How to Migrate Outlook Data to Office 365? Step By Step Guide

Summary: We’ve all been trapped in a scenario when we were assigned a task that was entirely unfamiliar to us. This puts us in a condition of fear, with no idea how to proceed with the job. But don’t worry, this is why we have come up with this article. In this post, we will go through all of the ways you can use to quickly migrate Outlook data to Office 365.

There is no question that cloud-based software is now dominating the industry. As a result, every other organization is transitioning from an on-premise platform to a cloud-based one.

Why are they doing this? This is because shifting from on-premises systems to the cloud may greatly increase the business’s effectiveness and competitiveness.

Apart from that, Office 365 offers a plethora of enticing features to users.

Services like:

• Robust security
• Access your data from anywhere and anytime
• Collaborative tools like Yammer, SharePoint, Skype for Business integrations.
• Flexible subscription plans
• Inbuilt migration features
• Enterprise-level email server

People are switching to Office 365 because of these conveniences. Thus, if a person who previously used Outlook subscribes to Microsoft 365, he must transfer all of his Outlook data to Office 365.

How to do that? This will be covered in greater detail later in the essay. Keep on reading!

Methods to Migrate Outlook Data to Office 365 

There are several options for moving Outlook to Office 365.

They are as follows:

1. Using a Microsoft-provided built-in tool.
2. Using a remedy advised by an expert.
3. Finally, a manual migration method. 

Let’s go through them one by one: 

1.     Migrating Outlook Data To Office 365 Accounts Using An Expert-recommended Method.

The most reliable method to migrate your Outlook data to Office 365 is through a professional application- Import PST to Office 365. With this tool, you can transfer multiple Outlook PST files with ease. It also has a filter option that gives you an option to migrate only the selected data from the PST file.

Follow the given steps to Migrate PST files to Office 365 Accounts:

Step 1: First download, and run the tool on your computer.

Step 2: To login as Administrator, click the ‘Is Admin’ option (else, skip to step 3, if you are logging in without Admin).

Step 3: Now, using the Add File(s)/Add Folder option, import the PST files into the program.

Step 4: Make a CSV file (click on example CSV) to link the PST file to the Office 365 account.

Step 5: Select the “Category” of data to be transferred from PST files and apply the Date Filter to each.

Step 6: Use the tool’s additional filters before clicking the Start button to initiate the transfer.

Step 7: When the transfer is finished, click the Save Report option. Now, log in to your account to see if the PST file data has been transferred to your Office 365 account.

1. Manually Migrating Outlook Data To Office 365

To manually import PST files to Office 365, you are first required to reconfigure the Microsoft 365 account in MS Outlook.

Then, proceed as follows:

1. Click the File tab, then Open & Export, then Import/Export.
2. In the Import and Export wizard, select Import from another software and then click Next.
3. Select the Next button after selecting Outlook Data File (.pst).
4. Navigate to the Outlook PST data file, select it, and then click Next.
5. Set Options to your liking to handle duplicate items in the file, then click Next.
6. Select the Import things to the same folder option and the Microsoft 365 mailbox, then click Finish.

2. Problems with the Previously Described Method:

• This approach is only appropriate if you are working with tiny files.

• There is also the possibility of data loss throughout the procedure.

3. Migrating Outlook Data to Office 365 365 Using Microsoft’s Recommended Method

1. Import PST to Microsoft 365 through Network Upload

The Network Upload technique is an excellent and entirely free option for importing PST data to Microsoft 365. It enables administrators to use the Azure AzCopy tool to import their full PST data to Microsoft 365. However, before moving to Microsoft 365, the PST file should be saved on a file server or shared folder in your business.

The following stages are included in the Network upload method:

1. Obtaining the SAS URL and installing the Azure AzCopy tool
2. PST file upload to Microsoft 365
3. Making a PST Import Mapping File
4. In Microsoft 365, you may create a PST Import task.
5. Data filtering and the PST import task

Limitations of This Method

• This technique only exports one PST file at a time.

• The procedure is extremely difficult and time-consuming.

1. Import PST to Microsoft 365 using Drive Shipping

Drive Shipping is another method for importing PST data to Microsoft 365 that employs a secure storage key and the PST Import Tool. In this technique, you will need to copy your PST data to a hard drive and then mail it to one of Microsoft 365’s physical facilities.

The Drive Shipping technique entails the following steps:

1. Downloading the PST Import tool and the safe storage key
2. Transferring PST data to a hard disc
3. Make a PST Import Mapping File
4. In Microsoft 365, you may create a PST Import task.
5. delivering a hard disc to Microsoft
6. The data is being filtered, and the import operation is being started.

Drawbacks of This Method:

1. It takes 1-2 weeks to import PST data to Microsoft 365, and no business can afford to wait that long if they need to upload PST to Microsoft 365 right away, and the process is not cheap at all, since it costs money per GB of data.
2. It would be inconvenient for Exchange administrators if companies had to import PST files to numerous Microsoft 365 mailboxes.
3. Both the Network Upload and Drive Shipping methods are extremely technical in nature, and users might easily mishandle them, resulting in partial migration, data loss, or corruption.

Also Read: Best Way to Backup Office 365 Email as Performed by Experts

Wrapping Up

The great features of Office 365 entice people to migrate to it. However, before doing so, users must move their Outlook data to Office 365. The article discusses a few approaches and their limitations in this regard. The automatic tool is the only one that has no disadvantages and is hence recommended.