diff --git a/source/installation/deploy-minio-distributed.rst b/source/installation/deploy-minio-distributed.rst
index 033cf9f9..8203e143 100644
--- a/source/installation/deploy-minio-distributed.rst
+++ b/source/installation/deploy-minio-distributed.rst
@@ -205,6 +205,18 @@ Support for running MinIO in distributed mode on Windows hosts is
 **experimental**. Contact MinIO at hello@min.io if your infrastructure requires
 deployment onto Windows hosts.
 
+Pre-Existing Data
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+When starting a new MinIO server in a distributed environment, the storage devices must not have existing data.
+
+Once you start the MinIO server, all interactions with the data must be done through the S3 API.
+Use the :ref:`MinIO Client <minio-client>`, the :ref:`MinIO Console <minio-console>`, or one of the MinIO :ref:`Software Development Kits <minio-drivers>` to work with the buckets and objects.
+
+.. warning:: 
+   
+   Modifying files on the backend drives can result in data corruption or data loss.
+
 .. _deploy-minio-distributed-baremetal:
 
 Deploy Distributed MinIO
diff --git a/source/installation/deploy-minio-standalone.rst b/source/installation/deploy-minio-standalone.rst
index b68aa620..24041d1b 100644
--- a/source/installation/deploy-minio-standalone.rst
+++ b/source/installation/deploy-minio-standalone.rst
@@ -19,6 +19,37 @@ For extended development or production environments, *or* to access
 in :guilabel:`Distributed Mode`. See :ref:`deploy-minio-distributed` for more
 information.
 
+Pre-Existing Data
+-----------------
+
+When starting a new standalone MinIO server, the storage path may have existing data already grouped into directories.
+MinIO displays this data as buckets and objects in the MinIO deployment.
+
+- Top-level folders at the starting path become MinIO buckets.
+- Files in folders within the starting path become objects within the MinIO buckets.
+- Files in the top-level starting path do not display in MinIO.
+
+Consider a starting path with the following structure:
+
+.. code-block:: 
+   
+   /data
+      file.txt
+      /foo
+         file2.txt
+      /bar
+         file3.txt
+
+When you deploy the server with a starting path of ``/data``, MinIO displays the data as follows:
+
+- Two buckets, ``foo`` and ``bar``
+- ``file2.txt`` displays in the ``foo`` bucket 
+- ``file3.txt`` displays in the ``bar`` bucket
+- ``file.txt`` does not display in MinIO anywhere, but remains available through the file system
+
+On a standalone deployment with a single drive, you can manage buckets and objects with the :ref:`Console <minio-console>`, :ref:`command line client <minio-client>`, or create and delete files and folders directly in the starting path folders.
+
+
 .. _deploy-minio-standalone:
 
 Deploy Standalone MinIO on Baremetal
@@ -40,6 +71,7 @@ deployments are best suited for evaluation and initial development environments.
    For deployments that *require* using network-attached storage, use
    NFSv4 for best results.
 
+
 1) Download and Run MinIO Server
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
diff --git a/source/installation/deployment-and-management.rst b/source/installation/deployment-and-management.rst
index d1584b57..ab82a5a4 100644
--- a/source/installation/deployment-and-management.rst
+++ b/source/installation/deployment-and-management.rst
@@ -114,6 +114,38 @@ hello@min.io for additional support and guidance. You can build MinIO from
 for your platform and architecture combo. MinIO generally does not recommend
 source-based installations in production environments.
 
+.. _minio-preexisting-data:
+
+Pre-Existing Data
+-----------------
+
+Standalone Deployments
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+When deploying a new MinIO server instance, you can choose a storage location that contains existing data only for standlone deployments.
+For standalone deployments, MinIO adds the existing data as buckets and objects as part of starting the server.
+
+.. important::
+   
+   Files at the root of the starting path do not display in MinIO.
+   Existing data must be in folders in the starting path.
+   Top level folders become MinIO buckets.
+
+Distributed Deployments
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Once you start a standalone server, you can create or delete buckets and objects either with :ref:`MinIO Console <minio-console>`, the :ref:`mc client <minio-client>`, or directly in the file system.
+
+For a distributed MinIO deployment, the starting path must be empty.
+
+Once you start a distributed server, MinIO does not support manipulating the data directly on the storage location outside of the S3 API.
+Manipulating files directly on the storage locations can result in data corruption or data loss.
+
+For example, you cannot navigate to the storage location using a file explorer program and add or remove files.
+
+Instead, use the :ref:`MinIO Client <minio-client>`, the :ref:`MinIO Console <minio-console>`, or one of the MinIO :ref:`Software Development Kits <minio-drivers>` to work with the buckets and objects for distributed deployments.
+
+
 .. toctree::
    :titlesonly:
    :hidden: