The purpose of this article is to guide you on how you can Import OLM file to Office 365. By reading this article you will get to know how to Import OLM file to Office 365 by using the manual method and professional method.
Microsoft does not have any defined utility to transfer OLM files directly into Office 365 or Microsoft 365. Outlook for Mac files (OLM) is different from Outlook for Windows (PST).
Learn: How to Convert Large Size OLM File to PST
The first step you need to take if you’re a Mac user using OLM files and would like to save your OLM files into Office 365 or Microsoft 365 without using the MAC system is to first convert your OLM file into PST format, and then import the converted PST file into the Office 365 or Microsoft 365 mailing platform. OLM cannot be imported directly to PST format using the Microsoft suggested methods, and the users receive the following error message:
The file <path>.olm is not an Outlook data file (.pst)
Manual Method to Import OLM file to Office 365
To manually import an OLM (Outlook for Mac) file to MS Office 365, you can follow these steps:
- Export the OLM file from Outlook for Mac:
- Open Outlook for Mac on your Mac computer.
- Click on “File” in the top menu bar.
- Select “Export” and choose the “Outlook for Mac Data File (.olm)” option.
- Choose the items you want to export (e.g., email, contacts, calendar, etc.).
- Specify the location where you want to save the OLM file and click “Save.”
- Convert the OLM file to a PST (Outlook Data File) format:
- Since MS Office 365 uses PST files, you need to convert the OLM file to PST format. Microsoft provides a free tool called “OLM to PST Converter” for this purpose. You can download it from the Microsoft website.
- Install and run the OLM to PST Converter:
- Install the OLM to PST Converter software on your Windows computer.
- Launch the software.
- Add the OLM file for conversion:
- Click on “Add File” or “Add OLM” in the converter software.
- Browse and select the OLM file exported from Outlook for Mac.
- Choose the conversion options:
- Select the desired options, such as file splitting, filters, etc., based on your requirements.
- Set the output location:
- Choose a location where you want to save the converted PST file.
- Start the conversion process:
- Click on “Convert” or “Start” to begin the conversion process.
- Wait for the software to convert the OLM file to PST format. This may take some time depending on the size of the OLM file.
- Import the PST file to MS Office 365:
- Once the conversion is complete, you can import the resulting PST file into MS Office 365 by following these steps:
- Open MS Outlook (or the Outlook web app) in MS Office 365.
- Click on “File” in the top menu bar.
- Select “Open & Export” and then choose “Import/Export.”
- In the Import and Export Wizard, select “Import from another program or file” and click “Next.”
- Choose “Outlook Data File (.pst)” and click “Next.”
- Browse and select the converted PST file.
- Select the folders you want to import or choose to import everything.
- Choose the location where you want to import the data (e.g., your Office 365 mailbox) and click “Finish.”
- Once the conversion is complete, you can import the resulting PST file into MS Office 365 by following these steps:
- Wait for the import process to complete:
- The import process may take some time, especially if you have a large PST file. Outlook will display a progress bar indicating the import status.
Once the process is completed, your OLM data will be shown in Office 365, Be sure to preview the imported data and verify its completeness and accuracy.
Drawbacks Of Manual Method to Import OLM File to Office 365
- Time-taking process: If you have a large number of files or a large mailbox, manually importing OLM files to Office 365 can be time-consuming.
- Technical expertise required: In order to perform the manual import successfully, users must have a strong understanding of both Outlook for Mac and Office 365. Users without a good understanding of the platform may find the process challenging.
- High risk of data loss and corruption: Emails, Contacts, and other mailbox items may become inaccessible or lost during the manual import process. During the import process, there is a risk of data loss or corruption.
- A Little Automation: Using the manual method is tedious and prone to errors, so it’s not suitable for bulk or recurring imports. Each OLM file must be exported, converted, and imported individually.
- Inadequate advanced features: This limitation results in unnecessary imports of unwanted data by using manual methods without advanced features like selective migration.
- Incompatibility problems: There might be compatibility issues with OLM files if they are manually imported, resulting in errors when importing them.
- Maintenance and support: The manual method does not have readily available documentation and support for every scenario, so troubleshooting can be challenging.
If you want to import OLM files to Office 365 efficiently and effectively, it is recommended to use a specialized migration tool or seek professional assistance.
Professional Method to Import OLM Files to Office 365
The best way to import OLM to Office 365 is to use a professional tool like OLM File Converter is the best tool that offers you to do multiple features such as;
- By using the professional method you can convert OLM files into different file formats such as PST, EML, CSV, VCF, ICS, HTML, MBOX, PDF, etc.
- OLM Converter maintains the data hierarchy throughout the conversion process.
- It helps to import OLM file to Office 365, Thunderbird, Yahoo Mail, Zoho Mail, etc.
- Automatically eliminate duplicate OLM files without any restrictions.
- Helps to Preview the OLM file before conversion.
Many other additional features come with this tool you can also try the demo version of this tool.
Steps to Import OLM Files to Office 365
- Download and Install the OLM file converter and click on the next button.
- Then select the OLM file to convert.
- After this select the OLM file/folder to preview and click on the next button.
- Now select the file format or email client in which you want to convert the OLM file.
- Set the path to save the resultant file and click on the next button.
- Lastly, click on the convert button to start the conversion process.
Check these:
How do I export eM Client to Outlook 2016?
How to export IMAP to PST in Outlook 2016?
Final Words
OLM files can not be supported by Office 365 or Microsoft Office 365. Due to this, it becomes very complicated to import OLM files to Office 365. Ya, it is possible to import OLM files by using the manual method but, it has its own limitations (high risk of data loss, Time taken to process, etc) which makes the manual method ineffective.
Also, we have discussed the professional method to import OLM files to Office 365 which is very effective, and import OLM files to Office 365 or any other email clients without any limitations and restrictions.
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