Outlook in office 2016 to Office 365

[acs]

I have a client who wants to upgrade from Office 2016 to Office 365.

Just wondering what the best way to deal with his current outlook 2016.

My Plan, Check 2016 is set up as Imap , check user name and password are known.

Backup all outlook folders to PST file

Uninstall Office 2016 leaving PST in place.

Install Office 365 including Outlook.

Hopefully 365 will pick up PST without a problem.

Any issues or ways I can improve this?

 

[JoelM]

I've never had an issue uninstalling any version of office and then installing the new one. Over the years every single time Outlook has picked up the email accounts, passwords & pst or ost file just fine. Backing up the pst file is unnecessary as it will never get deleted.
My steps.
1 - Uninstall Office
2 - Reboot computer (this is a must)
3 - Install new Office
4 - Open Word or Excel and activate product
5 - Open outlook and begin working

 

[britechguy]

Not to mention we're talking IMAP access here. As far as e-mail goes, set up the account and everything "automagically" returns, anyway. A third-party calendar/contacts sync mechanism will be needed again, as well, just as it was under Outlook 2016.

 

[callthatgirl]

1.) Backup the email to PST
2.) Backup the calendar to a PST and CSV
3.) Backup the contacts, tasks, notes to PST and CSV individuall
4.) See if there are any rules/backup signatures
5.) Uninstall 2016
6.) Install 365
6.a.) Recommended: configure the email in the mail app in control panel
7.) If the client wants their email the same as it was in 2016, which they might due to categories and colors and only having one calendar (IMAP gives you the shiity (This computer only) which is horrible)....then you will need to configure the email as POP in the control panel. Do not use the automated setup as it will create it with IMAP. Configure using the current PST you backed up. The other backups are for emergency
8.) If the client does want IMAP, then you will have a (This computer only) folder for contacts and calendar and you will always have to manually back it up and these will not sync outside of Outlook with phones/other computers without a 3rd party app
9.) Launch Outlook, if IMAP, remove the filters applied, let download until done
9.a) if POP, give it time to setup, then review all the settings. If your client is like mine, they will have a lot of aftercare questions.

If you can setup Exchange for them, they will be greatful!

 

[britechguy]

If you can setup Exchange for them, they will be greatful!

Serious question: When could this ever happen?

If the email service provider is using Exchange, and the client is using Outlook or any email client that supports Exchange, then that's the way to go.

But I have never seen an email service provider where IMAP or POP were in use where Exchange was an option. I use Exchange whenever I can, but I use IMAP plenty because that's what the email service provider provides. I have no choice in what access methods are offered, just what I can choose among those that are.

If anyone is offering Exchange, IMAP, and POP access for the same account, I've not yet encountered that provider. It's always been IMAP (sometimes with a POP option) or Exchange. I haven't dealt with a POP only provider in a very long time, though I do know those did once exist.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Outlook 2016 is Outlook 2019... which is very similar to Outlook 2022.

If you simply remove Office 2016, and install M365, the Outlook profile won't go anywhere, the datafiles everything that makes it what it is... will simply still be there for the new version of Outlook to use.

Though, depending on what email service Outlook is connected to, it can be a very good idea to backup the PST files just in case. As well as document the configuration settings. I wouldn't waste time backing up mail, because the removal and replacement of Outlook / Office itself isn't destructive. The destruction happens later, if the Outlook profile is corrupted, and you're forced to build a new one.

@callthatgirl Is listing a process that is above reproach in terms of ensuring data retention. But I haven't had a need to dive that deep since we got away from Outlook 2012.

 

[britechguy]

Outlook 2022.

I believe you mean Outlook 2021. And I said this only because I do know you value technical correctness, not to be snarky.

 

[acs]

Thank to everyone for the input on this one, I like the idea of backing up the PST before hand " Just in case".

So using this procedure the contacts and calendar should also be Transferred / kept ok??

or will“A third-party calendar/contacts sync mechanism will be needed” ( Britechguy)

Client is not on exchange just Imap.

What is the advantage on Callthatgirls Using Pop in the control panel and then, if I understand correctly, importing the saved PST?

or is Call that girl suggesting downloading all again from the original server?

I have upgraded from 2013 to 2016 before so just wanted to see if outlook in 365 was any different.



Have some more questions about upgrading to exchange once I have this option clear in my head.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Serious question: When could this ever happen?

If the email service provider is using Exchange, and the client is using Outlook or any email client that supports Exchange, then that's the way to go.

But I have never seen an email service provider where IMAP or POP were in use where Exchange was an option. I use Exchange whenever I can, but I use IMAP plenty because that's what the email service provider provides. I have no choice in what access methods are offered, just what I can choose among those that are.

If anyone is offering Exchange, IMAP, and POP access for the same account, I've not yet encountered that provider. It's always been IMAP (sometimes with a POP option) or Exchange. I haven't dealt with a POP only provider in a very long time, though I do know those did once exist.

