, then the open with explorer option.

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Download folders and subfolders in SharePoint Online

Now, let us see how to download folders and subfolders from a SharePoint document library.

Open the document library, select the folder and then click on the Download button from the command bar. This will download the content from the selected folder.

Download folder and subfolders in SharePoint Online
Download folder and subfolders in SharePoint Online

Download multiple files from sharepoint using PnP Powershell

We can also use PowerShell or PnP PowerShell to download files from a SharePoint Online document library.

Here is the PnP PowerShell script to download files from a library. Here we can use the Get-PnPFile PnP PowerShel command.

Connect-PnPOnline –Url https://tsinfotechnologies.sharepoint.com/sites/SPGuides –UseWebLogin

$LibraryName = "Training Documents"  
$Files = Get-PnPFolderItem -FolderSiteRelativeUrl $LibraryName -ItemType File  
foreach($File in $Files) {         
    Get-PnPFile -Url $File.ServerRelativeUrl -Path D:\Data\Downloads -FileName $File.Name -AsFile          
    } 

Once you run the script, then it will download all the files from the document library to the folder D:\Data\Downloads.

This file cannot be downloaded. ExceptionType: AccessExpiredMeTAException

Once when I download the files and unzip them, I saw it was showing errors like below:

This file cannot be downloaded
This file cannot be downloaded

When I open a particular file, I saw errors like the below:

This file cannot be downloaded.
ExceptionType: AccessExpiredMeTAException.
CorrelationId: b0feb1cf-f0b5-4ce9-a5cb-daed741a2df6,
UTC DateTime: 8/5/2021 6:45:53 AM

ExceptionType: AccessExpiredMeTAException
ExceptionType: AccessExpiredMeTAException

Fixing this error is quite simple. Refresh the page again and download them again. The page was opened for a long time and maybe the timeout happened, so it did not download properly.

You may like the following SharePoint tutorials:

In this SharePoint tutorial, we learned how to download files from SharePoint document library.

  • How to download multiple files in SharePoint Online modern experience
  • Download files from SharePoint using Open with Explorer
  • Download folders and subfolders in SharePoint Online
  • Download multiple files from sharepoint using PnP Powershell
  • Hi,

    How to configure your script to download from a folder with shared documents?

    eg: https://xy.com/sites/jibi/Shared Documents/Vendor/Vendor List/

    I want to download all files from above sub folder ‘Vendor List’

    What changes is required in your PowerScript. Please advise.

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