Moving your PST files to Office 365 offers several advantages like enhanced accessibility to Outlook items, cloud storage, and seamless integration with other Microsoft tools Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Before migrating PST files, ensure you take a backup of the PST file and check if your Office 365 plan supports importing PST files.
You will have to migrate all your Outlook data to Office 365 properly to enjoy these benefits, Read the upcoming section for methods to migrate Outlook .pst to Office 365 without any hiccups.
Methods to Migrate PST to Office 365 Account [4 Methods]
Method 1: Outlook’s Import/Export Feature
Method 2: Use the Azure AzCopy tool
Method 3: Outlook Migration Tool
Method 4: Import Service (Drive Shipping)
Method 1: Outlook’s Import/Export Feature
- Open Outlook, Go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
- Select Import from another program or file and click Next.
- Choose Outlook Data File (.pst) and click Next.
- Browse to your PST file and click Open.
- Select the desired options and click Finish.
- Now download and install the Outlook Migration Assistant, launch the tool, and follow the on-screen instructions to migrate the PST files.
Caution
Though Outlook Migration Assistant is designed to minimize data loss, there’s always a risk, especially with large or corrupted PST files, and custom migrations will require a bit of technical knowledge.
Method 2: Use the Azure AzCopy tool
Step 1: Download and install the Azure AzCopy tool to upload the PST files to Azure Storage.
Step 2: Sign in to Office 365 Admin Center, go to Security & Compliance Center > Information governance > Import and select Upload PST files and click Show network upload SAS URL and copy the SAS URL provided
Step 3: Open Command Prompt and run the following command:
azcopy copy “C:\Path\To\Your\PSTFile.pst” “<your SAS URL>” –recursive=true
Replace “C:\Path\To\Your\PSTFile.pst” with the path to your PST file and <your SAS URL> the SAS URL you copied earlier.
Step 4: Once uploading is completed, go to the Security & Compliance Center and Import.
Step 5: Now create a PST Import job and map the PST file to the correct user mailbox.
Method 3: Outlook Migration Tool
If you feel the above solutions aren’t right for you, you can opt for a Rikvr Transfer for Outlook tool that automates and simplifies the process of transferring PST files to Office 365 with just a few clicks. Since the tool is fully automated, there’s minimal risk of data loss or corruption.
Step 1: Close Outlook and related applications, open Rikvr Transfer For Outlook, and click on the Transfer option
Step 2: Click on browse to select the Backup of the PST file.
Step 3: Choose all the Outlook settings and click on Next.
Step 4: Once the transfer process is completed, click on Finish. Now access all your Outlook data on Office 365.
Method 4: Import Service (Drive Shipping)
For very large datasets Microsoft offers a Drive shipping service for importing PST files into Office 365. This is particularly useful for large PST files or organizations with limited internet bandwidth. Here is how it works:
- Copy your PST files to an encrypted hard drive
- Follow Microsoft’s guidelines to securely ship the hard drive to their designated location
- Ship the hard drive to Microsoft following their drive shipping guidelines.
- Once Microsoft receives the hard drive, they’ll upload the PST to Azure. You can then create a PST Import job as in the Network Upload method.
Post-Migration Checks
Once you have successfully migrated your PST file into Office 365 then, be sure to check all the data integrity and other aspects such as:
- Mailbox Settings and Permissions: Check all the rules, auto-replies, retention policies, and user permissions and access rights on Office 365.
- Backup and Recovery: Verify the Office 365 environment backup and recovery procedures.
- Directory and Data Synchronization: Verify both directory and data synchronization is working correctly to keep the information updated.
Conclusion
I recommend planning and preparing your Outlook migration with all the necessary tools and taking a backup of your PST files before proceeding. This will help you avoid migration issues like import job failures and upload problems.
I hope this article has helped you learn various ways to move PST files to Office 365 seamlessly. Choose the solution that works best for you.