I'm sure she is referring to upgrading the client to the email provided by Microsoft 365. There's very little need to change Office versions to 365 unless you are planning on moving the email to M$.

 

[britechguy]

I'm sure she is referring to upgrading the client to the email provided by Microsoft 365.

The original request sounds like someone who has an existing email account, currently set up in Outlook 2016, where Office 2016 is being dumped for M365 and where Outlook 365 would be supplanting Outlook 2016. That's a mighty straightforward change, and has nothing to do with how M365 provides email service itself. At least that's how I'm reading the query.

The original request does not strike me, in any way, as being about moving domain-level email from one service provider to within M365. It sounds like just setting up an existing account from some 3rd party email service provider all over again.

 

[britechguy]

@acs

If this client already has access to synchronized calendar and contacts on multiple devices, and was using IMAP as the email access method, some third party tool is already in use in conjunction with Outlook to support that. I've used a number of them over time, as I have a number of clients who want to use Outlook with email service providers who only support IMAP, not Exchange, but where access to contacts and calendar also need to be synchronized for the same account. Outlook does not handle that unless Exchange is being used as the access method, which ties everything up in a tidy bow. But you don't always have the option for that "tidy bow."

Gmail is the most common situation where I have to set up IMAP access for the email part and use a 3rd party sync tool for calendar and contacts.

 

[nlinecomputers]

The original request sounds like someone who has an existing email account, currently set up in Outlook 2016, where Office 2016 is being dumped for M365 and where Outlook 365 would be supplanting Outlook 2016. That's a mighty straightforward change, and has nothing to do with how M365 provides email service itself. At least that's how I'm reading the query.

The original request does not strike me, in any way, as being about moving domain-level email from one service provider to within M365. It sounds like just setting up an existing account from some 3rd party email service provider all over again.

Yes, but he does later mention moving to Exchange. And as I said there is no reason to change to M365 if you already own Office. Most people have the stand-alone to avoid monthly fees for what is for most people a static program.

 

[acs]

Thanks both, just to clarify, my original question was just a simple O2016 dump and move to O365 still using Imap client on an Domain register provided server ( not gmail). Just getting my thoughts together before asking a secondary question...

 

[britechguy]

I said there is no reason to change to M365 if you already own Office

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one. There is an awful lot that you get with M365 that goes beyond the classic Office programs, and the M365 versions of the various Office programs have begun to diverge in subtle ways from their predecessors.

The main driving force behind my move from Office 2016 standalone to M365 is the fact that almost all of my clients, including those who are blind or visually impaired, are using M365 and I could no longer count on my step-by-step tutorials being accurate if I used the keyboard shortcuts and ribbon/menu traversal methods from 2016. There was perfect synchrony until sometime last year, then little differences began to creep in.

But even aside from that getting the storage that comes with M365 at the low cost associated with that is very attractive to many users, whether they currently have a standalone version of Office or not.

 

[britechguy]

my original question was just a simple O2016 dump and move to O365 still using Imap client on an Domain register provided server ( not gmail)

Thanks for making the exact nature of the query clear. Actually, were I you, I'd just make sure there is a full system image of the machine in question, then do a straight install of M365. I have yet to see it not "just pick up where standalone office left off" and were it to do so you have the ability to restore everything to what it was in very little time.

I have found Office version and Office standalone to M365 update progressions to be very reliable indeed over time.

 

[callthatgirl]

@britechguy you'd setup a 365 account for business, add Exchange P1 to start. Instead of setting up a new pop/imap, you could just import the current PST into the new Exchange account. Solves all the problems in the future.

 

[callthatgirl]

@britechguy But I have never seen an email service provider where IMAP or POP were in use where Exchange was an option

You're right but if this is a business domain email, Exchange is the holy grail and highly recommended.

 

[callthatgirl]

@Sky-Knight @callthatgirl Is listing a process that is above reproach in terms of ensuring data retention. But I haven't had a need to dive that deep since we got away from Outlook 2012.

Oh yes, every bit of data will matter.

 

[acs]

..part 2

Client has 2 email accounts on Outlook 2016 using eg name1@company.co.uk on an email account set up with his domain provided using imap.

They have also purchased office 365 and have name1@company.onmicrosoft.com log ins for word, excel etc.

They would like to use name1@company.co.uk as log in for office 365 and get their emails in Outlook 365 that way.

I can see how to set up TXT record to allow company.co.uk to map to company.onmicrosoft.com.

I would then need to map name1@company.co.uk to name1@company.onmicrosoft.com and change MX records.

Of course the client does not want to lose all the emails he had collected from the original imap Domain name server but wants to collect all future emails from the O365 Email server system.



What is the best way to retaining all the emails from the “old” imap server while also being able to pick up all new emails from the O365 server.

 

[acs]

Office 365 business premium licensing