How to Import PST to Office 365 Securely in Easy Steps

Important Reasons to Import PST File to Office 365

With PST to Office 365 migration, users gain seamless accessibility and better email performance. Given below are the key reasons for this migration:

By importing PSTs into Microsoft 365, companies centralize all mailbox data into a single Exchange Online mailbox.
PST to Office 365 migration enables organizations to gain access to Microsoft’s data protection strategy.
Local PST files are prone to corruption from file size limitations, disk errors, or hardware failures.
With PST data in Microsoft 365, the mailbox data remains synchronized. Therefore, data becomes accessible across all platforms.
When PST files are imported into Office 365, they get indexed by Microsoft’s search engine. This makes it easy to find old emails, attachments, etc, from one place.

Methods to Import PST to Office 365

In this section, we have compiled different methods for importing PST files into Office 365. Some of them support importing a few files, while others can be used for large-scale migration. Take a look and decide which one to use.

Manual Method 01: With Outlook’s Import/Export Feature

If you have a limited number of PST files, then this method will easily import PST file into Office 365 webmail. This method can transfer all the elements of your mailbox. Before starting with the method, make sure Outlook is connected to your Office 365 account.

Use the following steps to start the import process:

In Outlook, go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
Then, choose Import from another program or file > Outlook Data File (.pst) > Next.
After that, locate the PST file you want to import and click Next.
Now, choose the destination as Office 365 mailbox and tick Include subfolders. Then, click on Finish.

Limitations: This manual procedure is not ideal for large-scale migrations as it would be time-consuming. Also, the manual Import/Export process will increase the chances of human errors.

Manual Method 02: Using Network-Upload Method

This method is especially designed for organizations and businesses. It can efficiently import multiple PST files for multiple users into Office 365.

These are the steps to upload PST to Office 365 webmail:

First, log in to Microsoft 365 Compliance Centre.
Then, navigate to Information Governance > Import.
After that, press + New Import Job and follow the instructions.
Next, select Upload your data, copy the SAS URL, and install the Azure Az Copy Tool.
Now, use the AzCopy Tool and use this command to upload PST files to Azure storage:

AzCopy.exe /Source:C:\PSTFiles /Dest: /V:

From the Compliance Centre, download the PST mapping file template.
Prepare a CSV file containing PST file paths, target Office 365 mailboxes, and destination folders.
Now, again, go to Data Governance > Import > Upload a PST mapping file (CSV).

Limitations: To use this method, the user needs to have technical knowledge of PowerShell commands. It does take a lot of time to upload a large PST file. If the mapping is not done correctly, it can cause errors and lead to delays.

Manual Method 03: Via Drive Shipping Method

This method is for those who have large volumes of PST files. With this method, simply copy the PST files to a hard drive and ship them to the Microsoft data centre.

The following are the steps to import PST file to Office 365:

To start with, prepare your PST files with no duplicates and compress them if they are large.
Next, follow the Manual Method 02 Step (1-3). Select Drive Shipping and download the WAImportExport Tool.
Now, copy all the desired PST files to a hard drive using the WAImportExport Tool.
Then,ship the hard drive to the designated Microsoft data centre.
After that, follow the Manual Method 02 Step (6-8).

Limitations: It is a slow process and takes time as it involves shipping and handling the data. Moreover, it does include a cost+shipping charges.

A Reliable Professional Tool to Import PST to Office 365 Securely

The Cigati PST to Office 365 Migration Tool automates and simplifies the process of importing PST to Office 365. It allows for importing PST files into Primary, Public, and Archive mailboxes. Additionally, it also supports PST to OST migration into them. Also, users can import PST files in bulk at once, preview data, and assign Impersonation Rights for child accounts. With options to apply date-based filters and remove duplicates, the tool ensures a clean and organized mailbox.

Steps to begin the PST to Office 365 migration:

Download, install, and run the tool as an administrator.
Tap the Restore button and press Continue to begin the process.
Now, click the Select PST/OST button.
Then, pick PST > Select Single File, browse and select the desired PST file.
Next, select the file from the list and click Next.
After that, pick Office 365 and sign in with your Office 365 Email ID.
Then, tick the additional settings to refine your import process.
Click Next and select the mailbox from the mail list, and again click Next.
Finally, hit Convert.

Conclusion

Manual PST file migration to Office 365 webmail involves several challenges and restrictions. Although Network Upload and Drive Shipping support bulk migration, they require strong technical skills. Using a professional Cigati PST to Office 354 Migration Tool offers advanced features to import PST to Office 365. Choose the professional tool for faster, easier, and more reliable migration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ans. No. You cannot import PST files into Office 365 webmail directly. There are manual ways to do it. They are: Outlook’s Import/Export option, Network-Upload, and Drive-Shipping methods. Moreover, for quick and error-free results, choose a professional converter tool.

Ans.The Outlook Import/Export method imports multiple files to Office 365 at once, but takes a lot of time. On the other hand, the Network Upload and Drive-Shipping method does the job in no time. But they require technical expertise to do it. Hence, for a simpler approach, try using the professional tool.