FAQ about importing PST files

You have to be assigned the Mailbox Import Export role in Exchange Online to create import jobs in the Microsoft Purview compliance portal and import PST files to user mailboxes. By default, this role isn't assigned to any role group in Exchange Online. You can add the Mailbox Import Export role to the Organization Management role group. Or you can create a new role group, assign the Mailbox Import Export role, and then add yourself or other users as a member. For more information, see the "Add a role to a role group" or the "Create a role group" sections in Manage role groups in Exchange Online.

In addition to the Mailbox Import Export role, you also have to be assigned the Mail Recipients role in Exchange Online. By default, this role is assigned to the Organization Management and Recipient Management roles groups in Exchange Online.

Network upload is currently available in these regions: United States, Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Europe, India, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Australia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Israel, Mexico, Taiwan, and New Zealand. Network upload will be available in more regions in the future.

Using network upload to import PST files is free.

This also means that after PST files are deleted from the Azure Storage area, they're no longer displayed in the list of files for a completed import job in the Microsoft 365 admin center. Although an import job might still be listed on the Import data to Office 365 page, the list of PST files might be empty when you view the details of older import jobs.

There are two versions of the PST file format: ANSI and Unicode. We recommend importing files that use the Unicode PST file format. However, files that use the ANSI PST file format, such as those for languages that use a double-byte character set (DBCS), can also be imported to Office 365. For more information about importing ANSI PST files, see Step 4 in Use network upload to import your organization's PST files to Office 365.

Additionally, PST files from Outlook 2007 and later versions can be imported to Office 365.

When you use the network upload method to import PST files, you upload them to an Azure blob container named ingestiondata. If there are no import jobs in progress on the Import PST files page in the compliance portal), then all PST files in the ingestiondata container in Azure are deleted 30 days after the most recent import job was created in the compliance portal. That also means you have to create a new import job in the compliance portal (described in Step 5 in the network upload instructions) within 30 days of uploading PST files to Azure.

This also means that after PST files are deleted from the Azure Storage area, they're no longer displayed in the list of files for a completed import job in the compliance portal. Although an import job might still be listed on the Import PST files page in the compliance portal, the list of PST files might be empty when you view the details of older import jobs.

It depends on the capacity of your network, but it typically takes several hours for each terabyte (TB) of data to be uploaded to the Azure Storage area for your organization. After the PST files are copied to the Azure Storage area, a PST file is imported to a Microsoft 365 mailbox at a rate of approximately 24 GB per day^*. If this rate doesn't meet your needs, you might consider other methods for migrating email data to Office 365. For more information, see Ways to migrate multiple email accounts to Office 365.

^* This rate isn't guaranteed. Server workload and transient performance issues might decrease this rate.

If different PST files are imported to different target mailboxes, the import process occurs in parallel; in other words, each PST/mailbox pair is imported simultaneously. If multiple PST files are imported to the same mailbox, they'll be imported sequentially (one at a time), not simultaneously.

The PST import process checks for duplicate items and doesn't copy the items from a PST file to the mailbox or archive if a matching item exists in the target folder in the target mailbox or target archive. If you reimport the same PST file and specify a different target folder (using the TargetRootFolder property in the PST import mapping file) than the one you specified in a previous import job, all items in the PST file will be reimported.

Yes. If a PST file contains a mailbox item that is larger than 150 MB, the item is skipped and not imported during the import process. Items larger than 150 MB aren't imported because 150 MB is the message size limit in Exchange Online. For more information, see Message limits in Exchange Online.

Yes. The original message metadata isn't changed during the import process.

Yes. You can't import a PST file that has 300 or more levels of nested folders.

Yes, this capability is now available.

Yes, this capability is now available.

No, you can't import PST files to public folders.

If the screen resolution on your local computer is set to 1366 x 768, you may have issues creating an import job. If so, we recommend that you change the screen resolution to a different setting and then create a new import job. We're working to fix this issue.

Using drive shipping to import PST files

For step-by-step instructions, see Use drive shipping to import PST files to Office 365.

You have to be assigned the Mailbox Import Export role in Exchange Online to create import jobs in the compliance portal and import PST files to user mailboxes. By default, this role isn't assigned to any role group in Exchange Online. You can add the Mailbox Import Export role to the Organization Management role group. Or you can create a new role group, assign the Mailbox Import Export role, and then add yourself or other users as a member. For more information, see the "Add a role to a role group" or the "Create a role group" sections in Manage role groups in Exchange Online.

In addition to the Mailbox Import Export role, you also have to be assigned the Mail Recipients role in Exchange Online. By default, this role is assigned to the Organization Management and Recipient Management roles groups in Exchange Online.

Drive shipping is currently available in the United States, Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Europe, India, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Australia, Mexico, Taiwan, and New Zealand. Drive shipping will be available in more regions in the future.

Drive shipping to import PST files to Microsoft 365 is available through a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (EA). Drive shipping isn't available through a Microsoft Products and Services Agreement (MPSA).

