Office 365 Archives — SysTools Software Official Tech Updates by Team SysTools Wed, 31 Dec 2025 12:33:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 Retention Policies in Office 365 Explained in Simple Words https://www.systoolsgroup.com/updates/retention-policies-in-office-365/ Wed, 31 Dec 2025 09:21:31 +0000 https://www.systoolsgroup.com/updates/?p=32761 Retention policies in Office 365 are a built-in solution of the Microsoft 365 cloud that controls how long data stays and when it gets deleted. Using such tools becomes necessary

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Retention policies in Office 365 are a built-in solution of the Microsoft 365 cloud that controls how long data stays and when it gets deleted. Using such tools becomes necessary as every day organizations deal with a humongous amount of information. It’s not just the volume of data but the fact that there are so many different sources (Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, etc.) in the O365 cloud that data becomes viscous and manual management is downright impossible.

That’s why it becomes extremely important that admins know exactly what the retention policies are, when and why to use them. We will cover all that, plus tell you the exact steps you can use to apply your custom retention and develop Office 365 backup policy techniques as well. Let’s start.

Video Guide on How to Create Retention Policies in O365

What are Retention Policies in Office 365? Are They Different from Labels?

Retention policies are rules that determine how long data is kept in Office 365. They are a key feature within the Microsoft Purview portal and help an organization to manage the vast amounts of data that is in the O365 cloud at the container level.

If you don’t know exactly what a container means in Microsoft, think of it as a storage unit. It houses (or contains) other data elements. Like for example, a user’s mailbox is the container for individual email items.

The majority, if not all, of the applications that you use in M365 are containers for various data elements. Outlook is for mail; Teams is for chats.

Policies are designed to perform one of two actions

  • Retention: Makes data immune to deletion.
  • Deletion: Permanently removes all traces of data.

Then there is a hybrid of the two core policies. Here, you retain the data for a preset interval and then, at the end of its lifespan, delete it automatically with zero admin intervention.

Container Vs Item

Labels work similarly, except they apply to individual items (for example, an email in Outlook Inbox or a document in OneDrive).

So labels are a more precise version of policies and have the following features that are absent from retention policies in Office 365.

Specify the retention solution from the moment the label was applied. This facility is given on top of the usual age/last modification time type filter.

Use machine learning to figure out what item is being labeled.

Have default labels for certain apps, like SharePoint.

You can get a more in-depth look from Microsoft’s comparison between labels and policies.

Now, let us see the reason behind using the retention

Why Use Retention Policies in Office 365?

Compliance protocols and industry regulations mandate the use of such data governance tools.

Like the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002

Risk of internal leaks increases exponentially if an organization doesn’t know where its data is.

According to a recent Eon report (2025), which surveyed 150+ organizations, almost half of them struggle to find the right data when they need it.

You can thwart external attacks by automating the deletion of data that has served its purpose.

Your peers and competitors are using these right now and becoming leaner and faster.

It reduces user burden and only allows them access to what’s necessary, and ignores the rest.

Let us learn to make and use labels first, then move on to the retention policy.

Create and Apply Microsoft 365 Retention Labels

Here is the list of prerequisites you must fulfill before you start.

  • Your organization must be on the Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 enterprise plan
  • You must have the Global Administrator or Compliance Administrator privileges.

How Admins Make a Retention Label in Microsoft 365

Step 1. Open Microsoft Purview >> Solutions >> Click on the Data Lifecycle Management option >> select Retention labels.

Step 2. Click on Create a label.

Step 3. A Create Retention Label window opens on the screen. Enter a Name (mandatory) and Description (optional but recommended)

Step 4. Choose one option out of three in the Define label settings page.

Step 5. Decide how long to retain the items for and the start period.

Step 6. Determine what happens after the retention period expires (you have five options).

Step 7. Finally, on the Review and finish page, see if all the settings are as per your requirement, then hit Create label.

Guide to Create a Microsoft 365 Retention Policy

Step 1. Log in to Microsoft Purview >> Select Solutions >> Tap on Data Lifecycle Management >> Go to Retention policies.

Step 2. Tap + New retention policy and add a name and description.

Step 3. Continue with the default Full directory selection on the Assign admin units screen and press Next.

Step 4. Choose an adaptive/static scope for this new retention policy in Office 365.

Step 5. If you chose Adaptive in the previous step, click on Add scopes and select one or more adaptive scopes. Then, select one or more locations. The locations depend on the scope.

If you opt for Static. In the Locations page, select the locations to be included in the retention policy.

Step 6. Depending on what your organization requires, you can:

  •    Retain the content for a specific period or forever (does not delete)
  •    Retain for a duration and then delete.
  •    Delete the content after some time. (does not retain, data may be removed before)

Step 7. Check the details on the review screen and hit Submit.

Limits of Retention Policies in Office 365 and What’s the Alternative?

The biggest limitation of retention policies is that the data is still on the cloud. To access and interact with the data, you need an active internet connection.

Also Read: Outlook Classic End of Life Date, Meaning & Next Steps

Retention policies are only made available to the most premium enterprise-grade E3 and E5 plans. Making it out of reach for organizations that have a lower budget.

Setting up a calendar retention policy is quite difficult and may not be possible in some cases (like perpetual, never-ending events).

