Export Office 365 Mailbox to PST Using PowerShell Securely

How to Export Office 365 Mailbox to PST Using PowerShell

Microsoft Office 365 users often face some scenarios where they need to save all the vital information regarding their business locally. In addition, users want to export Office 365 mailbox to PST using PowerShell. Now usually, there are a few ways to perform this task but the PowerShell method is quite hectic.

This article talks about the PowerShell solution to export files along with its limitations. Moreover, we’re gonna discuss the best & reliable solution to perform our operation safely and in minimal time. Go through this article till the end to get all the answers you want. Carefully execute the steps to avoid any errors.

How to Export Email Office 365 PowerShell [Steps]

We are going to learn all the steps to execute this export process through the PowerShell method.

Disclaimer - The manual method is not recommended for saving your files locally as there are several risk factors involved. Users are requested not to rely completely on this method as they might end up losing their crucial data files.
Step-1.Launch PowerShell using Microsoft Exchange server.

• Run the mentioned command below:
  • “$UserCredential = Get-Credential”

Enter Office 365 credentials in this section which is mentioned in the Credential Request Wizard of Microsoft PowerShell.

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

Step-2.  Allow permissions to transfer mailboxes from one place to another.
For example, we want to provide abclimited@xmail.com the complete excess to xzylimited@xmail.com mails, then run the command mentioned below:

“Add-MailboxPermission – Userxzylimited@xmail.com-Identityabclimited@xmail.com-AccessRights FullAccess -InheritanceType All”.

Step-3. Open Outlook email client for a new account.

Open outlook asxzylimited@xmail.comand make sure that theabclimited@xmail.comis available in the panel on the left side. The results might take a while to reflect in the destination account.

Step-4. Verify the configuration settings

Now, verify if your Outlook account is ready to be configured in order to download emails within the timeline.

• Go to File menu>Select the Info page>Account settings.
• Click on Account settings>Select account.
• Click Change Button>Enable Use Cached Exchange Mode.

Step-5. Start your operation through the Import/Export utility.

• Open the import-export wizard.
• Click on file>click on the Open & export>Click on the Import/Export option.
• Select the export to a file option from the available option>Click on next.
• Click o Outlook Data Files (.pst) option>Click on next.
• After enabling subfolder checkboxes, select abclimited@xmail.com>Click on Next.
• Select a destination folder path to store your downloaded PST files.
• Outlook will remain inactive till the export is under process.

This is how users can export Office 365 mailbox to PST using PowerShell. Now perform the remaining steps carefully.

Step-6. Make sure your export operation is completed.

Users need to ensure that their process is completed. Compare your mailbox size on the server with the exported PST files size. Follow the instructions below to do the same.

• From the panel on the right side, right-click on the mailbox and then select the data properties option.
• Go to the general tab>Select folder size.
• Select the server tab>check the values mentioned as total size.
• Verify the properties of the total exported PST files & compare them with the size mentioned in Outlook.

Step-7. Important steps after completion of the export process.

Now remove all the permissions that you allowed to the accounts in the primary stage using PowerShell.Run the cmdlet mentioned below:

“Remove-MailboxPermission -User xydlimited@xmail.com -Identity abclimited@gmail.com -AccessRights FullAccess”

Then run this final command to exit your PowerShell session:
“Remove-PSSession $Session”

Why Experts Do Not Recommend the PowerShell Method

The manual method works but it has several limitations that can have severe negative impacts on any date export operations. Let’s understand these limitations one by one.

• The manual method is a complex process to export Office 365 mailbox to PST using PowerShell. There are multiple steps where new users can easily get confused.
   
• PST files are sensitive and can easily get corrupted if not handled with care. If users enter any improper commands, their data can easily get lost.
   
• The manual method consumes a lot more time when we compare it to automated solutions. If any organization has multiple users & bulk data files, the manual method may take months to export the entire mailbox.
   
• The manual method lacks many features. Moreover, it’s quite outdated. Users can not save data according to their needs. They have to save the entire data file through the manual method.

Best & Reliable Alternative to the Manual Method

The best solution that users can get is operating this process with theTop-Rated Office 365 Export Tool. Now understand the automated method and forget how to export email office 365 PowerShell for a while. If you want to perform such a task securely, download & launch the tool & follow the steps mentioned below.

Step-1. Enter Admin credentials for exporting files in bulk & don’t forget to click on the IS admin checkbox.

Step-2. Select the user IDs from the list that you want to export to your local system.

Step-3 Now select the file format in which you are expecting your saved files. There are three options available that are PST, EML & MBOX.

Step-4 Adjust the date range filter according to your requirements.

Step-5 Finally, Click on the Start button to initiate your export operation.

[Tip- Don’t forget to download the export report at the end of the export process to easily analyze & closely monitor your export process.]

Wind-up
In this write-up, we learned how to export Office 365 mailbox to PST using PowerShell in a secure manner. Moreover, we discussed its drawbacks. Hence, the PowerShell method is not an optimum solution for organizations for saving Office 365 data in bulk.

If any user is planning to undergo such an operation, the modern approach must be the first choice. This is because of the extra beneficial features it provides to users. The perfect approach with a perfect tool is the key to a successful data export project