Import PST to Exchange Server 2019 / 2016 / 2013 / 2010 Mailboxes Using PowerShell & EAC
There can be several scenarios where an Administrator has to import PST to Exchange 2019, 2016, 2013, and 2010 environments. When it comes to importing via PowerShell command they face several challenges. Hence this write-up deals with some reliable methods, tips, and automated solutions that can help the Administrators to import PST to Exchange Server safely.
In this current technical arena, most organizations move to an Exchange Server environment for messaging communication for secure, efficient, and productive work but Outlook application is widely used by most users all over the world for communication.
Since Outlook stores information in the .pst file format as default, moving Outlook’s data to the Exchange environment becomes easy if the user knows the right procedure.
Table of Content
Pre-Steps Before Importing PST to Mailboxes of Exchange 2019 / 2016 / 2013 / 2010
- The First condition is, that users, do not have the PST files of Outlook users and you need to create PST first & then import it into the mailbox of Exchange via Powershell Command and Exchange Admin Panel, a possible solution.
- In the Second scenario, a user already stored or created a PST file on their system that needs to import into desired Exchange 2013, 2010, and 2007 Server mailboxes.
Situation #1: Outlook PST File is Not Created
If the user doesn’t have Outlook Data in PST File format, then you need to save the Outlook data such as user emails, contacts created in Address Book, and Calendar details of user meetings and appointments in PST format. For that, use the Import/export Wizard of Outlook application.
After that, in Exchange 2013, 2010, and 2007 import PST to Exchange via Powershell Command process briefly explained in the below section. Or the user can move data from the PST File without the Powershell command. Before that follow the simple steps to save data in PST file format.
Step 1. First of all, open the Outlook program & Go to the File menu.
Step 2. After that, click on the Open & Export section and choose Import/Export wizard.
Step 3. Now, click on the Export to a file option then click on the Next button to proceed further.
Step 4. In the next step, select the Outlook Data File (.pst) option & click on the Next button.
Step 5. After that, select the mailbox of Outlook from the Export to a file dialog box & click on the Next button.
Step 6. Now, click on the Browse button to find a location to save the created PST files. You can also change the path of the file & rename the file name too if you wish to.
Step 7. Finally, click on the Finish button to create the PST file. Check the location, and whether the PST file is created or not after that just follow the below section steps in Exchange 2013, and 2010 to import PST files into mailboxes using Powershell commands in the below section.
Situation #2: Outlook PST File Created Already
When a PST file is already created with the help of Outlook Import/Export Wizard and stored in the location, you need to change the sharing permission of the folder from where you want to import the file.
Using the Exchange Admin Center to Create a Mailbox Import Request
Step 1. Login to the EAC and navigate to Recipients. Click on the mailboxes tab, then click on the three dots, now from the drop-down choose Import PST.
Step 2. An Import from a .pst wizard will open, provide the UNC path, and set the filename of the source PST files. Then click on the Next button.
Step 3. In this step, you have to choose the destination Exchange server mailbox where you want to import .pst files. Select a mailbox and choose from these two options such as
- Import to this mailbox
- Import to this mailbox’s archive
Using this approach you can import PST files to the Exchange server archive mailbox also. Then click on the Next button.
Step 4. Now you need to configure one of these settings in the last step.
- By default, a mailbox would be selected below, if you do not want to receive notification, then uncheck the box and choose the respective account.
- If you want to change the recipients, then click on the Browse button to add or remove notification recipients.
Once all the settings have been applied then you can click on the Finish button.
Using the Exchange Management PowerShell to Create a Mailbox Import Request
To start the migration process in the Exchange server import PST files to mailboxes using New-MailboxImportRequest commands, you just need to Open the Exchange Console panel in the Exchange server. Then you can create multiple mailbox import requests on a single mailbox and every import request requires a unique name. It can automatically create approx 10 unique names by default.
This New-MailboxImportRequest will gather all the data from the source folder to the current mailbox. To import a new PST file into the targeted folder of Exchange 2019, 2016, 2013, or 2010, run the following command.
New-MailboxImportRequest [-Name <UniqueName>] -FilePath <UNCPathToPST> -Mailbox <TargetMailboxIdentity> [-IsArchive] [-SourceRootFolder <PSTFolder>] [-TargetRootFolder <MailboxFolder>] [-IncludeFolders <MailboxFolder1>,<MailboxFolder2>...] [-ExcludeFolders <MailboxFolder1>,<MailboxFolder2>...] [-Priority <PriorityValue>]
For Example:
New-MailboxImportRequest -Mailbox mack -FilePath \\RP-GH03\PST\mack.pst
You can select any folder as the destination folder to save the PST file. If you want to save your imported PST files in the queue, then execute this command.
New-MailboxImportRequest -Mailbox mack -FilePath \\RP-GH03\PST\mack.pst -TargetRootFolder “Old_mail” -IncludeFolders “#Inbox#”
You can also view the progress report after following this given below command.
Get-MailboxImportRequest | Get-mailboximportrequeststatistics
Limitations of Importing PST to Exchange Server Mailbox via Manual Method
PowerShell commands play an important role when you need to move small-size data files of PST File in an Exchange environment. However, when you import large-size Outlook mailboxes via the PowerShell command then you might face an error.
As the user faces issues regarding commands such as process failed, error log, mailboxes don’t exist and access denied and to solve these issues, the administrator should have an in-depth knowledge-base of the Exchange Application.
To make the process easy to import Outlook PST File in any Exchange 2019, 2016, 2013, or 2010, the users can opt for the following tool.
Now follow the brief guide of the tool, that can help you to understand the working of Utility.
Steps to Import PST to Exchange 2019, 2016, 2013, and 2010 Mailboxes Using Automated Solution
Download, run, and install the SysTools Exchange Import Tool in your system. Add the already created PST file from the above method. You can also add a folder or multiple PST files within the software. Then follow the below steps to import PST to Exchange Server.
Step 1. Select Outlook as the source platform and Exchange as the target platform.
Step 2. In the same screen, select Email as a category under Workload Selection. Any apply date filter for
Step 3. Before navigating to the Source tab, you have to configure the file structure where Outlook PST files are stored. You have to put these files in their respective folders (created with the name of target Exchange Server email IDs) as described below:
Create a folder in the root drive, like:
Go to the drive where you have stored your data. Within the drive make a folder named pst.
Step 4. Make sure to configure it in such as way that each user must have a separate folder as shown in the image.
Step 5. Now move to the source tab and then select the folder “E:/PST/” into our tool as Import Folder Path.
Step 6. Navigate to the Destination tab Enter the Exchange Admin credentials for the target.
Step 7. On the Users tab, you can use three ways to add users from the source that needs to be processed.
Step 8. Add users and validate required permissions finally, Click on the Start Import button to import PST to Exchange server.
Conclusion
Powershell Commands are helpful if the Exchange administrator knows how to use them properly. Still, it is unable to save time, and effort and sometimes it also generates a New-MailboxImportRequest failed error, resume, error log access denied, etc. Hence, it is suggested that Exchange users go for an automated solution which is mentioned in the above segment to Import PST to Exchange 2019, 2016, 2013, and 2010 mailbox safely without PowerShell command.