How to Import PST to Office 365 Manually?

Summary – An effective solution to import PST to Office 365 is a common requirement among all users having an Office 365 subscription plan. Whether you are an individual or working in an organization, you need to upload PST to office 365. In this blog, we provide all prominent solutions to convert your pst files to your office 365 account. Also, we suggest the best technique for it. So, read the article till the end.

Introduction

PST files are the proprietary file format of Outlook that stores mailbox data in your system. It is a great way to backup your Outlook mailbox items. You can easily restore your Outlook emails to their original state using the backup file.

However, when you want to import PST file to Office 365, the process is not that easy. You need to perform a set of complicated steps to migrate your data. But before that, let us take a closer look at the prerequisites to migrate your PST files to your Office 365 account.

Prerequisites to Import PST to Office 365

You have to meet some necessary requirements so that you become able to move PST to Office 365. Let us see what are the prerequisites for migration.

• An Office 365 premium subscription.
• Admin access to the Office 365 account.
• PST file to import to Office 365 account.
• Familiarity with basic features of Microsoft 365 Admin center and Exchange admin center.

Now, it is time to learn how to import PST to O365.

How to Migrate PST to Office 365?

Migrating PST files to Office 365 accounts has different procedures. You can opt for either DIY approach in which you have to perform various steps. Otherwise, you can choose the automated solution. The former technique is suitable for advanced users as it requires various complicated steps.

The Automated technique involves using the professional Import PST to Office 365 Tool. It provides you an easy and effective way to migrate your data. You no need to 

The two-manual methods to import PST to Office 365 are shown below.

#1. Using MS Outlook to Export PST files

• Open the MS Outlook application and click on the File button.
• Now, choose the Open & Export tab.
• Click on the Import/Export option.
• After that, select Import from another program or file option and press Next.
• Choose the Outlook data file (.pst) option and hit the Next button.
• Select the desired PST file from your system and press Open.
• After that, choose the destination mailbox folder and press Finish to initiate migration.

#2. Using Azure AzCopy Utility

The process of importing a PST file to an Office 365 account by using the Azure AzCopy utility consists of several steps. You need to follow them in the correct order to effectively import PST to Office 365. Follow the below steps.

Step 1: Add Import/Export Role in MS Exchange Admin Center

• First, log in to your Office 365 account.
• Click on the App launcher and select the Admin option.

• It will open the Microsoft 365 admin center, click on the Show all tab.

• After that, press the Exchange option to open the Exchange admin center.

• Now, expand the Roles tab and select the Admin Roles option.

• Click on the Add Roles Group option.

• Fill all the fields with specific details to create the Import/Export roles.
• After that, click on the Add Role Group button to finish the process.

Step 2: Create a new Import Job in Compliance Center

• In the Microsoft 365 admin center, click on the Compliance option.
• After that, click on the Information Governance tab in the compliance center.

• Select the Import tab in the right section and click on the New import job.

• Now, fill in a suitable Job Name and Press Next.

• After that, choose Upload your Data and hit the Next button.

• Press the Show Network to upload SAS URL option and copy the URL.

• After that, copy the URL and click on the Download Azure AzCopy.

Step 3: Upload data to Azure Blob Storage using AzCopy

Azure AzCopy is a command-line tool that helps you to upload the desired PST file to Azure Blob Storage. Further, you can export data from blob storage to Office 365. Now, follow the steps below to add PST file to Office 365.

• Create a text file and write the following command.

azcopy.exe copy “<Source location of PST files>” “<SAS URL>”

• Update the above text with the following details.
  • <Source location of PST files> – location of the desired PST file in your system.
  • <SAS URL> – SAS URL you copied while creating an import job.
• Now, open Azure AzCopy Tool and paste the updated text, and press Enter.

Step 4: Create Mapping File

Now, you have to create a mapping file to import your PST data to Office 365. The mapping file is a CSV file that contains the details related to migration. You can download the CSV file from Microsoft Documentation. Fill in the required details in the sample mapping file.

Step 5: Import PST to Office 365

After performing all the above steps, it is time to complete the procedure. Follow the steps below to finish the PST migration to Office 365.

• Go to the Import Job creation page and tick both the options: I’m done uploading my files and I have access to the mapping file.

• Click on the Next button to proceed further.

• Press the Select Mapping File option and add the updated mapping file. Validate it and then Save.

• After that, check the progress field for the created import job. Click on the Ready to import to Office 365 option.
• Now, select the Import to Office 365 option.
• Finally, press the Next button and then click the Import data button.

It is the complete procedure to import PST to Outlook online using the Azure AzCopy utility. If you perform all the steps accurately, you can effectively migrate your PST files to Office 365. However, as you can see, the process is difficult for a novice user. It consists of numerous steps, so it is also a complicated technique.

Limitation to Manual Approach

Despite being effective, we do not suggest the above DIY method for non-technical users to upload PST file to Office 365. There are various flaws in this approach. We describe to you the most significant disadvantages of manual methods.

• It consists of multiple steps, so it is time-consuming.
• Because of complicated steps, a novice user can not perform the procedure accurately.
• Chances of file corruption are high due to any mistake while performing the migration.

These are the most significant reasons for not choosing manual methods. Now, what should you do? We provide you with a better solution that simplifies the migration of PST files to Office 365.

Professional Approach to Import PST Files

MigrateEmails PST Migration Tool is the best way to import PST to Office 365 account without performing the time-consuming and tedious manual steps. The application is developed with a simple and interactive user interface and provides you with all the advanced options for a better user experience. Therefore, it is a highly recommended option for most users.

Conclusion

I hope after this blog, you have learned how to import PST to Office 365. The manual method is efficient but not suitable for all users. So, we suggest you use the professional DRS Office 365 Email Backup Tool to migrate your data. It is a fast, effective, and reliable technique to migrate your data.

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