How to Migrate Public Folder to Office 365

Summary: This guide explains various methods to migrate Public Folders to Microsoft 365 from MS Exchange 2019, 2016, 2013, and 2010. To avoid downtime and migrate Public Folders to Microsoft 365 directly, it is recommended to use an EDB to PST Converter software, such as Stellar Converter for EDB.

Office 365 offers a range of maintenance and hassle-free business email accounts. For this reason, organizations prefer migrating from on-premises Exchange to Cloud Office 365. During the Exchange to Office 365 migration, user mailboxes and Public Folders stored in the Exchange database are moved to Office 365.

Public Folders vs Office 365 Groups – What’s the Difference?

Public Folders in Exchange contain important information and data related to the organization and workgroup. In on-premises Exchange, Public Folder is the native mailbox and thus, a user is required to migrate Public Folders separately to Office 365.

Like Public Folders in Exchange, Office 365 has Groups where a set of selected Microsoft 365 users can collaborate and share through common resources, such as Outlook Inbox, Calendar, etc. Following are a few differences between Office 365 Groups and Public Folders:

Properties Office 365 Groups Public Folders
Provides better collaboration for emails Dedicated conversation space in Groups to let users collaborate with others in the Group and maintain a dedicated space. Users can broadcast information in the Group Mail-enabled Public Folders store all project-related information communication, to be viewed by the team
Provides better collaboration for documents Dedicated Files tab in Outlook displays all files and mail attachments from the Group’s SharePoint team site Files not available in one view. Users have to search for a particular file in the folder
Option of shared calendar On creation of Group, every user gets a shared calendar, by default. Users have the opportunity to update this calendar Though Public Folders are also used to share schedules and timetables, Groups are a better option
Permissions are simplified Assigned users in the Group immediately derive permissions they need Manual assignment of all licenses to all users
Mobile and Web presence Accessible through Outlook Mobile app and users enjoy a richer set of features on the Web interface Public Folders are not accessible through Mobile apps and have limited functionality on the Web

In this blog, we’ll explain different methods to migrate Public Folders to Microsoft 365 groups from Exchange 2019, 2016, 2013, and 2010. You may follow the method based on your requirement.

Methods to Migrate Public Folders to Office 365 Groups

Despite proper planning, users and admins may get stuck with Public Folder migration due to its large size. Thus, migrating Public Folders to Microsoft 365 via manual methods takes time and may lead to longer than expected downtime. In contrast, a specialized Exchange migration software ensures quick and easy migration of Public Folders with practically nil downtime.

Method 1: Use Microsoft Public Folder Migration Script

You can use the Public Folders Migration Scripts from Microsoft to migrate Public Folders to Office 365. The steps are as follows:

      .\SourceSideValidations.ps1

Then follow this detailed guide at Microsoft suggested reference library to complete the Public Folders migration from Exchange to Office 365.

Method 2: Export Public Folders as PST via Outlook

You may also export the Public Folders from Outlook to PST by using the Outlook Import Export wizard. However, it is not recommended for Public Folders with size 30 GB or more. The steps are as follows:

Now, you can import this PST into Office 365 manually by following these steps:

        .\Export-PublicFolderStatistics.ps1 MyServerName.csv

.\PublicFolderToMailboxMapGenerator.ps1 MailboxSize ImportFilePath ExportFilePath

Method 3: Migrate Public Folders to Office 365 Directly by Using a Third-Party Software

The easiest way to migrate Public Folders to Microsoft 365 is by using Stellar Converter for EDB software. The EDB to PST converter software helps you migrate mailboxes from Offline or Hosted Exchange database to Microsoft 365 directly. You can use the software to extract and migrate Public Folders to Microsoft 365 account directly. Its intuitive user interface design allows anyone to migrate mailboxes and Public Folders to Microsoft 365 in a few clicks.

Alternatively, you may also export Public Folders to PST format by using this software and then import the PST file manually into Office 365.

The steps are as follows:

At this stage, you can login to Microsoft 365 account and check migrated Public Folders and their content.

Conclusion

Stellar Converter for EDB overcomes the problems of manual Public Folders migration methods and facilitates an easier way to migrate Public Folders to Microsoft 365 groups. Unlike the manual methods, it doesn’t require additional permissions, verifications, and multiple steps. All you need to do is scan the Exchange database (EDB) file and export the Public Folders directly to Microsoft 365. And not just Public Folders, this software converts and exports mailboxes from Exchange database files to Microsoft 365 directly. The software supports all Exchange server versions – 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003, 2000, and 5.5.

Related Post

Stellar Data Recovery

Trial Download is for Desktop or Laptop. Put your email id to receive the download link




Exit mobile version