Backup Office 365 Mailbox to PST Using eDiscovery – The Ultimate Guide

  •  Pradeep Kumar
  • Published on:  July 25th, 2022
  • Updated on:  June 22, 2023
5/5 - (1 vote)

Abstract: Microsoft doesn’t provide a clear strategy to backup Office 365 mailbox data. Therefore, many users want to know how to backup Office 365 email to PST format. Even though there are some setbacks, you can still export Office 365 mailbox to PST file using the eDiscovery export tool. This article provides detailed stepwise instructions to perform the eDiscovery method. Additionally, it offers an advanced Office 365 Migration Tool that is a reliable solution to backup Office 365 mailbox to PST.

Introduction to Office 365 eDiscovery

Microsoft Office 365 offers the eDiscovery utility within the Security and Compliance Center. Users can use eDiscovery to search for content in Exchange Online mailboxes, Office 365 groups, Microsoft teams, SharePoint Online sites, and Skype for Business conversations. It also allows users to identify, hold, and export content from their Office 365 admin account. Following are some of the main benefits that it offers.

Key Benefits of Office 365 eDiscovery Platform

This prominent platform proves itself as one of the most helpful utilities to make everyday tasks more accessible. It provides the following benefits to an Office 365 user.

  1. This utility allows you to manage the documents and files such as Word documents, emails, files, and Excel spreadsheets. Also, it provides the facility to track the sharing of documents and files within your organization.
  2. Office 365 eDiscovery is a robust solution that offers various tools to share files, collaborate on projects, and arrange meetings between clients. Therefore, it is an essential utility for enhancing the functionality and workflow of an organization.
  3. With this advanced utility, you can also improve Customer Relationship Management. It allows you to track and manage the communications with clients to create campaigns based on the client’s requirements.
  4. Additionally, you can acquire the resources and access valuable information that you need at any time.

These are some of its key advantages that can be utilized to enhance functionality and workflow in an organization. Now, without any further delay, let’s move on to the main task of how to backup Office 365 mailbox to PST using the eDiscovery export tool.

Also Read: Migrate Office 365 Email To Gmail

Export O365 mailbox to PST Via eDiscovery Method

The entire process to export Office 365 mailbox to PST is a lengthy process and requires extra attention. Therefore, we further divided it into 3 phases to ease the complexity of this process.

  • Assign permission and check for the Export role.
  • Create and Run a new Content Search.
  • eDiscovery Export Tool – Backup Office 365 mailbox to PST.

Step 1: Assign permission and check for the Export role

In this section, assign the eDiscovery-related permission and check for the export role from the Microsoft Compliance wizard. To accomplish this task, perform the following steps carefully.

backup Office 365 mailbox to PST

    • From the Admin centers, select the Compliance option.

    • Now, a new Microsoft Purview wizard will open.

    • After that, select the Permission option and choose the Roles to view and manage the assigned roles in the compliance center.

backup Office 365 mailbox to PST

    • In the search bar, enter eDiscovery Manager and select it to open the eDiscovery Manager panel.

    • Here, choose the Edit Role Groups option to view and manage the roles for this task.

backup Office 365 mailbox to PST

    • Normally, it is assigned for Case Management, Compliance Search, Export, Hold, Preview, Review, and RMS Decrypt roles.

backup Office 365 mailbox to PST

  • In case the Export role is not assigned, add it from the Edit option.

Step 2: Create and Run a New Content Search

Once you assign the permission and ensure that the Export role is added to the Role Group, you can create a new content search. For this, you need to perform the following steps carefully.

    • From the Microsoft Purview wizard, select the Content Search option.

    • Now, tap on the New Search and start creating a new content search.

backup Office 365 mailbox to PST

    • Provide the Name and a Description for a new search query and click on the Next button.

backup Office 365 mailbox to PST

    • After that, turn on the status of Exchange Mailboxes available under the Specific locations section. Click Next to proceed ahead.

backup Office 365 mailbox to PST

    • In the Define your search condition panel, add the essential conditions. After assigning the condition, tap on the Next button to proceed ahead.

    • Now, review the details and Submit them to create a new content search.

  • In the end, select the Done option to finish this task.

Step 3 eDiscovery Export Tool – Backup Office 365 mailbox to PST

After creating a new Content search, you can perform the following steps to backup Office 365 mailbox to PST format.

    • Select the new content from the Microsoft 365 Compliance panel.

    • Now, check the search status under the Summary section.

    • After that, tap on the Action button to select the Export Results option.

backup Office 365 mailbox to PST

    • Here, choose the Output option and define the Export Exchange content, according to your requirement.

    • Under this section, there is an option to enable Deduplication for Exchange content. You can enable this option if you want to keep out the duplicate items during the export process. Now, click on the Export button.

backup Office 365 mailbox to PST

    • A pop-up shows that a job has been created. Click Ok to confirm.

