How to Export PST from Office 365 Admin Center? Explore 4 Different Ways!

Can You Export PST Directly from Office 365 Admin Center?

Microsoft no longer provides a direct option in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center to export its mailbox data as PST files. Instead, it enables admins to do it through Microsoft Purview, where eDiscovery (Standard) and Content Search options allows admins to search within mailbox data and export it as PST files.

The overall procedure of exporting Office 365 mailbox as PST file looks like this;

This is the officially supported method provided by Microsoft, but it requires the right permissions, compatible licensing and various manual steps. If you want to export PST file quickly, bulk mailbox backups, or filtering options then you might want to look for professional methods.

Why Do Users Export PST from Office 365 Admin Center?

Microsoft keeps mailbox data secure in the cloud, but there are a couple of times when exporting PST files is a must:

• Create Offline mailbox backup
• Archive old mail data
• Migrate users to other email platform
• Fulfil legal or compliance requirements
• Before deleting the account, backup the employee mailbox.
• Keep business correspondence local
• Minimise reliance on cloud access

Large exports can take some time to process and require to split into multiple PST files depending on mailbox size.

Method 1: Export Office 365 Mailboxes to PST (via Microsoft Purview)

As, we have discussed earlier that Microsoft no longer supports export to PST option in Microsoft 365 Admin Center. Instead, admins will need to use Microsoft Purview, where the eDiscovery (Standard) and Content Search options let you to search Exchange Online mailbox data and export it as PST files.

Steps to Export Office 365 Mailboxes to PST

Step 1. Log in to the Microsoft 365 admin center with an administrator account.                                       

Step 2. If your account does not have the eDiscovery Manager role, make sure to assign the correct permissions before proceeding.

Step 3. You can do this by opening Microsoft Purview >> Settings >> Roles and scopes >> Role groups.

Step 4. Sign out and then sign in to activate the change after assigning the role.

Step 5. Open the Microsoft Purview portal from the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, or go directly to the Purview portal.

Step 6. Go to Solutions >> eDiscovery (Standard) and launch Content Search.

Step 7. Click Create a search, type in a meaningful name and description, and click Next.

Step 8. Now, add the data source to the content search. To do this; Click Add Sources >> Search for the mailbox you want to export >> Select the user. For the Content location, select Mailboxes only then Click Manage and Save. If needed, you can select multiple mailboxes as well.

Step 9. If you want to export the entire mailbox, leave the Conditions section blank. Or, you can export specific mailbox data by using filters such as sender, recipient, keywords, subject, or date range.

Step 10. Select the default Statistics option, then click Run Content Search. Wait for Microsoft to finish searching the content.

Step 11. Wait for the search to complete, and when the search completes, review the search summary to verify the mailbox data.

Step 12. Once the search is complete then export the results. To do this, Open the completed content search that we have created above and click ‘Export’.

Step 13. After that, enter an export name, select Indexed items that match your search query and partially indexed items, select Export items with item report, and set the export format to Create PSTs for messages. Leave the other settings on default and click Export.

Step 14. Launch Process Manager and wait for the export status to become Completed.

Step 15. Open the completed export job and click Download >> Copy the export key >> Start the Microsoft eDiscovery Export Tool >> Paste the export key >> Choose a destination folder >> Click Start to download the mailbox as a PST file.

Important notes:

• You need the eDiscovery Manager role and the correct export permissions.
• The features available in Microsoft Purview are based on your Microsoft 365 license.
• Split large mailbox export into multiple PST files.
• You need the Microsoft eDiscovery Export Tool to download the exported data.

Method 2: Backup Office 365 Mailbox to PST Using Import/Export Feature

If you have already set up your Microsoft 365 mailbox in Microsoft Outlook, you can use this method to export its data directly to a PST file using Outlook’s built-in Import and Export Wizard. This method is useful for individual users who would like to create a local backup of their mailbox but do not have access to Microsoft Purview.

Steps to Export Office 365 Mailbox to PST File Using Outlook

1. Launch Microsoft Outlook on your Windows PC.
2. If you don’t have set up your Microsoft 365 account in Outlook, click File >> Add Account and log in with your Office 365 credentials.                                                                                                                 
3. Once added, let it sync with Outlook first, then click File >> Open & Export >> Import/Export. 
4. Choose the Export to a file option and press Next.                                                                                                  
5. Select Outlook Data File (.pst), and then click Next.               
6. Choose your Office 365 mailbox or select folder and then click Next.         
7. Browse the destination folder, give it a name & click the Finish button. 

