Summary: Many organizations switch from Mac Outlook to Office 365 to improve business productivity and collaboration. In this article, we have explained how to import Mac Outlook’s OLM files to Office 365. We have provided a manual DIY solution for technical users and a specialized software solution for those who seek safer and faster migration.
Outlook for Mac is a desktop-based email application that can work with Exchange Server, POP3, and IMAP email accounts. A Mac Outlook user can export their mailbox in OLM format locally for archiving or migrating to another platform. Office 365, on the other hand, is a cloud-based collaboration platform that saves all mailbox items, including emails, notes, calendars, etc., on the cloud. Due to these differences in Mac Outlook and Office 365, you can’t easily import OLM files to Office 365.
How to Import OLM to Office 365?
As stated above, due to Mac Outlook and Office 365 differences, there is no way to directly import an Outlook for Mac data file (.OLM) to Office 365. However, there is a workaround in which you need to convert OLM to PST and then import this PST into Office 365. Else, if you want to import OLM to Office 365 in a hassle-free, safe, and reliable manner, then the best way to do it is to use a third-party OLM to Office 365 migration tool. Below, we have explained both solutions in detail.
Solution 1: Import Mac Outlook OLM to Office 365 Manually
This solution can be divided into two parts:
Part A: Convert OLM into PST
Follow these steps:
- Create a dummy Gmail account and go to your account settings.
- Open the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab and ensure that Enable IMAP option is selected.
Launch Outlook for Mac and set up the Gmail account. To do that, select Outlook > Preferences > Personal Settings > Accounts, and then click the “+” button at the bottom of the window.
Once the Gmail account is set up successfully, right-click the INBOX folder under the Gmail account in the left pane. In the menu that opens, select New Folder and save the folder with any name (we are using the name: MacToO365).
Select the Mac Outlook emails that you want to migrate. Then, drag and drop these emails on MacToO365.
Wait for Outlook to synchronize the emails with the Gmail account via the MacToO365 folder.
Once all the emails are synchronized, open Outlook on a Windows system and again set up the same Gmail account in the software. Wait for the emails to download.
Once all the emails are downloaded on the Windows system, export the emails to a PST file export the emails to a PST file using Outlook’s Import and Export Wizard.
Part B: Import PST into Office 365
Now that you have converted Outlook OLM file to PST, you can export this Outlook data file to an Office 365 account. There are two ways to do it:
• Network Upload: Use AzCopy AzCopy utility to upload the PST files to Microsoft Cloud (a highly technical process that requires a lot of time and planning). Then move these Outlook data files from cloud storage to Office 365 using Office 365’s import feature.
• Drive Shipping Service: Microsoft offers a drive shipping service to organizations that want to upload a large number of PST files to Office 365. To use this service, copy all the PST files to an encrypted hard drive and send it to Microsoft. After Microsoft receives the hard drive, a technician will upload the PST files to Microsoft Cloud. You can then transfer these files to Office 365 using Office 365’s import feature.
Challenges with the Manual Solution
• It’s time-consuming. The technical process is difficult to implement, and the user has to be careful with the steps to avoid errors.
• Due to the highly technical nature of the process, not every Outlook user can perform it successfully. There is also a risk of data loss during migration.
• The method only works if you have Outlook for Mac software in your system. Without Mac Outlook, the user can’t synchronize the emails with a Gmail account and complete the process.
These challenges can be easily overcome in the next method in which you use a specialized OLM to Office 365 migration software.
Solution 2: Use a Software to Import OLM Data File to Office 365 Directly
In this solution, you have to use advanced third-party software to directly export Outlook’s OLM files to Office 365. Stellar Converter for OLM Technician Stellar Converter for OLM Technician is one such software that you can use to safely and easily transfer your data.
The OLM converter software by Stellar offers the following benefits:
• Converts all OLM mailbox items, such as emails, contacts, notes, etc.
• Has an intuitive and simple user interface
• Directly uploads Outlook for Mac data (OLM) to Office 365
• Offers detailed preview of OLM file before migrating the data to Office 365
• Allows selective migration of an Outlook for Mac mailbox
• Comes with a free demo to give you a hands-on experience
How to use OLM Converter Software?
To use Stellar Converter for OLM for directly importing OLM files to Office 365, follow these steps:
Download, install, and launch the software.
Provide OLM file’s location by clicking Browse. Else, click Find, and the software will automatically locate the file for you.
Click Convert to begin the file conversion process. When the conversion is finished, the software will preview the Outlook file’s contents.
Examine the mailbox and select the folders you want to export to Office 365.
Click Save Converted Mailbox under the Home tab. Then, in the Save As window, select Office 365 and click Next.
In Office 365 Details window, enter the required credentials and click Save. The OLM mailbox will be saved to Office 365.
Conclusion
Importing Mac Outlook’s OLM files to Office 365 is a challenging task. There are different manual ways to perform this migration. However, these require high technical fidelity, experience, and planning. For most organizations, a dedicated OLM converter software, thus, is the safest and quickest option to complete the migration.
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