Migrate Exchange Public Folder to Office 365 (Exchange Online)

Are you searching for a guide to move your public folders from Exchange to Office 365? Well, you are on the right page if you are looking for the same. This guide will share a complete procedure for the Exchange public folders migration to Office 365 mailboxes. We will talk about the manual methods and a professional Exchange Server Suite to effortlessly complete the Exchange migration. First, we will share a few common reasons behind the public folder migration from Exchange to Office 365. Afterwards, we will take a look at a professional solution to do the same.

Table of Content

Common reasons for Exchange Public folders Migration to Office 365:

Office 365 is cost-efficient as there is no need to maintain anything else.
Services such as Skype for Business, Share Points and Hosted Exchange Server are an essential part of Office 365 and attract a lot of users.
Office 365 groups are the latest collaborations with new technologies; hence, it has improved interfaces.
There is no need to update Office 365; consequently, it always remains updated.
Office 365 is a cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS), thus making it easily accessible from anywhere in the presence of a connection.

“Download a Free Trial version of Shoviv Exchange Server Suite to Start Public folder migration into Office 365 Exchange Online”

Ways for Exchange Public Folders Migration to Office 365:

The migration process of the Public Folder to Office 365 can be carried out manually or with a professional third-party tool.

Manual Methods to Migrate Public Folders from Exchange to Office 365:

The manual method will share two ways to complete the Exchange public folder migration to MS Office 365. Let us begin with the first one.

1. Public Folders Migration to Office 365 using the Migration Scripts:

Firstly, download the Public Folders Migration Scripts and save these files on the local system where you are willing to run the PowerShell commands.
Confirm that there are no unidentified Public Folder mail objects.
Confirm that there are no duplicate Public Folders on the Active directory.
Generate the CSV file.
Create Public Folder mailboxes in the Exchange folder online.
Start the Process of migration.
Generate requests for downtime.
Lock the Public Folder on the legacy Exchange Server and Migrate the Public Folders.
Finalize the Public Folder migration.
Verify the Public Folder Migration.
Unlock the process.
From the Legacy Exchange Server, remove the Public Folder database.

For detailed information, users may go to Microsoft’s site.

2. Migrate Public Folders from Exchange to Office 365 via MS Outlook:

First of all, make sure that the Outlook program is installed on your system. Thereafter, follow the complete steps to migrate the public folder migration from Exchange to Office 365. Let us learn the steps:

Open the Outlook program on your Windows operating system.

For Outlook 2010:

Go to the File tab, Open, and select the Import option.

For Outlook 2013/2016 or 2019:

Click the File tab, navigate to Open & Export and go with the Import/Export option.
After that, select the Export to a file option and tap Next.
Then, choose the Outlook data file (.pst) option and continue by clicking Next.
Now, you have to pick the public folder you want to export and hit the Next button.
Use the Browse button to select the location where you want to save the resultant PST.
Once done, click the Finish button to begin the exporting task.

Issues with the Manual Methods:

It is a very tedious and time-consuming way for Exchange Public Folders to migrate to Office 365.
Technical Expertise is required to execute the task properly.
It has a size limitations.
High Chances of Data Loss: a single mistake can cause severe data loss.

Professional Third-Party Tool:

Exchange Public Folders migration to Office 365 can be executed ideally using a Professional Third-Party Tool, i.e. Shoviv Exchange Server Suite. It is built with an advanced algorithm and user-centric GUI; moreover, it provides smooth and simple Public Folder Migration. It offers many features, out of which some salient features are:

The Software proficiently recovers inaccessible and corrupted EDB files and migrates them.
There is no restriction on size and on migrating multiple numbers of EDB files.
Allows previewing added source mailboxes just before the migration.
The search facility is also provided in the software. The criteria include Message class, Date, CC, BCC, Attachment date, from and subject.
It also offers the option to save the source mailboxes in various file formats, E.g. HTML, EML, MSG, RTF, vCard, etc.
Filter options based on Message Class and Item Date are also available.
Shoviv Exchange Server Suite properly maintains the data integrity and hierarchy of the folder.
It supports all the versions of Exchange (Exchange 2010, Exchange 2013, Exchange 2016, as well as Exchange 2019).

Final Words:

Exchange Public folder migration to Office 365 is a critical task, and for this, users have two options: Manual Method and Third-Party Tool. The manual method comes free but not free from drawbacks. Manual method has several severe limitations hence not appropriate for Professional use. Shoviv Exchange Server Suite is an advanced third-party tool having all the sought after features. To check the working of this tool, a free demo/trial version is also available to download that allows migration of first 50 items per folder.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the steps to migrate public folders from Exchange Server to Office 365?

A: Quick Steps to Migrate Public Folders from Exchange Server to Office 365:
1. Open the Shoviv Exchange Server Suite.
2. Create the source and target connection.
3. Map the source mailbox to the target.
4. Include/exclude items using the filters and click the Next.
5. Use the scheduler if needed and tap the Finish button.

Q: Can I migrate public folders to Microsoft 365 Groups?

A: Yes, the Shoviv Exchange Server Suite makes it easy to migrate public folders to Microsoft 365 Groups.

Q: Are there any tools available for migrating public folders to Office 365?

A: Yes, several tools are available. However, the Shoviv Exchange Server Suite is a quick and robust way to migrate public folders to Office 365 mailboxes.

Q: What is the recommended method for migrating legacy public folders to Microsoft 365?

A: Shoviv Exchange Server Suite is the recommended method to migrate public folders to Microsoft 365 mailboxes.

Q: Is it possible to migrate public folders from Exchange 2010 to Microsoft 365?

A: Yes, it is possible with the Shoviv Exchange Server Suite to migrate public folders from Exchange 2010 to MS Office 365. This tool also supports migration from Exchange 2013, 2016, 2019, etc. to the Office 365.

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Himanshu Pandey

Himanshu Pandey is a passionate web content writer with having a copywriting certificate from open Sap and a graduation degree in Psychology. He is associated with Shoviv Software for the last three years. Being a tech geek, he has commendable command over Emailing and all its dimensions, and he loves to share it with readers. Blending professional language with a friendly tone is the best part of his writing style.

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