How to Use Drive Shipping Method to Migrate PST into Office 365? [All Steps]

PST file migration to Office 365 becomes quite a challenging task when the internet bandwidth is limited, and data volumes are in hundreds of gigabytes or even terabytes.

As a result, users have to face slow connections, timeouts, upload failures, or sync issues. So, using the Drive Shipping method to migrate PST files into Office 365 is the most practical solution.

Here, you will get complete information about the Drive Shipping method, like when & how to use it. Read now!

What is the Drive Shipping Method? – A Quick Overview!

The Drive Shipping method is one of the native Office 365 PST import services. It allows organizations to physically ship the copied and encrypted hard drives that contain the data of PST files.

A Microsoft personnel uploads the data to Azure data centers. After that, you can filter out the data from the uploaded PST files before importing them to user mailboxes.

Common Situations Where Drive Shipping Method Seems Ideal!

Check out the following sections to know the appropriate scenarios where Drive Shipping is best suited:

• Extremely large PST files with huge volumes.
• Limited or restricted internet bandwidth.
• Mailbox migrations at the enterprise level.
• One-time archival or compliance-driven imports.
• Data consolidation from different legacy accounts.

Note: If the PST files’ data exceeds the size limit, then the Drive Shipping method is the best choice instead of Network Upload.

Drive Shipping Requirements Checklist: Prepare Them First!

Below, we have provided the list of all essential requirements that you should know before using the Drive Shipping method. Here they are:

1. Required Permissions
   • Global Admin or Compliance Admin permissions.
   • Microsoft 365 subscription with Exchange Online support.
   • Complete access to the Microsoft Purview Compliance portal.
2. Hardware Requirements
   • Sufficient for all PST files.
   • USB 3.0 or higher version recommended.
   • Encrypted storage drives must be required.
   • Requires physical drives like HDDs or SSDs.
   • A New Technology File System (NTFS) is needed.
3. PST File Requirements
   • PST files must be in a healthy state.
   • Requires a clear naming for PST files.
   • Doesn’t support password-protected PST files.
   • Run a health check before shipping them to Microsoft.

Move PST Files to Office 365 Using Drive Shipping Method! [Stepwise Guide]

Follow the given instructions to execute the entire procedure of Drive Shipping method using the Microsoft Purview Import PST service.

Step 1. Download the PST Import tool

Use the steps below to download the Azure Import/Export tool.

Step 1. Go to Microsoft Purview portal and sign in with admin account credentials.

Step 2. Navigate to Data lifecycle management and tap on Microsoft 365. Then, proceed to the Import option.

Step 3. Click on +New import job under the Import tab.

Step 4. Type the name for the PST import job and click Next.

Note: Use only lowercase letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores. Avoid uppercase letters or include spaces.

Step 5. Choose the Ship hard drives to one of our physical locations and click Next.

Step 6. Perform the on-screen instructions on the Import data page.

Step 7. Then, tap on Cancel to close the wizard.

Step 2. Copy the PST Files to The Hard Drive

Here are the detailed steps to copy the PST files to the hard drive using the WAImportExport.exe tool.

Step 1. Access the Command Prompt on the system.

Step 2. Navigate to the location where you installed the WAImportExport.exe tool.

Step 3. Execute the given command when you are using the WAImportExport.exe tool to copy the PST files.

WAImportExport.exe PrepImport /j:<Name of journal file> /t:<Drive letter> /id:<Name of session> /srcdir:<Location of PST files> /dstdir:<PST file path> /blobtype:BlockBlob /encrypt /logdir:<Log file location>

Step 4. Use the given command each subsequent time when you need to copy the PST files to the same drive.

WAImportExport.exe PrepImport /j:<Name of journal file> /id:<Name of new session> /srcdir:<Location of PST files> /dstdir:<PST file path> /blobtype:BlockBlob

Step 3. Create the PST Import Mapping File

Map the users’ mailboxes into a CSV file and submit at the time of PST import job creation. Here’s how:

Step 1. Download the sample PST Import mapping file for more clarity.

