Trying to import PST to IMAP? Want to know the best tricks for a smooth transfer? New to the migration game? You have reached the right page. We will help you with everything you should know before and about migration.
We all are aware of what a PST file is since we are trying to move it. But not a lot of people are acquainted with IMAP and how it works. For those who are new to this, here is a quick brief on Outlook and IMAP before moving to the methods to import Outlook PST to IMAP.
Microsoft Outlook is an email client that allows users to communicate via emails and store all the data in a PST file. Outlook is a highly used email client as it can be integrated with other services provided by Microsoft.
However, it’s relatively more expensive than other email platforms.
IMAP is Internet Mail Access Protocol is an email protocol which allows you to access your emails stored on a mail server. With IMAP, you can access your account on multiple devices.
Let’s dive deeper into it!
Users Are Looking to Import PST to IMAP, Why?
As we read above, IMAP allows you to access your email account on various email platforms. You can also login to your Outlook account and it will connect to IMAP. Typically, only the header appears where you choose an email to open.
Any email that you click on is downloaded and you can open it and read it. Using IMAP doesn’t mean that your emails are transferred from one computer server to the other. It only synchronizes your emails on the server. Before learning to import Outlook PST to IMAP, let’s take a look at a few features of IMAP.
Features of IMAP
Using IMAP brings a lot of benefits:
- Users can access their mail from any device using an email server
- Emails are downloaded only when you click on them
- Very quickly shows the emails altogether
- You can manually download the attachments only if needed
- Possibility to backup data from server if the files are lost
- Keeps space free on your local disk
- Option to access the data offline
Moving on to the methods to migrate the data.
Methods to Import PST to IMAP Account – Manually And Directly
This article underlines two methods for the migration process including a manual approach and a PST Converter Tool for direct migration. With the manual method, we will be using Outlook’s Import/Export Wizard.
For direct migration:
- Launch the tool and choose the Outlook PST files.
- Apply the filters and select the Export option as IMAP.
- Provide the credentials for your IMAP Account.
- Set the destination and press the Save button.
We are going to take a quick look at the manual method to transfer this data. Then, we will
understand about the software.
Import PST to IMAP Account Manually Using the Outlook Application
For that, you need to launch Outlook and go through these steps:
- In Outlook, go to the File tab.
- Select Open and choose the Import/Export option.
- In the Import/Export Wizard, you have to click on Export to a file option. Press Next.
- Now, choose the Personal Folder File (.pst) option and hit Next.
- In the window that opens, if you want to transfer the calendars and contacts also, make sure the Include Subfolders option is marked and hit Next.
- To complete the process to Import PST to IMAP account, choose the destination path and hit Finish.
Your data will start importing to the IMAP server. However, this method has a few drawbacks.
Disadvantages of Using the Manual Method
Few demerits of manual migration are:
- Even though the method seems simple to read, while applying it, people face various challenges.
- It requires technical knowledge for users to implement this process.
- Manually, it is a very tedious and time-consuming process.
- Users cannot transfer their data in batches and can be very complicated for new users.
Using the Software to Import Outlook PST to IMAP Has Various Benefits
The software makes sure that the data is transferred in a single go and in a few minutes only. There are various features of the tool like:
- Direct transfer to IMAP accounts in bulk along with attachments
- Quickly Import PST to Thunderbird and other email clients
- Advanced Filters for selectively migrating data from specific categories
- Preview the data before executing the import process
- No changes made to the formatting of the files and folders during migration
These are some of the advantages of using the tool.
Detailed Steps to Import PST to IMAP Without Any Limitations
Now, you need to execute the following steps:
- Start by running the tool on your Windows OS machine.
- Click on the Open Files tab on the top of the screen. Choose Email Data Files and move to Outlook PST Files. Then, select Choose Files.
- In this step, you have to select the files and click on Open. Take a preview of the files once they open in the software.
- After that, you have to choose the Export button and open the menu. Go to IMAP in Email Services to import PST to IMAP account.
- Use the filters if needed. Enter the details for your IMAP account in the given fields and tap Save.
The procedure will start and you will soon be able to access the data in your IMAP Server.
These are the only steps that you need to follow in order to transfer your files. The filters can be used before migration wherein you can set a date-range to migrate the data from that specific time-period. Also, choose a category if you do not want to import the entire data.
Wrapping Up
Many users are looking for methods to import PST to IMAP since IMAP allows them to access their email account on multiple devices. Moreover, they can always access their emails, even when they are offline, and take a backup.
Losing emails from the desktop will also not worry them as long as the emails are on the IMAP server. There are so many things that a user can do and benefit from while using IMAP protocol. Thus, they look for methods to make the transfer.