Import PST to Online Archive Office 365 PowerShell: Step– By- Step Process

Summary: This step-by-step guide is designed for users and admins of Office 365, who are looking for a complete solution to Import PST to Online Archive Office 365 PowerShell. Go through the mentioned steps to execute the entire task safely without putting in any extra effort.

When it comes to cloud-based platforms, Office 365 is used by numerous organizations. Basically, Microsoft Office 365 is a Software as a Service solution that includes Microsoft Office and other services – email and collaboration. Due to its feature-rich nature and performance, Office 365 has become the first choice of users as well as organizations. However, some situations occur in which the user needs to import PST to Online Archive in Office 365.

Now, the question crops up, is it possible to move PST file to Office 365 Online Archive folder? Yes, the users can easily import with the help of PowerShell commands. In this blog, we are going to discuss step by step process to move PST to Online Archive folder in Office 365 using PowerShell commands.

Before Moving Further, Some Prerequisites are for Manual Method:

• An admin account on Office 365 tenant is required
• Have Import Export Mailbox admin role
• Having high upload bandwidth is an advantage

Import PST to Online Archive in Office 365 via PowerShell Commands

To import PST to Office 365, Microsoft provides an Import Service feature built on Azure storage.

Step 1: Storage Provisioning

1. In Office 365, click on Import Service > Data Migration

2. Now, you need to click on the Upload PST option

3. After that, click on the + sign and select the Upload email messages (PST files) option

4. For the first import, the Storage account will be created. You need to click on ‘Show network upload SAS URL’ for that. This URL will contain:

• Storage Account Name
• Container Name
• Shared Access Signature: It contains sv – storage service version, se – expiration date, sr – storage type, si – storage identifier, and sig – signature. This URL is used by Azure AzCopy Tool to upload PST.

Step 2: Upload PST

After the completion of the storage provisioning process, the user can begin the PST upload procedure. To upload PST, the user has two options either he/she can use the AzCopy tool (Command Line Tool) or Azure Storage Explorer (Graphical tool).

1. First, you need to connect to the Azure Storage Explorer

2. Now, enter the Shared Access Signature (SAS) URL or an account key

3. You will be able to see the Connection Summary after entering the required SAS URL

4. Next, you can import PST using Azure Storage Explorer Tool

5. After that, you can check the list of files present on Azure by using

Step 3: Mapping the File

Once you have uploaded the PST file to Azure Storage, you must build a CSV file. This CSV file will map the PST files to mailboxes and destination folders.

Step 4: Import PST

Finally, you need to import the PST mapping file. Click on the Finish button, and your PST file will be imported to Online Archive in Office 365.

Limitations of Using Manual Methods to Import PST to Office 365

 This method has certain limitations, including:

• Large Data Volume: The network upload method might be not suitable for a large volume of data, as the upload process would become quite time-consuming and resource-intensive.
• Internet Bandwidth: The manual method requires a sufficient and reliable internet connection with high upload speeds. If the internet connection gets slow or becomes unstable, then the upload process may fail several times.
• PST File Size Limit: You can only import PST files with sizes smaller than 2GB. If the recommended size exceeds, the eDiscovery might not work. Hence, in order to upload more than 2GB size then you can split it into smaller files before uploading it to Office 365 mailbox.
• Data Security: Another reason PST files are not encrypted, hence, they are vulnerable to data breaches. If PST files are not handled with care then they can be lost or stolen, and the data they contain might be compromised.
• PST File Corruption: It is quite evident, that the PST files are fragile in nature and can easily get corrupt. Furthermore, If the PST files are corrupted in between the process, then they can not be uploaded or imported, which results in data loss.
• Not Suitable for Multiple Users: Last, but not least, the manual approach is not suitable for importing multiple user mailbox data at once. It can create confusion, which will eventually result in accidental data deletion. 

Sometimes, it becomes difficult for the user to understand and implement the steps correctly. Additionally, if the user tries to perform the steps without any technical knowledge then it can also lead to data loss issues. Thus, it is recommended to opt for an automated and reliable solution to import PST to Online Archive in Office 365 account.

Must Read: How to Forward Multiple Emails from One Office 365 Account to Another

Alternative Method – To Import PST to Online Archive Office 365 PowerShell

The user can easily import PST to Office 365 account with the help of a third-party application to migrate Outlook to Office 365. With this utility, one can easily import PST files including emails, contacts, calendars, and tasks to Office 365 in a hassle-free way. Moreover, the software also provides the option to include specific folders during the PST migration process.

One can also import the PST files to Office 365 account selectively with the help of the Date Filter option offered by the tool. Additionally, all the attributes associated with the emails such as attachments, and metadata are maintained even after the migration process. The software is compatible with all versions of Microsoft Outlook.

Detailed Software Steps to Import PST to Office 365 Online 

Step 1. Download the software from the above link. Install it on your local computer. 

Step 2. The software allows you to import PST to user accounts as well as the admin account. You can use the admin credentials to import multiple PST files to multiple user accounts. Just enable the “Is Office 365 Admin” option and login with admin credentials.

Step 3. Once you are logged in, then you can move to the next step, Click on Add File(s)/ Folder buttons to add the respective PST files.

Step 4. In the next step, you will see this interface, where you can select the mailbox categories such as mails, calendars, tasks, and contacts. Moreover, the software also allows you to apply the date filter, using which you can import selective PST file data to your Office 365 account.

Step 5. Once, you selected the required workload and applied the desired date range then you click on the Import button to import PST to online archive Office 365.

Final Words

Many users import PST to Online Archive folder in Office 365 for numerous purposes. However, they are not able to find a reliable and instant way to implement this task. Thus, in this blog, we have introduced both manual and automated solutions to import PST to Online Archive folder in Office 365. The user can opt for any method of his/her choice. However, to avoid data loss issues it is recommended to opt Office 365 Import software.

Also Read: How to Save Office 365 Mailbox Emails to Desktop Hard Drive?

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