Download PST File From Office 365 – Save Exchange Online Data Locally

As we all know Microsoft Office 365 is a SaaS (Software as a service) solution. Which includes Microsoft Office Suite and various other services. This application is important for small to medium-sized businesses.

It provides a comprehensive set of software tools and services that help the user perform Office documentation, communication, and management tasks. It includes various useful cloud-based online services such as Outlook 365, Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and Skype for Business.

However, data for Office 365 is stored in the cloud. We know that data stored in the cloud is not safe. In that situation, the user wants to download PST from Office 365 online to avoid data loss situations.

Sometimes a user wants to transfer the data from Office 365 to some other desktop-based email clients such as Microsoft Outlook, so there is a need to download the data in Outlook PST file format. Let us understand the situation with the help of the scenario.

Are you facing the same issue? If your answer is Yes then you are on the exact right solution page. In this article, we will discuss why the user wants to download PST from Office 365 online. Also, we will discuss the importance of taking the backup of the data in Microsoft-supported PST file format.

Before going to the detailed solution part let us first discuss the PST file format and why the user wants to backup Office 365 mailbox locally.

More about PST File Format- PST file stands for personal storage table file format used to store mailbox items such as emails, contacts, and calendar events. Microsoft Outlook uses the PST file format to store the Mailbox data items.

Reasons – Why Does User Want to Download PST From Office 365 Online?

Data is a vital part of every user. Hence Office 365 users need to create a backup of this data. Here are a few reasons why users want to save PST files from Office 365 online.

• Access the Office 365 data in some other email clients – Like someone who wants to access the data in a desktop-based Microsoft Outlook application. So, in that case, there is a need to know How to save the PST file from Office 365 account locally.
• To Save the Office 365 account data from being hacked issues – To save the data from hacking-related issues such as cloud ransomware attacks. Ransomware is a type of malware that targets businesses, public agencies, or individual persons utilizing digital extortion. So to download PST from Office 365 online is the best option. To avoid hacking-related issues.
• Avoid accidental deletion or data loss situations– To avoid any data loss situations or to save the data from accidental deletion. The user can store the data in PST file format. This also must be the reason why users want to save emails from Outlook Web app to Computer.

Different Methods to Download PST Files from Outlook 365 Online

There are two manual ways – The first is using the desktop Outlook and the second is by using the eDiscovery. Both of them have their pros and cons.  Let’s discuss them step-by-step. 

Method 1: Download Office 365 to PST Files Using Outlook

Users have to add an Office 365 account to a desktop-based Outlook application such as Outlook 2016 / 2013.

Stage 1. First of all the user has to configure Office 365 email account to Outlook. After this, the Outlook application will automatically sync with the O365 account. The user will see Office 365 mailbox items in Outlook.

Stage 2. Now the user has to download PST file from Outlook. Follow the below steps to download the data in the PST file.

• Step 1. At the top of the ribbon click on File.
• Step 2. Select the Open / Export option and then choose Import/export
• Step 3. Then select Export to a file
• Step 4. Now click on Outlook data file (.PST) and click on Next. (Make sure you have to select the include subfolders option to save contacts and Inbox items.
• Step 5. Browse to the location to save the (PST) file.
• Step 6. Click on Finish.

Method 2: Download PST Files from Microsoft 365 Mailbox Using eDiscovery 

Step 1. Access the Microsoft 365 Admin Center and sign in using your administrator credentials.

Step 2. Navigate to the ‘Admin Centers’ section and select ‘Security and Compliance.

Step 3. In the Security and Compliance Center, click on ‘Search’ to access the eDiscovery page.

Step 4. Choose the ‘eDiscovery’ option from the left-hand navigation menu.

Step 5. On the eDiscovery page, click on ‘Create a case’ to initiate a new eDiscovery case where you’ll manage the export.

Step 6. Fill in the required details for the new case, such as the case name, description, and other relevant information. Then, click on ‘Save’ to create the case and proceed with the download process.

Step 7. Return to the ‘Security and Compliance‘ section once more. Locate the ‘More Resources‘ section, then within the Microsoft Purview Compliance Portal, access ‘Content Search‘ and select the ‘New Search‘ option.

Step 8. Upon selecting ‘New Search,‘ a new window will appear, offering customization options for the content search. Customize search elements such as Name & Description and specify the mailbox location to download PST files from Office 365.

Step 9. Move to the Conditions section where you can apply filters like query language/region and keywords/phrases to refine the conditions for the search.

Step 10. Once you’ve applied the necessary filters and are satisfied with the settings, click ‘Submit’ and then ‘Done.’

Step 11. Upon selecting ‘Done,’ the search process will initiate in the background. To monitor the search status, navigate to the Search tab.

Step 12. After verifying the completion status of the search on the Search tab, select ‘Actions’ and then ‘Export Results.’

Step 13. You have the option to save encrypted files. Under Output Options, choose the appropriate radio button and click ‘Export.’

Step 14. Initiating the download process occurs upon clicking ‘Export.’ Monitor progress by accessing the Export tab.

Step 15. Once the Export process concludes, save the results by selecting ‘Download Results.’

Step 16. Following ‘Download Results,’ the eDiscovery Export Tool will commence automatically. Enter the exported key copied to the clipboard in the prompted window. Click ‘Browse’ to define the destination.

Limitations of Manual Method in Downloading PST Files from Office 365 Online

The above-discussed manual method has several limitations. Some of the note-worthy limitations are mentioned below:

• This method is difficult to perform for non-technical users. It requires strong technical knowledge to perform this process using eDiscovery.
• In case a user wants to download the selective data then this is not possible. And also this method takes a long time to download PST from Office 365 OWA. 
• Moreover, if a user has a larger number of Office 365 accounts to download, then this approach becomes cumbersome to execute. As it involves the multiple user account configurations in Outlook. Which would not be an efficient way to execute this task. 
• The manual method requires Outlook for desktop applications and familiarity with account configuration. 

Hence, switching to automated software can reduce the efforts and streamline the whole process. Let’s have a glance at the same.

Time to Conclude

There is no direct way to download PST from Office 365 online. So from the above write-up, we have explained how to download PST from Exchange Online easily. We have resolved this issue with the help of a manual as well as an automated solution. But the manual solution has some limitations like this is a very time-consuming method. To avoid any data loss situation the user can prefer the above-mentioned software solution. You can also download the trial version for free.