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Office 365 Public Folder to Exchange Migration

Public folder migration from Office 365 to Exchange Server can involve several challenges, including maintaining business continuity, preserving the public folder structure, transferring large volumes of data, retaining permissions, and preparing the target Exchange environment. A reliable migration process needs to address these requirements while giving administrators control over the source, target, mapping, and validation stages.

EdbMails helps administrators manage this workload as part of a broader Office 365 migration software solution. It supports the migration of Office 365 public folders to supported Exchange Server environments, with options for public folder selection, source-to-target mapping, incremental migration, permission migration, migration monitoring, and detailed reports. These capabilities can also be used alongside broader Office 365 to Exchange migration requirements when public folders are part of the overall migration project.

Office 365 Public folder to Exchange migration

This guide explains the prerequisites, preparation, migration steps, mapping, post-migration validation, and troubleshooting considerations for moving Office 365 public folders to Exchange Server.

Planning an Office 365 Public Folder to Exchange Migration
Before starting the migration, review both the Office 365 source environment and the target Exchange Server environment. Public folder hierarchy, permissions, data volume, connectivity, and target folder structure should be considered before the migration begins. A clear migration plan helps administrators decide which public folders need to be moved, prepare the target environment, and identify any configuration issues before starting the production migration.
Consider the following before migration:
- Identify the public folders and data that need to be migrated.
- Review the existing public folder hierarchy and permissions.
- Prepare the target Exchange Server environment.
- Confirm connectivity between the source and target environments.
- Prepare the required target public folders.
- Plan source-to-target folder mapping.
- Review the migration workload and available network capacity.
- Plan a test migration before moving the complete workload.
- Decide how migrated data and permissions will be validated.
Office 365 Public Folder to Exchange Migration Prerequisites
- Step 1: Make sure the following are in place on the Office 365 side before you do anything else:
  1. Ensure that you have a global admin account that has an active mailbox — this is what the Manual registration method uses to connect to the source Office 365 server.
  2. The admin user also needs the right Public folder permissions assigned to their account. See the steps to assign the required permissions to the admin user
  3. Ensure the required network and bandwidth are available for the migration. See performance factors and best practices for Office 365 Public folder migration.
- Step 2: Check that your system meets the Exchange server setup requirements.
  The links below cover what you need to know about network, hardware, and operating system requirements for whichever Exchange version you're migrating to.
  Note: Exchange 2010 hit end of support on October 13, 2020 and Exchange 2013 followed on April 11, 2023. If you're still on either of these, moving your mail data and Public folders to Exchange 2016 or 2019 is strongly advisable at this point.
- Step 3: Prepare your target system before you start the Exchange server installation.
  Work through the prerequisites below for Active Directory, Windows Mailbox server, and Windows Edge Transport servers — these need to be sorted out before you actually install Exchange.
- Step 4: Setup Exchange Server for Migration
  Below are the key things to take care of when installing and getting the Exchange server ready for migration.
  1. Prepare AD and domains
    1. The Active Directory forest and its domains need to be prepped for the new Exchange version before anything gets installed.
    2. If a separate team looks after your Active Directory schema, you need to first extend the Active Directory schema — otherwise, jump straight to preparing Active Directory.
    3. Running multiple domains? You'll also need to go through preparing the Active Directory domains as an additional step.
  2. Install Exchange server on your computer
    Double-check that your system meets the requirements and prerequisites covered in the earlier steps. Once that's confirmed, use the setup wizard to install Exchange 2016 or install Exchange 2019, depending on your target version.
  3. Prepare a clean Exchange target environment
    - Set up and configure a Send connector so the Exchange organization can send mail outside its boundaries.
    - Exchange sets up receive connectors on its own when the mailbox server gets installed — but if your setup needs something specific, here's how to configure receive connectors manually.
    - Add accepted domains so recipients can send and receive email across different domains.
    - Set up the default email address policy to push the accepted domain out to every recipient in the organization.
    - Configure external URLs (domains) on the virtual directories in the Client Access (frontend) services on the Mailbox server to allow clients to connect to your server from the internet (outside the organization's network).
    - Configure internal URLs on the virtual directories in the Client Access (frontend) services on the Mailbox server to allow clients to connect to your server from the internal network.
    - Get your SSL certificates configured from a third-party certificate authority — this covers services like Outlook Anywhere and Exchange ActiveSync.
    - Once everything's in place, verify the Exchange server installation by running Get-ExchangeServer in the Exchange Management Shell (EMS).
  4. Create Public Folders on the Exchange Server
    Get the Public folders created on the target server first, then assign the admin permissions needed to manage them.
    Steps to create Public folder in Exchange server
  5. Assign Management Roles to the Admin Account
    If you're connecting to the Exchange server through a global admin account, impersonation rights need to be set up before things will work properly.
    See the steps to set impersonation rights on Exchange server
  6. Configure the Throttling and Message-Size Limits
    Before the migration runs, it's worth setting up custom throttling policies and maximum message size limits on the target Exchange server. The links below walk through both:
    - Custom EWS throttling settings on Exchange server
    - Change message size limits on Exchange
Steps to Migrate Office 365 Public Folders to Exchange Server
1. Step 1: Download and install EdbMails software
  - Download EdbMails and install EdbMails application on a computer running Windows OS.
    Explore the full System requirements for EdbMails Office 365 migration.
  - Enter the appropriate details and click ‘Login’ or click ‘Start Your Free Trial’
2. Step 2: Select ‘Office 365 to Live Exchange migration’ operation
  - Select the 'Office 365 Migration' option.
  - Choose the 'Office 365 to Live Exchange Migration' option..
  - Keep the default job name or type your own, then click 'Next.'
3. Step 3: Connect to source Office 365 server
  - Click ‘Add New Connection’ to set up a new connection to the source Office 365 account. To use an existing connection, select it from the list and click ‘Connect to Existing’ to proceed.
  - Select ‘Connect to Public Folders’ and click ‘Next’ to continue.
  - Choose one of the methods for secure OAuth 2.0 authentication and click the ‘Login’ button to proceed.
  - Connect to Office 365 server using secure modern authentication
    Sign in on the Microsoft authentication page using a global admin account.
  - Once authentication is successful, select the method to load public folders.
    