    • Now, from the Content Search panel, select Export and opt for the Content search that you have created.

    • From this pane, click on the Download Result option.

    • After that, copy the export key to the clipboard. Now, install the eDiscovery export tool.

    • Then, run it and paste the export key that you have copied in the previous step. Also, select the location to store the exported PST file and click on the Start button.

backup Office 365 mailbox to PST

    • At last, it shows the successful completion of the task. Tap on the Close button to end the process.

We can see that the eDiscovery method is a lengthy task and requires technical knowledge. Also, it has some obstacles that make it a complex task for non-technical users. Therefore, it is recommended to opt for an alternate solution to backup Office 365 Mailbox to PST.

Direct Approach to backup O365 mailbox to PST

The process of backup Office 365 mailbox to PST via the eDiscovery export tool has some obstacles. Unfortunately, there are no quick ways to fix these issues. Hence, the whole process becomes hazardous for non-technical users. In this scenario, you would require an easier and faster solution to export Office 365 mailbox to PST file format. This direct approach consists of a secure and reliable Office 365 Migration Tool that helps you to backup and migrate the Office 365 mailbox data to different file formats and email clients, respectively.

Detailed stepwise working of best Office 365 Migration Tool

  1. Launch the Office 365 Migration Tool and select the Backup option.
  2. Now, enter the login credentials of your Office 365 admin account.
  3. You can also check on the Assign Impersonation Right option to perform the Office 365 Tenant to Tenant migration process. Click on the Sign in button to move ahead.
  4. This wizard offers you to select the backup option from Mailbox, In-Place Archive, and Public Folder. After choosing the backup option, you can proceed to the next step.
  5. From the tree structure, select the folders that you want to export and click on the Next button.
  6. In this panel, select the PST format from the dropdown menu of the Saves/Backup/Migrate As option.
  7. Also, it offers some advanced features that help you to optimize the backup process.
  8. In the end, define the destination path and click on the Convert button to start the backup process.

Conclusion

In this blog, we have discussed the detailed procedure to backup Office 365 mailbox to PST using the eDiscovery method. eDiscovery can be used as part of a business continuity plan, such as when you need to migrate data from one location to another without it being altered. However, this method is too long and requires some basic technical knowledge. Therefore, we have also introduced a secure Office 365 Migration Tool that is a direct way to export the Office 365 mailbox to PST format.

FAQ 1: How do I transfer emails from Office 365 to my desktop?
Answer: Here are the steps that you can take to save Office 365 emails to hard drive flawlessly, without any data loss. Here are the steps to execute.1. Download and install the Office 365 migration tool and select the Backup Option.
2. Enter your O365 credentials and select the mailbox user.
3. Select the folder from the tree structure that you wish to migrate.
4. Choose the file format as PST and manage the utility feature as per needed.
5. Following, assign the name and destination for your resultant file.
6. Finally, you have successfully, transferred emails from O365 locally.

FAQ 2: Can I use this tool to export Office 365 shared mailbox to PST?
Answer: Yes, this tool makes your task of easily exporting Office 365 shared mailbox to PST and others flawlessly. You can also experience your migration task of O365 to Gmail, Hotmail, iCloud, and other email clients without any data loss.

FAQ 3: How do I export PST from Office 365 admin center?
Answer: To export PST file from Office 365 admin center manually, follow the steps as instructed.

1. Sign in to your O365 account and navigate to Compliance Section under Admin Center.
2. In the new Microsoft Purview Wizard, select permission and Roles.
3. Following, in the eDiscovery Manager Panel, edit the Group Roles.
4. Manage the Export Role Settings.
5. In the subsequent wizard, Create and Run a New Content Search.
6. After taking the backup Office 365 mailbox to PST, select New Content under Micrososft 365 Compliance panel.
7. Define Export Exchange Content as per requirement.
8. Now, select Export under the Content Search and opt for the Content Search that you created earlier.
9. Following, after downloading the exported result and pasted in the eDiscovery Tool.
10. After following the above steps, you’ve successfully exported your Outlook PST file from O365.

Note: The above-stated procedure can be performed manually and is full of complexity. Additionally, it is also advisable to take a backup of your data. In case, if you execute the wrong step, you can lose your data. So, to escape from this rid use an automated Office 365 Migration Tool.

About The Author:

Pradeep is a dedicated technical content writer who thrives on the intersection of technology and storytelling. With a background in engineering and a passion for writing, he brings a unique blend of technical expertise and creativity to his work. Pradeep’s articles not only educate but also entertain, making complex technical subjects approachable and intriguing for a broad audience. His work has been featured in numerous tech blogs, making him a trusted source for tech enthusiasts and novices alike.

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