Before migrating your historical documents from CCH to Canopy using CCH Extract, you'll need to download your files and prepare your computer for the migration process.
Why it matters: CCH migrations require planning to ensure your files are organized correctly and the migration process runs smoothly without interruption. Preparing ahead of time means your migration specialist can move quickly once you're ready.
Table of Contents
Download Your CCH Files
Download your client files from CCH in batches.
We recommend starting with roughly 50 clients per batch and adjusting the size based on your download speed.
Download each batch to the same folder on:
An external hard drive, OR
Your desktop, OR
A network drive
Do not unzip the downloaded files — leave them in their original compressed format. The migration tool will handle extraction.
📝 Note: You can start downloading files early if you'd like to get ahead. Your migration specialist will review these files during your scoping call.
Prepare Your Computer for Migration
You'll need a dedicated computer or server to run the migration tool while your files upload to Canopy.
Internet connection must remain stable — The computer needs to stay connected throughout the migration process.
Computer must not log out — Keep the machine awake during the upload. You can do other work on it, but don't lock it or let it sleep.
Don't modify CCH files during migration — Your team should not add, remove, or move files from your customer folders in CCH while the migration is running. This can cause files to be missed or mismatched.
Prepare Your Migration Plan
Before your migration specialist reaches out, think through these three questions:
1. Client Name Matching
How closely do your CCH folder names match your Canopy client names?
The closer the match, the easier it is for the tool to assign files to the correct clients.
Note any folder names that differ significantly from client names so your specialist can plan accordingly.
2. Volume
How many client folders are you expecting to migrate?
This helps your migration specialist estimate timeline and resources needed.
3. Folder Structure
The migration tool will mirror your CCH folder structure in Canopy. Do you want to add an extra containing folder (e.g., "Historical Documents" or "CCH Archive")?
If yes, note the name you'd like.
If no, your current CCH structure will be maintained as-is.
Contact Your Migration Specialist
Once you've downloaded your files, prepared your computer, and thought through the three discovery questions, reach out to your Data Migration Specialist with:
Confirmation that your files are downloaded and ready
Your answers to the three discovery questions
Any questions about the process
They'll schedule a scoping call to review your setup and coordinate the next steps.
Summary
This article covered how to download your CCH files in batches, prepare a dedicated computer for the migration process, and prepare your answers to key migration planning questions. Once you're ready, contact your Data Migration Specialist to proceed with the migration.
Need help?
Contact Support or ask Penny, our AI Support Bot, for assistance.