Wait for the export to complete in Outlook.

In a few minutes, Office 365 mailbox data will be saved as a PST file.

Note: This method will only export mailboxes that are already set up in Outlook and available in your account. Cannot be used to export more than one Office 365 mailbox at a time.

Method 3: Export Office 365 Mailbox to PST Using PowerShell

PowerShell is an advanced option to manage Exchange Online mailboxes. It allows admins to search, manage and export mailbox data. But it cannot directly export Office 365 mailbox to PST file. Instead, it is frequently used with Microsoft Purview feature to automate mailbox management work.

Workflow: Install Exchange Online PowerShell >> Connect to Exchange Online >> Verify Mailbox >> Use Microsoft Purview to Export PST File.

Pre-requisites

Before you begin, you will need:

• Exchange Online PowerShell module must be installed.
• Permissions of Exchange Online administrator account.
• Access to Microsoft Purview.
• A stable internet connection.

Step 1. Open Windows PowerShell as Administrator and install the Exchange Online Management module.

Install-Module ExchangeOnlineManagement

Step 2. If you already have the module then update to use;

Update-Module ExchangeOnlineManagement

Step 3. Then, run the following command;

Connect-ExchangeOnline

Step 4. Sign in using your Microsoft 365 admin credentials.

Step 5. After that, PowerShell connects to your Exchange Online organization.

Step 6. Run the following to verify that the mailbox exists:

Get-Mailbox

To see a particular mailbox:

Get-Mailbox user@domain.com

Step 7. Replace user@domain.com with the mailbox you want.

Step 8. Now, to export PST, you should know that there is no cmdlet in PowerShell.

Step 9. So, open the Microsoft Purview as we did in method 1.

Step 10. Next, create Content Search and run the search.

Step 11. Download the search results.

Step 12. Now, export PST file using the Microsoft eDiscovery Export Tool.

Keep in mind the limitations of this method before you use it;

• You can’t export Exchange Online mailboxes directly to PST using PowerShell.
• Though this method is ideal for Exchange Online admins but it requires in-depth technical knowledge to understand the complete method.
• Permissions of the administrator are needed.
• Requires complete workflow of Microsoft Purview for the actual export of PST.

Method 4: Export PST from Office 365 Admin Center Professionally

After reading the above methods such as Microsoft’s official method for PST export, Outlook manual method and Powershell cmdlt, we found that these are workable depending on some circumstances. However, if you want the quick and simple solution, then you can go with the Advik Office 365 Backup Tool. It provides the easy way to export Office 365 mailboxes directly to PST.

This method can be used by any type of people, be it IT admins, businesses, and users who want to export one or multiple Office 365 mailboxes without going through Microsoft Purview.

You can also download its free demo version to check its efficiency and upgrade to later once you are familiar with it’s working;

Steps to Export Office 365 Mailbox to PST from Admin Portal

Step 1. Download, install and open the Advik Office 365 Backup Tool on your Windows PC.

Step 2. Sign in securely with your Microsoft 365 administrator or user account credentials.

Step 3. The software supports Modern Authentication (OAuth 2.0) to connect to your Microsoft 365 account securely.

Step 4. Select the mailbox or folders you want to export. You can export user mailbox, shared mailbox, archived mailboxes or multiple Office 365 accounts.

Step 5. Choose PST from the list of saving options.

Step 6. Browse and select the destination folder where you want to save the exported files.

Step 7. If you want to export only particular mailbox data, then use the built-in filters as shown in the screenshot.

Step 8. Click Backup to start exporting Office 365 mailboxes to PST.

After that, wait for a few minutes until it completes the process.

Then, a log report will automatically generate and appear on your screen. Click OK to finish.

Once the process is complete, go to the destination folder and there you will have the exported PST file.

Manual vs Automated Method Comparison: Which Method Should You Choose?

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed how to export PST from Office 365 admin center. Many users are facing issues while getting a reliable method that can actually complete this task without any error. Hence, we discussed all the four types of techniques to accomplish this task. First one is Microsoft’s official method which is a little bit technical one and often requires assistance if you are not technically competent. Second method can be used by anyone but for few mailboxes. Third method is again a technical one can be performed under an expert. The last one is a professional method but provides easy-to-implement steps and can be used by anyone.

So, read all the methods, analyse your needs and requirements and choose the one that fits best to your needs. For more depth analysis, you can refer the above comparison table.