Importing PST File into Outlook 365 (Microsoft 365) - Simple Solution

If you are searching for how to import PST files into Office 365 (Public Folder, Archive Mailboxes & Shared Mailboxes) Account then you are the right place to visit. In this particular blog, we will try to explain the manual and professional ways to import your PST files to Office 365 in a simple method.

Learn About About PST Files & Office 365

Both PST (Personal Storage Table) files and Office 365 are connected to Microsoft Outlook and email organization. Let’s explore each of them:

PST (Personal Storage Table) File:

A PST file stands for Personal Storage Table file is a data file format used by Microsoft Outlook to store user’s email, contact information, calendar and inbox data locally.

If your Outlook is configured for a POP3 or IMAP email account, generally those emails are downloaded and saved into a PST file in your computer’s local hard disc space.

PST files enable the recipients to access their outlook mails and other data regardless of the internet connection.

They are used where a user requires to save emails for a long time, or have the data of the Outlook application backed up.

Microsoft Office 365:

Office 365 is a cloud- based suite of applications that is subscribed by Microsoft for providing users certain products such as Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and much more.

Office 365 allows the users to get to their emails, files and applications using the internet irrespective of their location.

Office 365 also has an online version of the Office apps, in addition to a version that can be installed on a computer and on a smartphone or tablet depending on the type of license chosen.

It has several packages to the customer on individual, business and enterprise to suit the needs for clients for different features and services.

Relation Between PST Files and Office 365:

• PST files are mostly related to the outdated formations of Microsoft Outlook, which saves all the emails and other files on the user’s device locally.
• As for Office 356, it is an online service where emails and other information is stored on the Microsoft servers on the web.
• Outlook with Office 365 Web, Outlook on the web and Outlook for Windows connected to Office 365 account do not use PST to store the Emails and data.
• However, some users who have moved from the traditional Outlook to Office 365 can have the PST files that he or she wants to transfer to an Office 365 account as a way of backing up and unifying the data in the cloud.

As for pertaining to PST files, one must understand that they are not very safe from data loss or corruption, and they’re not suitable for data archiving or data backup. Office 365 has more advanced functions and options that aim at organizing the emails more securely in the cloud along with the access facility from any device with automatic backups and higher security level.

Import PST files into Office 365

Importing PST files to Office 365 can be beneficial for several reasons:

1. Centralized Data Management: Importing PST files into Office 365 also enables aggregation of your email data and any other information in the cloud. It makes it possible for users to check for their mails, contacts and calendar events anywhere they find a connection to the internet hence bringing mobility.

2. Data Security and Backup: Microsoft’s Office 365 has strong data protection features such as data encryption, user identity verification as well as threat assessment In essence, by maintaining your data in Office 365, your data will receive protection offered by Microsoft data centers and their ability to manage backup in the event of hardware failure or calamity.

3. Collaboration and Sharing: In ways related to Office 365, users discover it possible to share calendars, e-mails and documents with other people in the organization and work in a team effectively. Office 365’s integrated applications will also allow for cooperation and the ability to work at the exact same time.

4. Scalability and Storage Management: The Office 365 also has enough storage for you to expand depending on the amount of data you require. All the PST files in Office 365 are held on cloud storage, which is virtually unlimited and thus users will not struggle with storage.

5. Archiving and Compliance: Office 365 has retention policies and an archive and eDiscovery functions that allow organizations to follow compliance and stay compliant while maintaining pertinent evidence for legal or regulatory use.

6. Simplified Management: The importing of PST files to Office 365 enables administrators to supervise users' data from a single location using the Microsoft 365 admin center. This makes common operations like backup, restoration, and user management relatively easier to implement.

7. Access to Advanced Features: With Office 365, additional power-ups and deep-use instrumentations like Microsoft Teams, SharePoint Online, and superior email management features are out of reach when users attempt to utilize PST store and forward local storage with regular Outlook clients.

8. Cross-Device Synchronization: In Office 365, data is synchronized so that the most current emails and data are available on desktops, laptops, Tablet, and Smartphones.

9. Migration to Modern Infrastructure: Converting and importing PST files is commonly done in migration projects to the Office 365 platform and a modern architecture. This can result in cost optimisation, performance enhancement and minimized dependence on existing on-premises equipment.

All in all, PST files when imported to Office 365 provide for a better, safer and shared way of working with emails and other information. It will be of particular interest to organizations planning on deploying cloud technology to improve productivity and the citizens’ user experience.

