Export Office 365 Mailbox and Emails to PST – A Complete Guide

Need to Export Mailbox from O365 to PST

There are several reasons responsible for exporting emails from Office 365 mailbox to PST. Some of them are mentioned here:

• By migrating Office 365 in the PST file, the user can save the office archive mailbox to a local disk and subsequently work as a preference.
• By exporting Office 365 to Outlook PST, the user can reduce the size of Office 365 by keeping a backup of the Office 365 mailbox in PST file format.
• In the cloud platform, there are more chances of data loss regarding account taping, network packet analysis, hacking, etc. Hence, to protect data, taking a backup of Office 365 emails is the right choice.

Methods to Transfer Mailboxes from Office 365 to PST

You can have a look at the top three ways to move the mailbox items of Office 365 including folders, emails, and attachments to the Outlook Compatible PST File. We have also mentioned the screenshots along with the steps so that you can perform a quick and hassle-free Office 365 Mailbox to PST migration.

• Export Office 365 to PST through eDiscovery.
• Use Powershell cmdlets for migration.
• Use an Automated Tool that is Office 365 Backup Tool.

Method 1- Export Emails from Office 365 to PST through eDiscovery

Follow the given below procedure carefully to migrate emails with attachments from O365 to the PST file using eDiscovery:

• First of all, log into Office 365 with admin details.
• After that, click on the Admin Center, then click on Exchange.

• In the Exchange Admin center, go to Permissions > admin roles and select Discovery Manager.

• Under Discovery Management, go to the eDiscovery Administrator option and click the Adjacent Edit.

• Now you will have to choose the Administrator for eDiscovery and click on the Save option.

• Now you will have to click on the Search option and then click on the Content Search option.

• You will see the + sign. Click on it to make a new search query by giving the name and description of the search query.

• In the search query, give the details for searching items and then click Next.

• Now in the Microsoft Purview Window, you will have to choose the last created search and then click on the Action button. Then from the dropdown menu, you will have to click on the Export Result option.

• Now you will have to choose the Output option as per your need for the Office 365 Mailbox items and then click on the Export button.

• Then make click on the Export option using the Search window and select your preferred Search. Now you will have to copy the export key and click on the Download results option.

• Now, it will download the O365 Export Tool on your system. Open the tool and then paste the Export key in the given space. Now browse the location where you are willing to save the PST file and finally click on the Start button.

Read here: How to Convert Office 365 to PDF Manually?

Error Faced while Migrating Mailboxes from Office 365 to PST through eDiscovery

So, when you are exporting the Office 365 mailboxes to PST through eDiscovery and you encounter the error given below then the possible reasons for this error are:

• Windows Operating might be outdated and you should upgrade to Windows 10.
• The ClickOnce add-on with the third-party browser might not be installed.
• Microsoft.NET Framework 4.5 or later is not used and you must use Internet Explorer 9.0 or later.
• If you are using the Outgoing proxy server or the connection to your outgoing proxy server has timed out then you might face this error. Therefore, you should follow the steps given below:
  • Press the Windows+R key simultaneously and open the Command Prompt.
  • Run the command: netshwinhttp show proxy
  • Enter the Next command: netshwinhttp set proxy proxyservername:8080 (Replace proxyservername with yourservername.com).

The above reason might be responsible for the error you are facing while transferring O365 to PST manually using the eDiscovery Method. There are also some drawbacks of this approach therefore, we will tell you another method to perform the Office 365 to PST Mailbox Migration

Drawbacks of the eDiscovery Approach

There are certain limitations of this approach that you can explore below.

• The manual way for exporting the office 365 mailbox to PST is lengthy and moreover takes a lot of time.
• Another drawback is we cannot export selective data like emails, calendars, and contacts altogether.
• No filter items will be provided to export items.
• The manual method requires technical expertise for the proper conversion.

Here is another method waiting for you to complete the exporting process and it is through Powershell cmdlets.

Method 2- Use Powershell cmdlets to move Mailboxes and Emails from O365 to PST

You will have to use the New Compliance Search option before applying the Powershell commands.

You will have to run the following script to search for all the mailboxes available in your Office 365 account.

New-ComplianceSearch “your_descriptive_name” -ExchangeLocation all | Start-ComplianceSearch

Then you will need to run the following command to export your search results.

New-ComplianceSearchAction “your_descriptive_name” -Export -Format Fxstream

Once the exporting process completes, you will have to find the URL to download the converted data. Use the following command to do this task.

Get-ComplianceSearchAction “your_descriptive_name_export” -IncludeCredential | FL

You will get two results after running the above commands for downloading the Output file and they will be:-

• Container URL
• SAS Token

After following the above steps, now you will have to use the Powershell commands and it will help you to export Office 365 mailbox to PST quickly. There are four major steps that you will have to follow after launching the EMS on your system.

