Storage Import Export Data To Blobs

This page contains Windows bias

About This Page

This page is part of the Azure documentation. It contains code examples and configuration instructions for working with Azure services.

View on GitHub 📚 View on Microsoft Learn

Bias Analysis

Detected Bias Types

windows_first

missing_linux_example

windows_tools

powershell_heavy

Summary

The documentation is heavily biased toward Windows environments. All prerequisites, tooling, and step-by-step instructions assume or require a Windows system. Only Windows tools (BitLocker, manage-bde, WAImportExport.exe) are mentioned, and all example commands are for Windows command line or PowerShell. There are no Linux or macOS equivalents, nor any mention of cross-platform alternatives. The documentation does not address how users on non-Windows systems can participate in the import/export process.

Recommendations

Explicitly state early in the documentation that the Azure Import/Export tool and workflow are Windows-only, if that is the case, and provide rationale.
If possible, provide or reference Linux/macOS-compatible tools or workflows, or clarify their absence and suggest alternatives (such as using a Windows VM or Azure VM for preparation).
Include a section addressing Linux/macOS users, outlining any supported approaches or workarounds.
If future cross-platform support is planned, mention this and provide a feedback channel for interested users.
Where possible, use neutral language (e.g., 'on your system' instead of 'on your Windows system') and avoid assuming the user is on Windows unless strictly necessary.

Create Pull Request

Scan History

Date	Scan	Status	Result
2026-01-14 00:00	#250	in_progress	Biased
2026-01-13 00:00	#246	completed	Biased
2026-01-11 00:00	#240	completed	Biased
2026-01-10 00:00	#237	completed	Biased
2026-01-09 00:34	#234	completed	Biased
2026-01-08 00:53	#231	completed	Biased
2026-01-06 18:15	#225	cancelled	Clean
2025-08-17 00:01	#83	cancelled	Biased
2025-07-13 21:37	#48	completed	Clean
2025-07-12 23:44	#41	cancelled	Biased
2025-07-09 13:09	#3	cancelled	Clean
2025-07-08 04:23	#2	cancelled	Biased

Flagged Code Snippets

    ./WAImportExport.exe PrepImport /j:<journal file name> /id:session<session number> /t:<Drive letter> /bk:<BitLocker key> /srcdir:<Drive letter>:\ /dstdir:<Container name>/ /blobtype:<BlockBlob or PageBlob> /skipwrite

1. You can use an existing storage account or create one. To create a storage account, run the [New-AzStorageAccount](/powershell/module/az.storage/new-azstorageaccount) cmdlet:

1. To update your job or cancel your job, run the [Update-AzImportExport](/powershell/module/az.importexport/update-azimportexport) cmdlet:

    az import-export create \
        --resource-group myierg \
        --name MyIEjob1 \
        --location "West US" \
        --backup-drive-manifest true \
        --diagnostics-path waimportexport \
        --drive-list bit-locker-key=439675-460165-128202-905124-487224-524332-851649-442187 \
            drive-header-hash= drive-id=AZ31BGB1 manifest-file=\\DriveManifest.xml \
            manifest-hash=69512026C1E8D4401816A2E5B8D7420D \
        --type Import \
        --log-level Verbose \
        --shipping-information recipient-name="Microsoft Azure Import/Export Service" \
            street-address1="3020 Coronado" city="Santa Clara" state-or-province=CA postal-code=98054 \
            country-or-region=USA phone=4083527600 \
        --return-address recipient-name="Gus Poland" street-address1="1020 Enterprise way" \
            city=Sunnyvale country-or-region=USA state-or-province=CA postal-code=94089 \
            email=gus@contoso.com phone=4085555555" \
        --return-shipping carrier-name=FedEx carrier-account-number=123456789 \
        --storage-account myssdocsstorage

### Create a job

1. You can use an existing resource group or create one. To create a resource group, run the [New-AzResourceGroup](/powershell/module/az.resources/new-azresourcegroup) cmdlet:

1. To get a list of the locations to which you can ship disks, use the [Get-AzImportExportLocation](/powershell/module/az.importexport/get-azimportexportlocation) cmdlet:

1. Use the `Get-AzImportExportLocation` cmdlet with the `Name` parameter to get locations for your region:

1. Run the following [New-AzImportExport](/powershell/module/az.importexport/new-azimportexport) example to create an import job:

   > [!TIP]
   > Instead of specifying an email address for a single user, provide a group email. This ensures that you receive notifications even if an admin leaves.

1. Use the [Get-AzImportExport](/powershell/module/az.importexport/get-azimportexport) cmdlet to see all the jobs for the myierg resource group:

Document Details

About This Page

Bias Analysis

Scan History

Flagged Code Snippets