The cost to use drive shipping to import PST files to Microsoft 365 mailboxes is $2 USD per GB of data. For example, if you ship a hard drive that contains 1,000 GB (1 TB) of PST files, the cost is $2,000 USD. You can work with a partner to pay the import fee. For information about finding a partner, see Find your Microsoft partner or reseller.

Only 2.5-inch solid-state drives (SSDs) or 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch SATA II/III internal hard drives are supported for use with the Office 365 Import service. You can use hard drives up to 10 TB. For import jobs, only the first data volume on the hard drive will be processed. The data volume must be formatted with NTFS. When copying data to a hard drive, you can attach it directly using a 2.5-inch SSD or 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch SATA II/III connector or you can attach it externally using an external 2.5-inch SSD or 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch SATA II/III USB adaptor.

You can ship a maximum of 10 hard drives for a single import job.

That depends on a few things, such as your proximity to the Microsoft data center and what kind of shipping option you used to ship your hard drive (such as, next-day delivery, two-day delivery, or ground-delivery). With most shippers, you can use the tracking number to track the status of your delivery.

After your hard drive is received at the Microsoft data center, it will take between 7 to 10 business days to upload the PST files to the Azure Storage area for your organization. The PST files will be uploaded to an Azure blob container named ingestiondata.

After the PST files are uploaded to the Azure Storage area, Microsoft 365 analyzes the data in the PST files (in a safe and secure manner) to identify the age of the items and the different message types included in the PST files. When this analysis is complete, you have the option to import all the data in the PST files or set filters to that control what data gets imported. After you start the import job, a PST file is imported to a Microsoft 365 mailbox at a rate of approximately 24 GB per day.^* If this rate doesn't meet your needs, you might consider other methods for importing email data to Office 365. For more information, see Ways to migrate multiple email accounts to Office 365.

^* This rate isn't guaranteed. Server workload and transient performance issues might decrease this rate.

If different PST files are imported to different target mailboxes, the import process occurs in parallel; in other words, each PST/mailbox pair is imported simultaneously. If multiple PST files are imported to the same mailbox, they'll be imported sequentially (one at a time), not simultaneously.

All PST files in the Azure Storage location for your organization (in blob container named ingestiondata), are deleted 30 days after the most recent import job was created on the Import PST files page in the compliance portal.

This also means that after PST files are deleted from the Azure Storage area, they're no longer displayed in the list of files for a completed import job in the compliance portal. Although an import job might still be listed on the Import PST files page in the compliance portal, the list of PST files might be empty when you view the details of older import jobs.

There are two versions of the PST file format: ANSI and Unicode. We recommend importing files that use the Unicode PST file format. However, files that use the ANSI PST file format, such as those for languages that use a double-byte character set (DBCS), can also be imported to Microsoft 365. For more information about importing ANSI PST files, see Step 3 in Use drive shipping to import PST files to Office 365.

Additionally, PST files from Outlook 2007 and later versions can be imported to Office 365.

Yes. If a PST file contains a mailbox item that is larger than 150 MB, the item is skipped and not imported during the import process. Items larger than 150 MB aren't imported because 150 MB is the message size limit in Exchange Online. For more information, see Message limits in Exchange Online.

The PST import process checks for duplicate items and doesn't copy the items from a PST file to the mailbox or archive if a matching item exists in the target folder in the target mailbox or target archive. If you reimport the same PST file and specify a different target folder (using the TargetRootFolder property in the PST import mapping file) than the one you specified in a previous import job, all items in the PST file will be reimported.

Yes. The original message metadata isn't changed during the import process

Yes. You can't import a PST file that has 300 or more levels of nested folders.

Yes, this capability is now available.

Yes, this capability is now available.

No, you can't import PST files to public folders.

No, Microsoft can't wipe hard drives before shipping them back to customers. Hard drives are returned to you in the same state they were in when they were received by Microsoft.

No, Microsoft can't destroy your hard drive. Hard drives are returned to you in the same state they were in when they were received by Microsoft.

If you're a customer in the United States or Europe, Microsoft uses FedEx to return your hard drive. For all other regions, Microsoft uses DHL.

Return shipping costs vary, depending on your proximity to the Microsoft data center that you shipped your hard drive to. Microsoft bills your FedEx or DHL account to return your hard drive. The cost of return shipping is your responsibility.

Yes.

The hard drive that you ship to Microsoft might have to cross international borders. If so, you're responsible for ensuring that the hard drive and the data it contains are imported and/or exported in accordance with the applicable laws. Before shipping a hard drive, check with your advisors to verify that your drive and data can legally be shipped to the specified Microsoft data center. This helps to ensure that it reaches Microsoft in a timely manner.

If the screen resolution on your local computer is set to 1366 x 768, you may have issues creating an import job. If so, we recommend that you change the screen resolution to a different setting and then create a new import job. We're working to fix this issue.