Sure-shot Solutions to Import PST File into Office 365

In this article, you will learn the technique to import PST to Office 365. You will understand different methods for PST migration. Although the process is complicated and time-consuming, we explained it thoroughly.

If you want to switch to Office 365, you need to migrate all your previous emails to the new email account. This facility is available in Office 365. You can import the PST file in two different ways. The first method is a free method in which you have to follow a procedure to migrate the file.

The other option is the simple and the most effective way of email migration to Office 365. We will explain both methods. But first, let us understand some prerequisites for email migration.

Prerequisites to Import PST to Office 365

Before jumping to the migration of PST files to Office 365, you must have fulfilled the following requirements. Otherwise, you will not be able to perform the method.

• The first requirement is that you must have a premium version of Office 365. So, you can log in to the admin page and make the necessary changes. The free version does not provide you any facility for Office 365 export mailbox to PST.
• An active mailbox account in Office 365 is mandatory to migrate the data. It is the destination where you have to upload the file. Also, you have access to the admin account because it allows you to make suitable changes.
• Azure Azcopy and Azure Storage Explorer are the two necessary tools required in the process. So, it would be better to install them before starting the procedure.

How to Import PST File to Office 365

There are two manual methods to import PST to Office 365. In the first method, you use Microsoft Outlook to upload PST to Office 365. While in the second method, you directly upload the data to the Office 365 mailbox account. Let us learn about them one by one.

#1. Migration through Outlook

• Open Microsoft Outlook in your system.
• Click on the File option in the menu bar.
• Now, select the Open and Export tab.
• After that, press the Import/Export
• A new wizard will appear. Click on the Import from another program of file option.

• Choose the Outlook data file (.pst) option from the list.
• After that, pick the PST file from the system.
• In the new wizard, specify the folder you want to migrate and the destination location.
• At last, click on the Finish button to start importing.

#2. Import PST to Office 365 using Azure AZcopy

This method is divided into multiple stages. So, we describe the complete process in different steps. Every step is crucial so follow the steps below.

Step: 1 Add an Import and Export Role

• Sign in to the Microsoft Office 365 mailbox account and open its Admin Centre
• Click on the Setup option in the left pane and select the Data Migration
• After that, click on the Data migration. Now, you will see the Upload PST file.
• As you click on the Upload PST file option, you will get redirected to the Security and Compliance
• To import PST to Office 365, you need to create the import/export So, assign the import/export role. Then, you can use it for migration.

• After that, go to Microsoft Exchange and log in to the admin center.
• Locate the Permission option and then click on the Admin Roles.
• Now, press the Add (+) button to add a new role group.
• A new role group wizard will get opened. Name the role group like import-export.

• Now, in the Roles section, click on the Add Select the Mailbox Import Export option from the list.
• After that, click on the Add button and then press OK.
• At last, assign a member to the role group from the list. Choose the admin name.

After adding a role group, you have to wait for 24 hours because it takes that much time to update all the changes. The next step to import PST to Office 365 is to copy the SAS URL

Step: 2 Copy and Save the SAS URL

• After adding the import-export role, the warning related to the permission will disappear. Now, open your Office 365 account and go to the Upload PST Click on the New import job option.
• Give a name to this new job and click on the Next
• Select the Upload your data option and press the Next
• Click on the Show network upload SAS URL to open the link. Copy the link and paste it to the Notepad so that you can use it further.

• After that, click on the Download Azure AzCopy link shown on the Import data page to download the tool.
• Finally, download and install the software to your system.

Step: 3 Migrate PST to Office 365

In this step, you need to use the Powershell command. You give particular instructions, and Powershell starts uploading the PST file to Azure Storage Explorer. It is a fast method to import PST to Office 365. However, the time taken depends upon the size of the PST file.

1. Open Notepad and create a text document. Copy the below text to the file.

AzCopy.exe /Source:<Location of the PST files> /Dest:<SAS URL> /V:<Log File Location> /Y

1. Now, replace the Source in the link with the location of the PST file.
2. After that, replace the Dest in the above text with the SAS URL that you copied in the last stage.
3. At last, mention the location of the log file at the place of V in the link.
4. Now, launch the Azure AzCopy. Copy the updated address and paste it to the Azure AzCopy. Press Enter to start the uploading of the PST file to the Azure blob storage.

Step: 4 Create a Mapping File

It is essential to create a mapping file to import PST to Office 365. The map file helps you in migrating the PST file from Azure Blob Storage. A map file is a CSV file that contains information like a mailbox, PST name, location, etc.

• You will get a sample map file from Microsoft Documentation.
• Download it and edit the details like workload, file path, Name of PST file, Mailbox, etc.

Step: 5 Initialize the PST Migration

• Go to the Exchange import data page, which you have left in the previous steps.
• Now, check both the options: I am done uploading my files, and I have access to the mapping file. Press the Next button.
• After that, choose the Select Mapping file option to upload the CSV file. Now, first, Validate and then Save the file.
• Now, you have created the import job successfully. Check the progress field, and you will see the Ready to import to Office 365 Select this option.

• A new import job will appear on the screen. Now, press the Import to Office 365
• Select the Filters and proceed further by pressing the Next button. After that, click on the Import data
• Finally, you have completed the import PST to Office 365 procedure.

The above procedure to migrate PST to Office 365 is complicated. This method is suitable for users who are familiar with the different features of Office 365. However, it is almost impossible to export PST from Office 365 through the above steps for naive users. The ideal solution for beginners is a Professional tool.

#3. Using a Professional DRS Office 365 Backup Software

DRS Office 365 Backup tool is a comprehensive tool to import PST to Office 365 in a fast and effective manner. It is an automatic solution to migrate the data that is the best option for beginners or non-technical users. The software has such an interactive user interface that you do not need any assistance to import a PST file.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you have learned different methods to import PST to Office 365. You can choose either a manual technique or an automatic solution. The first option is a free technique and is suitable for advanced users. However, beginners cannot adopt the manual methods because of complicated steps. Therefore, the ideal solution is the Data Recovery Solutions Office 365 Backup Software. It is a professional tool to migrate PST to Office 365 efficiently.