How to Export Office 365 Mailbox to PST Using eDiscovery – Pro Guide

Most of the users want to export Office 365 mailbox to PST for many reasons but they cannot find any reliable way to perform this process. So in this blog, you will get to learn how to easily save Office 365 mailbox in PST File Format. We will talk about two different methods, the free method and the automatic method. Read this blog till the end for the best solution to export Outlook 365 emails to PST. before starting with the blog, let’s get a quick overview of the topic

A Brief About Office 365 and PST

Office 365 offers users a set of apps that help them do work and create things. With the subscription to Office 365, you get access to programs like Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneDrive. You can use these apps on your computers, tablets, and phones. Moreover, you can access the files anywhere with a stable internet connection. 

Now we will discuss the PST file and then we’ll move towards the need to export Outlook 365 emails to PST.

PST stands for “personal storage table.” Outlook, Microsoft 365’s email program, uses this file type. PST files are digital containers that store all of your Outlook data in one location, making it simple to view, backup, and move your information. This file type contains information such as calendar events, contacts, and email messages.

Needs to Export Office 365 Mailbox to PST

Most of the users export their Outlook emails to PST for backup reasons. However, there are many other reasons why users perform this procedure. Let’s discuss them below.

Here are the reasons to back up Office 365 to PST:

• Offline Access: Users can open and view their emails on their computers offline.
• Account Security: Protect against security breaches, such as a hacker accessing an Office 365 admin account.
• Data Control: Ensure data protection beyond what Microsoft provides.
• Long-Term Storage: Preserve emails and documents for long-term retention.
• Preventing Data Loss: Recover items accidentally deleted from Office 365 accounts.
• Managing Departures: Permanently delete ex-employee accounts while retaining their data.
• Backing Up Shared Mailboxes: Backup Office 365 shared mailboxes to PST.
• Protection: Safeguarding business data from random attacks.

These are some of the user needs when converting Outlook emails to PST file format. Let’s move ahead with the blog and discuss some methods to execute this process.

Method to Export Office 365 Mailbox to PST

We will discuss the practical methods to successfully convert your Microsoft 365 emails to PST files. There are two types of methods, one is the manual method which is free to use and the other is the professional method which is more reliable. Now let’s move ahead and start discussing the steps of the manual method.

Manual method to Export O365 Mailbox to PST

Here’s a simplified step-by-step guide to backup an Office 365 mailbox to a PST file using the eDiscovery tool:

Step 1: Assign Permissions and Check for Export Role

1. Use your admin credentials to log in to Office 365.
2. Click on Admin and select Compliance from the Admin centers.
3. In Compliance, select Permissions and then choose Roles to manage roles.
4. Search for eDiscovery Manager” and select it to open the eDiscovery Manager panel.
5. Click on Edit Role Groups to manage roles and ensure that the Export role is assigned. If it’s not assigned, add it from the available options.

Step 2: Create and Run a New Content Search

1. In the Compliance Center, click on Content Search and then New Search.
2. Provide a name and description for your search query.
3. Click Next to proceed.
4. Under Specific locations, enable Exchange Mailboxes.
5. Click Next to continue.
6. Set up the search conditions such as date ranges or specific keywords.
7. Click Next when done.
8. Review your search criteria and click Submit to create the search.
9. Once the search is created, select Done to finish.

Step 3: Export Office 365 Mailbox to PST

1. Go back to the Compliance Center and select your newly created content search.
2. Check the search status under Summary.
3. Click on Export Results from the Action menu.
4. Choose the output options and settings for the export, including deduplication if needed.
5. Click Export to start the process.
6. Confirm the export job creation when prompted.
7. After completing the export, go to Export in the Content Search panel.
8. Click Download Results and copy the export key provided.
9. Install and run the eDiscovery export tool on your computer.
10. Paste the export key and choose the location to save the PST file.
11. Click Start to initiate the export process.
12. Once the export tool shows successful completion, click Close to finish.

Following these steps, you can effectively backup Office 365 email to PST file using the eDiscovery tool, ensuring you have a secure copy of your data. However, there are downsides to these methods as you see it is a very lengthy process and you need to have the proper technical skills to perform this task otherwise you’ll face problems like data corruption and data loss. To avoid these limitations let’s move to the automated tool.

Professional method to export Office 365 mailbox to PST

The DRS Office 365 Email Backup Tool is built for especially doing these types of tasks. This tool works on the newest versions of Microsoft Windows. It has a nice interface that makes transferring files easy for users. You can even try out a free demo version of the tool. Now, let’s go through the steps to use it.

Professional steps to Export Email from Office 365 to PST

1. Download and Run the tool and click on the Backup option.
2. Opt for Modern Authentication, and enter your username.
3. After that, check Assign Impersonation, to access multiple users in your Office 365 account. 
4. Enter your Office 365 credentials and click on the Sign in button. 
5. Authenticate your login credentials on the Office 365 login page.
6. Select the desired Office 365 accounts and configure backup options. 
7. Preview and select the Mailbox Items you want to back up. Then click Next.
8. Expand the Save/Backup/Migrate As field and choose the PST format for the backup.
9. Select filter options as needed for your backup requirements. Click Next to proceed.
10. Finally, press the Convert button to start the Office 365 backup process.

These are the steps to use the professional tool. Moreover, it has some more features, like the ability to migrate your data into multiple email clients. Furthermore, you can also convert your data into multiple file formats. It also has a date range feature which allows you to choose the emails at a specific time. Apart from this, you can also migrate Office 365 files into different file formats like PST, PDF, DOC, HTML, MBOX, and more. Plus, users can also migrate Office 365 data into various email clients, like Gmail, Office 365, and IMAP.

Read More: How to Convert OST File to MSG Format with Attachments?

Conclusion

To conclude the blog, we covered the detailed manual method, which is lengthy but effective if followed correctly, and the professional tool, which is user-friendly and allows effortless export of Office 365 mailboxes to PST. Both methods have their advantages, depending on the user’s needs and preferences. Download the free demo version of the Office 365 backup tool to assess its performance.