All in all, PST files when imported to Office 365 provide for a better, safer and shared way of working with emails and other information. It will be of particular interest to organizations planning on deploying cloud technology to improve productivity and the citizens’ user experience.

Manual Steps to Import PST Files to Office 365 Account

This is the way PST files can be imported to Office 365 without many obstacles encountered. Here are the steps to import PST files to Office 365 using the Microsoft 365 Import Service:

Step 1: Prepare the PST Files

Before importing the PST files, make sure you have the following prepared:

• Create a Shared Location: Make a network share point or use Azure blob storage, to which, the PST files will be uploaded. Make sure the account that you are using for importing tasks have read-write permissions for this location.
• Organize PST Files: Store the PST files by categorizing them in subfolders depending on the user’s email address, in order to assist the mapping process properly during the import.

Step 2: Assign Permissions

Ensure that the account performing the import has the necessary permissions:

• You can give the rights using the Mailbox Import Export role in Exchange Online or use the “Organization Management” role.

Step 3: Install Azure AzCopy Tool

If the import is through Azure storage, there lies the need for installation of the Microsoft Azure AzCopy to copy PST files to the storage units.

Step 4: Create a PST Import Job

Now, you’re ready to create a PST import job in the Microsoft 365 compliance center:

• This tutorial begins with signing in to the Microsoft 365 compliance center using a global administrator or a user account with required permissions.
• Click on the next to the option of “Data governance” and then choose “Import.”
• For this, go to New Import Job and choose Upload your data.
• In the required fields enter job name, description and whether you want to move data to the users archive mailbox or primary.
• Select the ‘Upload your data’ and input the shared location or URL to Azure storage files of PST.
• This step involves planning with the help of the mapping file that will help in mapping PST files to user mailboxes according to the sub folder structure.
• When you are through with the changes, select the save button from the toolbar above the settings.

Step 5: Start the Import Job

Once the PST import job is created, you can start the import process:

• Locate the job in the list and right click to start the job.
• Select whether the import process should begin at the moment or be delayed for some time.

Step 6: Monitor the Import Job

• You are also able to track the status of the PST import job to find out if it has run to completion. If the data is a lot, then it may take some time to complete the process, nonetheless, it is a worthwhile process.
• Once the import job is done, all PST file data will get extracted and appear in the user Office 365 mailbox.
• It is to point out that the provided steps might slightly differ depending on the version and configuration of Office 365 and the compliance center. The best source to get the steps when you need to install something from the source is to check the official Microsoft documentation.

Quick and Easy Approach to Migrate PST to Office 365 Using Professional Techniques

BLR PST Migration Tool is designed to allow organizations to import a single or multiple PST files directly into the Office 365 account as well as all folder attachments. It is an efficient professional tool to transfer PST files to various email clients including Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, Office 365 etc.

Step 1: Download the BLR PST to Office 365 Migration Tool and set it up

• First, let the tool download the BLR PST to Office 365 Migration Tool and run the file on your computer.
• Run the tool to begin the process of the migration.

Step 2: Add PST Files

• There are two buttons “Add File” and “Add Folder” on the interface of the given tool.
• Locating the PST files is the next step; you can then choose which of these files you wish to import into Office 365.
• To add the selected PST files to the migration queue, only go to the top and click on the ‘Open’ button.

Step 3: Enter Office 365 Account Details

• When using the BLR PST converter tool, you will be asked to input Office 365 account information.
• Type in the email and password of the Office 365 account that has the access to perform the import.

Step 4: Configure Migration Settings

In this case, based on the BLR Tools, you could have configurations to set migration types. This may involve mapping of PST file to particular Office 365 mailbox, selection of filters as well as control of import option.

Step 5: Run PST to Office 365 Migration

• After you have set the preferences, you can click the ‘Start’ or ‘Export’ button to start the migration process.
• The migration tool called BLR PST file converter will begin the process of importing all the data from PST files to the related Office 365 users.

Step 6: Track the Processes of Migration

• While importing PST files in the migrate process you may also track the import of each PST file.
• Upon the migration is complete, you will get a message of confirmation.

All instructions mentioned above are given in accordance with the consequences mentioned by BLR Tools, and for particular guidance regarding the PST to Office 365 Migration Tool, please refer to the company’s documentation or support services. Therefore, before proceeding with the migration be sure to create a copy of your PST files since migrating over them can lead to loss of data.