Step 2. Open the CSV files in Notepad or Microsoft Excel application.

Step 3. Check out the official website of Microsoft on how to populate the CSV file with the required information.

Step 4. Create the PST Import job in Microsoft 365

Go to the Microsoft Purview portal and continue the steps where you left off to create a PST Import job. Here’s how:

Step 1. Check both boxes:

• I’ve prepared my hard drives and have access to the necessary drive journal files.
• I have access to the mapping file

Once done, click Next.

Step 2. Select drive file created by the Azure Import/Export tool.

Step 3. Validate the journal file to examine for issues.

Step 4. Repeat the same process for each journal file that you want to ship and click Next.

Step 5. Click to Select mapping file and submit it to proceed further.

Step 6. Validate the PST import mapping file. Then, tap on Next once it is validated.

Step 7. Enter the necessary contact information under the Provide contact information page.

Step 8. Read the terms and conditions carefully. Then, check the box and tap on Save to submit the import job.

Step 9. Go to the Import tab and Refresh to view the recently added import job.

Step 5. Ship the Hard Drive to Microsoft

Ship the hard drive to Microsoft and provide a tracking number for the shipment along with the return shipment information. Here’s how:

Step 1. Visit the Microsoft Purview portal.

Step 2. Navigate to the status flyout page and click on Enter tracking number.

Step 3. Type the necessary shipping information:

• Delivery carriers that you have used to ship the drives.
• Tracking number for the drive shipment.
• Return carrier account number for the carrier.

Save all the entered information related to the import job.

Step 4. Go to the Import tab and Refresh to update the information. Check for “Drives in transit” status.

Step 6. Sort data and start the PST Import Job

In this step, you can import the entire data or use filters for selective import. Here’s how:

Step 1. Visit the Microsoft Purview Portal and select the created import job.

Step 2. Click on the Import to Office 365 option.

Step 3. It will take you to Filter your data page.

Step 4. Select the Yes, I want to filter it before importing option.

Step 5. On the Import data to Office 365 page, select the age of the data that you want to import.

Step 6. Navigate to More filtering options to refine data more precisely.

Step 7. Refine data on the basis of Age, Type, and Users. Then, Apply to save the changes.

Step 8. You can see the applied filters on your screen. Edit them if required and proceed to Next.

Step 9. Tap on Import data to start the process.

Step 10. It will show the imported data on your screen.

Step 11. Go to the Import tab and Refresh to check the Status column.

Step 12. Navigate to the import job to check the detailed information, like status and configured filter settings of each PST file.

Post-Migration Checklist: Verify Everything for Accurate Results!

Here is the final checklist that you must verify once the import PST to Exchange Online process is completed:

• Review the list of uploaded PST files.
• Check dates and metadata accuracy.
• Confirm the folder structure and hierarchy.
• Make sure that emails appear in the correct mailboxes.

Drive Shipping Issues: Frequent Causes & Solutions!

You may encounter these errors while using the Drive Shipping method. So, use the quick solutions to resolve them instantly.

Smart Tips for Smooth PST File Migration! [Experts Recommended]

Follow the given practices to increase the success rate of the PST file migration process.

• Verify the PST mapping file carefully.
• Use Archive mailboxes for large datasets.
• Track shipping and import process closely.
• Test the import process with a small set of data.
• Keep a secure backup of the PST file data in a safe location.

Let’s Recap

We hope that you will be able to use the Drive Shipping method to migrate PST into Office 365 account. Although it requires careful execution, it is the most suitable solution for PST file migration at the organization level.

If you are looking for a direct and alternate solution, then using the Recoveryfix Import PST to Office 365 tool will be the best. The Import PST to Office 365 tool easily moves multiple PST files to Hosted, On-Premises, or Exchange Online at once.

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