Mass Restore Outlook PST Mailboxes to On-Premise Exchange Server

If you run a business or a team, email is essential. But what if you need to migrate a lot of emails from PST files in Outlook back to an Exchange Server on your network? It may sound hard, but you can accomplish it, even if you’re not a tech expert.

This post will teach you:

• How to manually restore PST mailboxes
• Using Exchange Restore Software is an easy approach to get everything back.

Let’s get started.

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What Is a PST File?

Microsoft Outlook uses PST files as mailbox files. It keeps emails, calendars, contacts, and to-do lists. PST files are used to save data when users back up Outlook or export mailboxes.

You might want to move the data to Exchange now that you’ve backed up Gmail to MBOX and imported those MBOX files into Thunderbird. You will probably transform it to PST format before putting it on the Exchange Server.

Why Restore PST Files to On-Premise Exchange?

There are a lot of reasons:

• Moving emails from Gmail to Exchange
• Getting emails back from a backup
• Moving Thunderbird data to Exchange with MBOX
• Combining several mailboxes

Whatever the reason, let’s see how to do it.

Manual Method: How to Restore Outlook PST Mailboxes to an On-Premise Exchange Server

You have two options: Microsoft Exchange Admin Center (EAC) and PowerShell. This is a simple way to explain the EAC approach.

Step 1: Put the PST file in a folder that everyone can see.
Make a folder on a local drive that everyone can use.

Put all the PST files you want to restore in this folder.

Check that the Exchange Trusted Subsystem group can read and write to the folder.

Step 2: Open the Exchange Admin Center
Start a web browser

Go to https://<your-server>/ecp

Sign in as an Exchange administrator

Step 3: Open the Import Wizard
Click on “Recipients” and then “Mailboxes.”

Choose the mailbox you wish to import the PST into.

Click on … and select Import PST.

Step 4: Set up the Import
Include the UNC path to the shared folder, such as \\server\PSTshare\filename.pst.

Determine whether to import the item to the user’s inbox or archive.

Click Next to conclude the wizard.

That’s all! Exchange will begin to bring in the PST file. It can take a considerable amount of time, contingent upon the size of the file.

The Manual Method’s Drawbacks

• You need to be an admin.
• It is necessary to establish the appropriate permissions for the folder.
• It doesn’t make it easy to support numerous or bulk mailboxes.
• No filters or error reports

A Better Way: How to Restore Outlook PST Mailboxes to an On-Premise Exchange Server

If you’re restoring several PST mailboxes, Datavare Exchange Restore Software will be your new best buddy.  It lets people import PST files directly into Exchange Server, Office 365, and Live Exchange without losing any data. The software can restore a lot of mailboxes, emails, contacts, calendars, and more at once while keeping the folder structure and metadata the same. Even people who aren’t extremely tech-savvy may do complicated Exchange recovery activities with ease because of the straightforward interface. It’s perfect for organizations and IT pros who need a quick and safe way to get their Exchange data back. It offers 24-hour technical support and a free demo version.
Important Highlights

• Import a lot of PST files at once.
• Restore objects in your Exchange mailbox, such as emails, contacts, calendars, notes, tasks, and more.
• Restoring PST files to the Exchange Server by applying complex filters.
• A user-friendly graphical interface.
• Retrieve emails, contacts, calendars, and other items.
• It is compatible with MS Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, and other versions.
• It is compatible with Exchange Server 2010, 2013, 2016, and subsequent versions.
• There is no requirement for an instrument to assist in the recovery of Exchange mailboxes.

Here are the Steps to Follow:

• Download and run the application.
• To start the application, double-click the software icon on the desktop. A window like this will open.

• To import an EDB file, use the Browse option to find the file on your computer.

• If you want to import an STM file, click the Browse option to find it on your computer.

• Click the Browse button to choose a place for the output file.

• After you’ve done all of the above, click the Finish button.

Wrap-Up

It doesn’t have to be hard to restore Outlook PST files to an Exchange Server on your own. If you simply have one or two files, you can use the manual method. But if you have a lot of work to do or need to do it more than once, the Exchange Restore Software is a better option.

It saves you time, keeps you from making mistakes, and makes your job easier, whether you’re working with Gmail backups, Thunderbird MBOX files, or regular PST exports.

Need some help? You may test out the Datavare tool for free to see how it works for your business.