Export Office 365 to PST: Complete Enterprise Guide (2026)

How to Convert Office 365 to PST Manually? 

There are various techniques to perform the Office 365 data migration manually. This guide explains two manual methods with a stepwise process and the obstacles that come along.

Method 1: Using eDiscovery to Move Data 

One of the ways to export a Microsoft 365 shared mailbox to PST is manually through the Security & Compliance Center. But this method needs admin-level access and relevant role permissions to allow a successful export process.

Follow These Steps to Export Office 365 to PST

1. First, sign in to the Microsoft 365 Security & Compliance Center with an admin account.
2. Next, open Permissions and assign the eDiscovery Administrator and Mailbox Import Export roles.
3. After that, you need to navigate to Content Search and create a new search.
4. Then, select the required shared mailbox from the Exchange mailboxes section.
5. Now, apply the preferred filters and save the search request.
6. Once done, wait for the search to finish and open the completed search result.
7. After that, click Export Results to start exporting the mailbox data.
8. Finally, download the export package, enter the provided key, and save the shared mailbox as a PST file.

This method only exports data in PST format. If you need files in a more readable format, you can also look into how to convert Office 365 to PDF.

Method 2: Backup Office 365 to PST with PowerShell commands 

The direct New-MailboxExportRequest command does not work in standard Office 365 accounts. It is mainly available for on-premises Exchange environments. In Office 365, admins usually use PowerShell commands like Connect-IPPSSession and New-ComplianceSearchAction -Export to handle compliance-based mailbox export tasks.

You can export data with this method using the steps given below: 

Step 1: At first, connect to Compliance Center

Step 2: Then, create Compliance Search

Step 3: Now, start the search

Step 4: Check Search Status (Important)

Step 5: Export Results

Step 6: Finally, Download PST

Go to Microsoft Purview Portal >> Open export job >> Generate SAS URL >> Download PST file. 

Why Manual Methods Are Not Always Reliable? 

• Manual processes usually need a longer time and effort in case of large mailboxes. 
• You will need admin access and proper role permissions to move data. 
• Users will need high technical expertise to follow commands and a high risk of data loss. 
• Large mailbox exports may experience latency due to indexing and search processing time
• Limited support for advanced filtering and the incremental backup scenario. 
• One wrong PowerShell command can mess up the whole process.
• Not suitable for bulk mailbox migration or enterprise-scale backup operations.

How SysInfo Office 365 Backup Tool Simplifies Mailbox Backup? 

The Office 365 Backup and Restore Tool is a solid choice for companies looking to protect their data. It’s a better option than old, error-prone methods. This tool helps Office 365 backup solutions work well for big companies. It makes it easy to export Office 365 mailboxes to PST files and avoid the problems of native compliance portals. This software also lets you migrate Office 365 to iCloud.

Steps to Use SysInfo Office 365 Backup Tool

1. First, download and run the SysInfo Office 365 Backup Tool as an administrator on your system. 
   
2. After that, login and authenticate your Office 365 account to access mailbox data. 
   
3. Then, select the backup option from the given Primary Mailbox, Online Archive, or Public Folder. Further, hit Next.
   
4. Now, you can preview the selected mailbox in a tree structure and select the files or folders to migrate.
   
5. Select PST in the Save/Backup/Migrate As option and apply the needed filters. Then, press Next. 
   
6. At last, verify the details shown in the tool and click on the Backup button to start the process. 
   

Key Benefits of SysInfo Office 365 Backup Tool

• This tool uses modern authentication to establish a secure connection with Microsoft 365. 
• Enable users to opt for selective migration instead of full export. 
• Preserves folder structure and other email properties during the process. 
• Helps to avoid common issues like failed exports or incomplete data. 
• Allows exporting to different file formats and Microsoft Office 365 Tenant to Tenant Migration. 

Final Words

Managing big mailbox migrations needs a move from manual work to strong Office 365 backup solutions. Using manual methods can slow things down and risk losing data. Today’s businesses must focus on being efficient to keep things running smoothly. With reliable SysInfo Office 365 backup software, admins can export Office 365 to PST easily and risk-free.

Frequently Asked Questions

About The Author:

Lovely Baghel

Lovely specializes in technical writing for SysInfoTools Software and has over 2 year of experience writing blogs, and articles about databases & backup, email recovery, email migration & management solutions. Her passion is researching and developing content that helps Office users, professionals, administrators, enterprises, and novices solve multiple problems.