How to Migrate Exchange to Outlook? - A Complete Guide to Convert EDB to PST

The Microsoft Exchange Server enables the user to manage their data in an easy manner. Various features like collaborative sharing etc are provided to its end users. It is a well known fact that Server stores its data in EDB file. All the data is stored in 2 sub parts: private.edb and public.edb. All the mailbox component like email, contact, calendar, task etc are stored in this database file. So, the question which arises is how to migrate Exchange to Outlook?. You will be able to answer this question till the end of this article.

Need to Convert EDB Files to PST

Microsoft Exchange professionals continuously try to improve Server performance and manage mailbox efficiently. If the size of the mailbox is very large, it will reduce the performance of server. It is not acceptable at any cost. In that case, professionals Convert Exchange EDB files to Outlook PST so as to reduce the size of .edb database files. Other advantages of converting EDB to PST are:

• Performance of Server increases: As the size of mailbox reduces, Server will work in more efficient way. Data can easily be accessed from the server.
• Risk of Data corruption is reduced: Smaller the size of file, more secure will be the data. The files having less size will be less prone to corruption.
• Lesser number of LOG files are created: Larger the database, more number of transactions LOG files will be created. Corruption in any of the LOG file increases the risk of Server corruption.
• Errors are minimized to a large extent: Moving EDB files to PST free up the memory space. Due to this, Jet Engine errors and MAPI errors are also reduced significantly.

Workaround to migrate Exchange to Outlook

There are 3 manual methods to migrate Exchange database to Outlook. You can opt for any one as per your convenience and level of understanding. All of them are explained below in detail.

Method 1: Conversion via Powershell -

• Execute the following command: Add-PSSnapin microsoft.exchange.management.powershell.e2010
• Create a different folder to archive resultant PST files and name it
• Right click on the newly created folder, select Properties and then Share Folder
• Grant Read or write permission to other users and select Share button
• 5. Save the copied location of this newly created folder in Notepad - New-MailboxExportRequest – Mailbox MailboxName – FilePath EnterFilePath

Where, MailboxName parameter denotes the desired Exchange Mailbox to be exported and EnterFilePath indicates the location where resultant PST file will be saved.

Note: This method is only applicable for Exchange 2007, 2010 and 2013 versions

Method 2: Convert EDB to PST by using Exchange Admin Center

This method is only for Exchange 2013 version

Step 1: Create a shared folder where you want to export your mailboxes from Exchange Server.

Step 2: Select Permission tab to set sharing and security levels

Step 3: Follow these steps to grant export permission to mailboxes

1: Open EAC on your system and choose Permission tab. Open recipient Management by double clicking on it and select all the items from Role

2: From the current page, choose any Role and then click on Mailbox Import Export

3: Go to Add and then OK.

4: Roles are successfully added to Mailbox.

Step 4: Now, go through the following steps to migrate Exchange to Outlook.

1: Re-open EAC and select desired EDB file and mailboxes to be exported

2: Right click on individually selected mailbox.

3: Choose Export to a PST and select location of desired mailbox.

4: To search path of the converted EDB mailbox, \server\folder\Exportfile.pst

5: Finally, click on Finish button to end all the process.

Limitations of manual method

There are some limitations associated with the above 2 manual methods. These are:

• The person must have deep and thorough technical knowledge of Exchange server, Powershells and Microsoft Outlook.
• All the steps are lengthy to perform. Due to this the process is very time consuming.
• Even a minor mistake can result in data loss from the server.

Due to all these drawbacks, users move towards Automated method. This is a professional method that can be performed with the help of third party utility like EDB to PST converter software.

Final Words

Memory storage needs to be managed very efficiently in the Exchange Server. Due to proper functioning and reducing the risk of corruption in the Server, need to convert EDB files to PST format. Now the question arises, how to Migrate Exchange to Outlook? This can be done with the help of manual and Automated method. In manual method, all the steps are performed by the user. But, the problem is manual method is very time consuming and even a single mistake can result in entire data loss or Server corruption. Hence, to overcome all these problems, users are advised to go with automated solution.