How to Export Office 365 Mailbox to PST File (Easy Steps)

User Queries Question by Garnock12 on Spiceworks: I am required to export 50GB of emails from an unlicensed and shared mailbox of a recently fired employee to a PST file that can be used to access their emails in the future when needed, but I can’t seem to find a way to do that in Outlook. How do I solve this? Question by NeilYoungTransAlbum on Reddit r/Office365: I would like to know how I can export Office 365 mailbox to PST file in an efficient manner. Currently, what I am doing is conducting a search without any search term, using the eDiscovery tool and waiting to download everything, which is usually lengthy and sometimes fails.

The need to export Office 365 mailboxes to PST is vital for companies that want secure offline backups or archiving of emails. Nevertheless, there are issues that users might face when exporting data, including slow eDiscovery processes and non-exported mailbox items. Manually, it will be hard to manage and increase the workload of administrators. The Cigati Office 365 Email Backup Tool offers a solution to this issue through automating the process. This guide will cover reliable ways to export an Office 365 mailbox to a PST file in 2026.

Quick Answer 

I have to move my Office 365 mailbox data to PST files for archiving purposes. Is there any way to do that without Exchange Admin Center and eDiscovery?

Office 365 mailbox data can be exported using either PowerShell or any external migration tool. The best example is Cigati M365 to PST Export Tool, which offers an easy approach for migrating Office 365 mailboxes. The tool preserves all data along with attachments throughout the process. 

How to Backup Office 365 Mailbox to PST Manually?

There are various ways provided by Microsoft that can help you get your Office 365 data to PST. However, these steps need admin rights and the correct roles within the organization. They are ideal for small-scale migrations, but become difficult in the case of large mailboxes. 

Extraction of Data in Office 365 Using eDiscovery and PST

The second common way to extract Office 365 email boxes is by using the Microsoft Purview eDiscovery service. To successfully execute this process, you need to have admin permissions and the necessary roles.

Process Step by Step to Export O365 Mailbox to PST: 

1. First, sign in to Microsoft 365 Security and Compliance Center via an admin account.
2. After that, configure the roles of eDiscovery Administrator and Mailbox Import Export in Permissions.
3. Further, go to the Content Search section and set up a new search query.
4. Moving ahead, pick a required shared mailbox from the Exchange mailboxes list.
5. Then, apply any filters if needed and click Save to finish the settings.
6. Meanwhile, wait until the search is done and click on the completed result.
7. After that, press the Export Results button and begin exporting the mailbox data.
8. In the end, download the export package and use the key to make a PST file.

How To Export PST File From Office 365 via PowerShell? 

There is another way to export Office 365 mailboxes to PST via PowerShell, which will help to meet some compliance requirements in Microsoft 365. There aren’t any mailbox export commands in Microsoft 365 like in the on-premises Exchange server environment, but compliance search-based export actions are performed.

Step-by-Step Procedure

1. To begin with, connect your PowerShell with Microsoft Purview Compliance Center:

Connect-IPPSSession -UserPrincipalName <UserPrincipalName>

2. Afterward, create a compliance search in accordance with the mailbox.

New-ComplianceSearch -Name “MailboxExport” -ExchangeLocation <MailboxName>

3. Moving ahead, run the search and check for the completion process:

Start-ComplianceSearch -Identity “MailboxExport”Get-ComplianceSearch -Identity “MailboxExport”

4. Once it completes, proceed with initiating the export process using the compliance export action:

New-ComplianceSearchAction -SearchName “MailboxExport” -Export

5. The last step will require visiting the Microsoft Purview portal, generating a SAS URL, and downloading a PST file. 

Why Manual Methods Are Not the Best Choice for PST Export?

• Administrator privileges must be obtained before any export.
• It takes a while to export large mailboxes.
• It is not easy to understand PowerShell commands.
• The export process can be stopped unexpectedly halfway through.
• Extra time is spent on detecting and correcting any mistakes.
• Not feasible for exporting several mailboxes repeatedly.

Recommended Way to Export Office 365 Mailbox to PST 

A manual process normally entails many permissions, long search times, and technical setups. In a business where sensitive data is contained in email boxes, having an exporting tool is vital and will help expedite the process and make it more organized.

The Cigati Office 365 Backup Utility facilitates the export of mailboxes in Office 365 without the need for PowerShell commands and compliance searches. The software can perform mailbox backup and export, preserving all emails, including attachments and their hierarchy, through the process. It is ideal for personal use and business owners. 

Follow The Procedure To Export Microsoft 365 Mailbox to PST:

1. To start, install and launch the Cigati Office 365 Backup Tool and hit the Backup button.

2. Further, use the Modern Authentication option and enter your M365 account details and tap on Sign In to authenticate the account.

3. Moving ahead, choose files and folders from the tree structure that you want to get in PST and click on the Next button.

4. Now, in the saving format, choose PST from the drop-down menu and apply the required filters.

5. Moving on to the next step, click on the Destination Path to specify the output saving location and then tap on Next.

6. In the end, verify the details shown in the tool panel and click on the Convert button to start the process.

Why Do Enterprises Prefer Office 365 to PST Export Tools?

The company may require faster ways of archiving mailboxes and keeping data stored safely. The following features make PST export software an ideal solution for routine work.

• Enables Office 365 mailboxes export to PST format.
• Supports user, archive, and shared mailboxes.
• Preserves mailbox folders in their original hierarchy.
• Migrates emails and attachments, leaving the data intact.
• Allows exporting necessary mail items from mailboxes.
• Simplifies large mailbox migration processes.
• Avoids using multiple PowerShell commands.
• Saves time in case of multiple mailbox migrations.
• Eases mailbox archiving procedures.

How Do IT Teams Use This Solution?

One consulting company had to migrate the mailbox data of 25 employees who had left their jobs. In total, the size of mailboxes was more than 320 GB, along with attachments. They contained emails with correspondence with clients, agreements with third-party companies, and data regarding internal projects.

In order to solve this problem, IT specialists used software called Cigati Office 365 Backup Tool. It allowed them to migrate data from the mailboxes of various users at once. The tool maintained folder structure and saved emails. 

This case shows how one can migrate emails of different users at once and maintain the folder structure of mailboxes.

Final Thoughts

Moving the Office 365 mailbox to PST is one of the most commonly performed operations when archiving and offboarding employees. Though Microsoft gives certain options for doing so, these may require extra configuration. The use of Cigati Office 365 Backup Software makes things simpler by providing an opportunity to export a mailbox right away. Choose the right and reliable solution to export Office 365 mailbox to PST that fits your migration needs.

You May Also Read: Export Shared Mailbox to PST

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