How to Perform a Simple Migration from On-Premises Exchange to Microsoft 365
Question details
A small organization wants to manually migrate their email from an on-premises Exchange server to Microsoft 365 via PST import, bypassing the standard, more complex migration batch process.
- Product
- Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft 365
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Migrating a few users from an on-premises Exchange environment to Microsoft 365 using a straightforward manual approach.
- Observed behavior
- The goal is to successfully verify the domain, provision cloud users, update DNS records, and manually import PST files to set up the new environment.
Before starting the manual cutover, ensure you have global administrator access to your Microsoft 365 tenant and that all users have fully exported their existing mailboxes to PST files.
Perform a Manual Cutover Migration via PST Import
Use this manual approach to quickly migrate a small number of users by leveraging Outlook's native PST export and import features.
For a micro-business with only a handful of computers, setting up a formal migration batch in the Exchange Admin Center can be unnecessary overhead. A manual cutover relies on changing DNS records and directly importing user data via the Outlook client.
This method requires coordinating with your users to export their local data, configuring their new profiles, and importing the data back into the cloud.
Open Outlook connected to the on-premises Exchange. Go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export. Choose 'Export to a file', select 'Outlook Data File (.pst)', select the root folder of the mailbox, check 'Include subfolders', and save the file to a secure location.
Log in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, navigate to Settings > Domains, and verify your custom domain. Then, go to Users > Active users to create and assign appropriate licenses to your matching cloud users.
Lower your DNS TTL in advance to speed up propagation. Once ready to cut over, update your MX record to point to Microsoft 365 and change the Autodiscover record so new clients configure correctly.
On the user's computer, open the Control Panel, search for 'Mail', and click 'Show Profiles'. Click 'Add' to create a new profile and sign in using the new Microsoft 365 credentials.
In the new Outlook profile, go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export. Select 'Import from another program or file', choose 'Outlook Data File (.pst)', locate the previously exported file, and import it directly into the new Microsoft 365 mailbox.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is a formal migration batch required for Microsoft 365?
No. For very small organizations, such as a four-person company, a manual cutover using PST exports and imports is perfectly fine and avoids the complexity of setting up an official migration batch.
How do I prevent email loss during the DNS change?
Lowering your DNS TTL (Time to Live) ahead of the migration helps speed up propagation. Also, by keeping both the old Exchange server and the new Microsoft 365 environment active during the transition, emails delivered during the propagation window will reach one of the two servers without bouncing.
Does exporting to a PST file include calendars and contacts?
Yes, when you export your mailbox to a PST file from Outlook, it includes all emails, calendar events, contacts, and tasks, provided you select the root of your mailbox and check the option to include subfolders.
