Learn How to Export Office 365 Shared Mailbox to PST – Step By Step Guide

A shared mailbox in the Microsoft 365 suite, is an extraordinary feature provided with 50GB storage, at no additional cost. It allows multiple-user access without the need for a username and password. Assigned users can easily leverage these features for communication and collaboration. However, in the event of migrations, backup, and compliance, it becomes crucial to export Office 365 shared mailbox to PST, so that the content of a shared mailbox can be saved locally.

Another reason for this operation is, that Microsoft 365 users usually don’t keep a backup copy of their Exchange Online mailbox items on their local system, thinking that Office 365 is responsible for their data and will keep a backup. However, Microsoft already clarified in its SLA, that it will not be responsible for data backup.

Therefore, many tech experts and Office 365 administrators recommend storing a local copy of their cloud data in the system. It allows them easy access to the data even during a Microsoft 365 service outage. Let’s discuss the methods, using which we can execute this task without any data loss.

What are the Different Methods to Export Exchange Online Shared Mailboxes to PST File?

There are a few ways to create and save a copy of mailbox data to the local system. The first one is the eDiscovery method which was originally introduced for Content Search. It requires technical expertise and working knowledge of PowerShell to implement the entire process without any issues. It is suggested to only go for this method if you are technically sound and have previously worked on Office 365. Otherwise, you are advised to use the software mentioned below and make the task effortless and hassle-free. Apart from this method, you can also use the Outlook email client to do the same. Let’s discuss them all in the coming sections.

Method 1: Via Quick & Automated Tool

If you don’t want to opt for the complex, time-consuming, and lengthy procedure, then this is the far most easy and recommended solution by technocrats. This Office 365 Mailbox Export Tool allows you to export emails, calendars, contacts, and documents from Office 365 shared mailboxes to PST files.

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You can check the key features of the tool below:

• Option to Save Messages into Three File Formats (PST, EML, MSG, MBOX, and PDF)
• Use Admin Account to Export Multiple Exchange Online Mailboxes to PST
• Save User Mailboxes, Shared Mailboxes, and Archive Mailboxes
• Naming Convention Feature While Exporting Emails in MSG and EML Format
• Export Selective Mailbox Items using Category-Based Filter
• Software Compatibility: Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7 & Lower Versions

How it Works – Guide to Export Exchange Online Mailbox to PST Format

Step 1. Download the software from the above button and install it on your computer.

Step 2. From the workload selection page, choose Office 365 as the source platform and Outlook as the destination platform. 

Step 3. Choose the mailbox attributes that you want to export to PST files from the following – emails, contacts, calendar, etc. Set a date filter for each attribute if required, and click on Next.

Step 4. In the source tab, enter Office 365 admin credentials including Admin email and application ID. Click on the validate button and proceed to the destination tab. 

Step 5. In the destination tab, set the storage location for saving the PST files. Select the size of the exported PST and click on the validate button. 

Step 6. Now for bulk mailbox export, the software allows you to create a mapping.

Step 7. Select Office 365 user accounts to export and click on the validate button. Once the validation is successful, then click on the Start Export button.

Method 2: Exporting Office 365 Shared Mailbox to PST Via Content Search eDiscovery Export

Another method available for the users to export Office 365 shared mailbox to PST format, is by using the eDiscovery Tool. It is created to perform search mailboxes and then export them into PST format. For that, you can follow the below procedure.

1. Before starting the process, you need to make sure that your mailbox is added to eDiscovery Manager role group.

2. Then, create a Content Search. Here, select the mailboxes that you want to back up. You also get the option to filter the mailboxes before exporting them.

3. Once the export process is completed, you can start downloading search results into your computer.

4. You will also get a key while downloading the search results, you have to provide it during the process to export Exchange Online mailboxes to PST. Once, you successfully save emails from Outlook 365 to hard drive, you can access them in your system.

Method 3: Exporting Office 365 Mailbox Data in PST Using Outlook

This method requires a few prerequisites to be followed. Check it out below:

Step 1. Assign Full Access Permission to the Shared Mailbox

• Log in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center with the admin credentials.
• Go to Groups and click on Shared mailboxes.
• Choose the shared mailbox that you want to export to PST.
• Navigate to Permissions, and click on Edit next to Mailbox permissions.
• Enter the respective email address, and assign Full Access permission.
• Click on Save to save the changes.

Step 2. Add the Shared Mailbox to Outlook

After assigning full access, follow these steps to add the shared mailbox to your Outlook:

• Launch the Outlook desktop client. Navigate to File > Account Settings.
• Under the Email tab, double-click your Office 365 account.
• Click More Settings > Advanced tab.
• In the Open these additional mailboxes, click on Add and enter the name of the shared mailbox.
• Click OK and Next, then Finish to add the shared mailbox to Outlook.

Step 3. Export the Shared Mailbox to PST Via Outlook

Note: Before moving to the steps, make sure, you have the right permission to access the respective shared mailbox from the Admin center.  Then make sure to configure your Office 365 account in Outlook with POP settings. Once done with the account configuration, you can move to the below steps.

• Step 1. Launch the Outlook on your PC. Navigate to File.
• Step 2. Click on Open & Export and select Import/Export.
• Step 3. Choose Export to a file, then click Next.
• Step 4. Choose Outlook Data File (.pst) and click Next.
• Step 5. Pick the mailbox folder(s) to export and check Include subfolders.
• Step 6. Set the file location via Browse, name the file, and click OK.
• Step 7. Click Finish.

Final Words

Whenever users think of creating a backup copy of their mailboxes and saving them in the system, most of the users find it difficult to carry out. A lot of users have certain requirements like exporting only specific items, and mailboxes or applying date-range filters. In these scenarios, the above-mentioned tool to export Exchange Online shared mailbox to PST comes into use as it offers various features. However, users can also take the help of the eDiscovery tool if they are technically sound.