Exporting Accounts for Import into Office 365

You can export entire Exchange mailboxes for import into Office 365. Exporting the mailbox enables a seamless transition for the user but ultimately is a simple yet time-consuming process for the administrator. Follow the steps below to export the Exchange PST mailbox files. Using PowerShell is the preferred method as it can be scripted and automated, whereas the Exchange Admin Center limits the export to one account at a time.

Using PowerShell (Preferred)

Creating an Export Request

1. On the Exchange server, open the Exchange Management Shell (EMS).
2. Type the following command into EMS: New-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox "[UNIQUE MAILBOX NAME]" -FilePath [LOCATION/FILENAME].pst
   1. Replace [UNIQUE MAILBOX NAME] with the user's unique mailbox name. Ex: John Doe, John.Doe or JDoe
   2. Replace the [LOCATION/FILENAME] with the location and filename of the PST you want to export. The location can be a local drive, mapped, drive or SMB address. Ex: D:\ExportedMailboxes\John.Doe.pst or \\FILESERV\Exported\John.Doe.pst
   3. You can set a priority using the -Priority parameter. Ex: -Priority High
3. Press Enter to run the command.

Viewing Export Requests

1. On the Exchange server, open the Exchange Management Shell.
2. Type the following command into EMS: Get-MailboxExportRequest
3. Press Enter.
4. The server will output the queue of export requests.

Removing Export Requests

You must know the identity of the export request before you can remove it. Follow the Viewing Export Requests guide to retrieve the identity.

1. On the Exchange server, open the Exchange Management Shell (EMS).
2. Type the following command into EMS: Remove-MailboxExportRequest -Identity "[IDENTITY]"
   1. Replace [IDENTITY] with the identity of the request.
3. Then press Enter.

Using Exhange Admin Center (EAC)

1. Open the Exchange Admin Center (EAC)
2. On the left-hand navigation bar, click Recipients.
3. Click the Mailboxes tab.
4. On the toolbar, click the More Options (3-dots icon).
5. Select Export to a PST file.
6. Click Browse to select a mailbox.
7. Select Export only the contents of this mailbox then click Next.
8. Specify the path and file name of the exported file. Ex: \\fileserv\Exported\John.Doe.pst
9. Click Next.
10. Verify that the Send email checkbox is checked then click Finish.

More Information

Procedures for mailbox exports to .pst files in Exchange Server | Microsoft Docs