    Tip: If this is the first time you’re migrating with EdbMails, the migration is a full migration. On subsequent migrations from the same source to the target, the migration is incremental.
4. Step 4: Select the Office 365 Public folders
  - Select the public folders you want to migrate from the source Office 365 server.
  - Then click ‘Next’ to proceed.
5. Step 5: Connect to target Exchange server
  - Click ‘Add New Connection’ to establish a new connection to the target Exchange server. To use an existing connection, select it from the list and click ‘Connect to Existing’ to proceed.
  - Choose the necessary connection options and click ‘Next.’
    Explore various methods to connect to the Exchange server in EdbMails.
  - Enter the Exchange server details and click the ‘Login’ button
  - Choose one of the methods to load public folders.
6. Step 6: Public folder mapping between source and target servers
  - EdbMails automatically maps public folders between the source and target servers. You can also manually map source folders to the required target folders and map the source and target folders using a CSV file.
7. Step 7: Start Public folder migration to Exchange server
  - Click the 'Start Migration’ button to initiate the migration process.
  - The migration process will now begin. Once it’s complete, you’ll be prompted to review the migration status. Click the ‘View Logs’ button to view the migration report. Then, log in to the target server to check the migrated items.
Post-Migration Validation
- Step 1: Update the MX Records to Point to the Exchange Server
  To receive messages on Exchange, change the DNS records known as MX records to enable email to work with the new server you have migrated to. In addition, configure the Autodiscover record to allow Outlook to connect to the migrated mailboxes.
- Step 2: Create a New Outlook Profile for Users in the New Domain
  - Check that the latest Outlook version is on every machine to avoid compatibility issues.
  - Configure the Outlook profile for each user in your domain if Outlook has problems connecting to Office 365 mailboxes.
  - Configure the new server address, username and password in Outlook.
  - Test email flow to confirm that users can send and receive emails.
- Step 3: Remove the Old Office 365 Subscription Plan
  Data verified, migration done — now cancel the Office 365 subscription on the source and drop any domains tied to it that you no longer need.
Office 365 Public Folder to Exchange Migration Troubleshooting
Issues during public folder migration can come from source permissions, target configuration, folder mapping, or individual migration items. Start by reviewing the migration status and error details in EdbMails, then check the relevant troubleshooting resource based on the issue.
Common Migration Issues
- Migration errors or failed items: Review the Office 365 migration troubleshooting guide for common migration errors and possible resolutions.
- Public folder-specific issues: Use the Public folder troubleshooting resource when the issue is related specifically to public folder migration.
- Permission-related failures: If public folders are not migrating because of insufficient permissions, follow the unable to migrate Public folders due to insufficient permissions troubleshooting steps.
- General migration questions: For questions about EdbMails migration workflows and capabilities, refer to the frequently asked questions page.

Why Use EdbMails for Office 365 Public Folder to Exchange Migration

EdbMails brings the main migration tasks together in one guided workflow, allowing administrators to manage the move from Office 365 public folders to Exchange Server without relying on PowerShell scripts. Public folders can be selected, mapped to their target locations, migrated, and monitored from the application.

Key capabilities include:

Guided migration workflow that lets administrators manage the migration through the EdbMails application without PowerShell scripts.
Selective public folder migration to move only the folders required for the project.
Flexible folder mapping to match source public folders with the appropriate Exchange Server destinations. EdbMails supports automatic public folder mapping to reduce manual mapping effort.
Permission migration to help maintain the required access settings after migration.
Incremental migration for supported scenarios when newly added or modified data needs to be transferred after the initial migration.
Migration monitoring and reports to review progress, identify items that require attention, and validate the migration results using Office 365 migration reports.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I migrate Office 365 public folders to Exchange Server without PowerShell?
Yes. EdbMails provides a guided migration workflow that allows administrators to configure and manage the public folder migration through the application without relying on PowerShell scripts.
Can I migrate selected Office 365 public folders to Exchange Server?
Yes. EdbMails allows you to select the public folders required for the migration instead of migrating the entire public folder hierarchy.
Can EdbMails migrate public folder permissions to Exchange Server?
Yes. EdbMails supports public folder permission migration to help maintain the required user access settings in the target Exchange Server environment.
Can EdbMails automatically map Office 365 public folders to Exchange Server?
Yes. EdbMails supports automatic mapping of source public folders to their corresponding target folders. Administrators can also adjust the mapping when the source and target folder structures differ.
How many licenses are required for Office 365 public folder migration to Exchange Server?
EdbMails consumes 50 mailbox licenses for Office 365 public folder migration. These 50 licenses allow you to migrate the complete organization's public folders without consuming a separate license for each public folder.