Step 1: Establish a Connection with the Exchange Server to Export Office 365 to PST

• You will have to establish a connection first and then run the following PowerShell command.

“$UserCredential = Get-Credential”

You will have to enter the credential of your Office 365 account in the above command.

• Then run the following command

“$Session = New-PSSession -ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange -ConnectionUri https://outlook.office365.com/powershell-liveid/ -Credential $UserCredential -Authentication Basic –AllowRedirection”

• Now give the following command

“Import-PSSession $Session”

Step 2: Grant Access Rights to the Administrator

Here in the illustration, I have granted sales@sysinfotools.com full access rights to support@sysinfotools.com.

“Add-MailboxPermission – User sales@sysinfotools.com –Identity support@sysinfotools.com -AccessRights FullAccess -InheritanceType All”.

Step 3: Create Outlook Profile for Administrators

Now you will have to create an Outlook profile for the administrator to which you assigned the access rights. In the above case, the Email Address is support@sysinfotools.com. 

After creating an Outlook profile, make sure that you have listed the other users on the left side of the page. If you don’t find the list then wait for a moment because the access rights might take some minutes to be applied. You will also have to enable the Cache Exchange mode.

Step 4: Use Outlook Import/Export to Move Mailboxes from Office 365 to PST

1. Open the File and select Open & Export from the options available.
2. Then click on the Import/Export option and choose the Export to a file option.
3. Select the Outlook Data File.pst option.
4. Select the Office 365 mailbox that you are willing to export into PST format.
5. Finally, define the location to save the Office 365 PST file on the local machine.

This is how you can export Office 365 Emails and Mailboxes to a PST file using the PowerShell command.

Drawbacks of the Powershell Command Approach

1. The chances of data loss are high.
2. Users’ mailboxes often get corrupted during the exporting process and their mailboxes also do not get listed in Outlook profile.
3. A single mailbox can be moved from O365 to PST at a time.
4. The administrator is only allowed to export the Office mailbox to PST and they need full access to other mailboxes.

As there are many disadvantages of the manual methods whether migration through eDiscovery or Powershell command, it is a challenging task for non-technical users to achieve such a lengthy and complicated task. Therefore, it is suggested to go for a third-party tool such as Office 365 Backup and Restore Tool. The utility has no requirement to have the technical knowledge to use it. Thus, users can also operate the tool efficiently to export Office 365 mailbox as PST format for any MS Outlook edition such as Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, etc.

Third-Party Solution to Move Emails from Office 365 to PST

Steps to Import Emails and other mailbox items from Office 365 to PST.

• Run the Office 365 Export Tool as an administrator.

• Now from the window Click on the Backup option.

• Login with Office 365 login ID Password.

• Choose the Mailbox Radio Button, and then Tick on the Office 365 Mailboxes you are willing to export to PST and click on the Next button.

• Check the folders from the tree structure that you want to export.

• Select PST from the drop-down list of Saves/Backup/Migrate As options.

• Try the prominent features of the software if necessary.

• Pick the Path To Save the resultant file and hit on the Convert button.

• The exporting process of the selected Office 365 mailboxes to PST will start and after the completion of the process, you can download a report of the conversion process.

Bottom Lines

In this blog, we have explained how to export emails from Office 365 to PST using the manual method as well as the third-party tool. It is quite tricky for non-technical users to opt for a manual way that needs technical knowledge. So here, we have recommended a professional solution, which is reliable and easy to use. The above methods will help you to move each and every mailbox item from Office 365 to PST.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Export Office 365 Mailbox to PST?

Yes, you can export Office 365 Mailbox to PST through the following steps:-

• Login to O365 through Office Backup Tool.
• Choose the Office 365 Mailbox to Export it to PST.
• Choose the Saving Format as PST.
• Click on the Convert button and your Office 365 Mailbox will be exported to PST.

How do I Export my O365 Online Archive to PST?

You can follow the steps given below to export O365 Online Archive to PST:-

• Download and Launch Sysinfo Office 365 Backup Tool.
• Use your Office 365 Credentials to log in.
• Then choose the Online Archive Folders that you want to export to PST.
• In the Save As Option, choose PST.
• Click on the convert button and export the O365 Online Archive to PST.

Does Office 365 Work with PST Files?

Yes, Office 365 works with the PST file but you need to import PST File to your O365 account. To import PST to Office 365, you must download the Sysinfo PST Converter tool. Then Add the PST file to the tool and choose the emails for migration. Finally, select Office 365 in the save as option and enter your credentials to add the PST file to Office 365.

What is the difference between archive PST and Outlook PST?

All the PST files are the same, but when a PST file is indirectly associated with a mail account either through POP3 or IMAP, they are considered archive PST files.

How do I archive my Office 365 mailbox online?

There are three methods to archive Office 365 mailbox online and they are:-

• Move Office 365 to PST through eDiscovery.
• Try Powershell cmdlets for migration.
• Use Sysinfo Office 365 Backup Tool.