If a user deletes an item from their account, the data stays in litigation hold, but restoration of the data to the user account is not possible without admin intervention.

Download, although possible, requires a completely different set of steps than what we have described here. Moreover, it will be more like a trial-and-error method than a true and precise data export. It will take a lot of effort and waste a lot of time to get the exact data you need.

Instead, what you can do is use the SysTools Office 365 Backup and Restore software to get a copy of the Office 365 user data. It can download every user’s email, contact, calendar, and document data from the cloud onto a local machine directly without the requirement of a network folder setup.

This zero-code GUI-only tool requires no special training to operate. Just follow these simple steps.

  • Step 1. Install the tool. Select Microsoft 365 as the source and keep the default destination format. Scroll down and mark all the workloads and apply the date filter if you wish.
  • Step 2. Validate the Office 365 admin credentials.
  • Step 3. Validate the local folder path.
  • Step 4. Map the Users
  • Step 5. Preview, Validate, and Start Backup.

Conclusion

In this write-up, we went in-depth on the topic of retention policies in Office 365. Organizations must use them if they wish to maintain a proactive approach towards data safety. Although necessary, the retention policies are not a true backup and restoration substitute. That is why we have introduced a complementary tool that can patch up the gaps left by retention policies and labels to make it super easy for admins to back up and restore their organization’s data.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How many retention policies can be applied at a time?
There is no limit on the number of retention policies you can make in M365. However, individual workloads such as Exchange Online or SharePoint can have no more than 1800 retention polices attached to them at a time. For most practical purposes keep retention policies count at no more than 25 per workload.

Q. What is the difference between Adaptive and Static Retention policy?
A static retention policy is fixed. It only applies to the sites/mailboxes/groups that you defined during the setup. On the other hand adaptive retention policy is more dynamic. As it uses an alterable query, instead, you can automate the inclusion/exclusion of location as per a user’s department, group, or site.

Q. Does retention policy have an expiry date?
Retention polices can be used to set expiry date on items. However, retention polices themselves have no expiry date they stay as long as your account remains active.

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Why is Microsoft Office 365 Slowing Down the Computer? https://www.systoolsgroup.com/updates/office-365-slowing-down-computer/ Thu, 04 Dec 2025 05:51:49 +0000 https://www.systoolsgroup.com/updates/?p=33029 Do you feel your computer slows down every time you use Microsoft 365? You are not alone. Many users notice that their Office 365 suddenly started lagging or freezing while

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Do you feel your computer slows down every time you use Microsoft 365? You are not alone. Many users notice that their Office 365 suddenly started lagging or freezing while working, this makes work more frustrating and difficult. To avoid the situation, we will provide you with the best ways to resolve Office 365 slowing down computer with a proper step-by-step guide.

Microsoft 365 or Office 365 is a widely used productivity service that is trusted by many organizations worldwide because it offers robust cloud-based apps and Microsoft tools like Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, and OneDrive. Most of us use it daily for communication, collaboration, and managing tasks. However, it is not immune to any issues; several users complain about their performance slowdown when starting to use Office 365.

In this guide, we are going to address these slowdown issues and explain to you how to use Microsoft 365 properly. But, before that, it is important to check if Office 365 is the culprit for making your device slow down. So, let’s get started.

Is Office 365 Slowing Down Computer?

If you’re wondering “does office 365 slow down your computer?” Then here are a few signs that you can observe and check before blaming Office 365.

  • When you launch Outlook, Word, Excel, or Teams on your device and you notice they are consuming a lot of time to open as compared to other programs.
  • While browsing or running other software, your system runs smoothly. But it starts freezing or performing slowly when you open the Office 365 application.
  • The task manager or activity monitor indicates that Outlook, Teams, or OneDrive consumes too many system resources.
  • Your laptop will heat up, or the fans will run loudly, when you are using Microsoft 365 apps.
  • Struggling to sync your OneDrive or Outlook files and email, which also slows down your system.

These signs indicate that Microsoft Office 365 makes your laptop slow. So, to address this issue, let’s learn how to fix it.

Why Microsoft 365 Slows Down?

There could be several reasons why Office 365 slow down computer. Some of them are listed below:

  • Outlook, Teams, and OneDrive run multiple background processes. If they sync emails and files continuously, the usage of CPU and RAM will increase, and it will make your computer slower.
  • If your mailbox contains various emails, attachments, and calendar entries. It will take a long time to load and index your data, and also affect your system performance.
  • Constant synchronizations of OneDrive files, Team chats, or automatic Office updates take a lot of bandwidth and system resources.
  • Your corrupted or damaged Office profile can affect your computer performance, like slowing down your computer and constantly freezing.

These are some of the common factors that can make the performance slower. So, to fix it, let’s look at the solutions that you can use to improve or speed up Microsoft 365.

How to Fix Office 365 Slowing Down Computer Issue?

To fix this, there are multiple ways including optimizing Outlook, managing OneDrive synchronization, updating your System, adjusting system resources, and backing up your Office 365 data. I will explain all methods with proper steps.

1. Optimize Outlook Performance

For the bad performance of your computer, MS Outlook is the biggest problem. So, here are the ways to fix it.

  1. Reduce Mailbox size: An oversized or almost full mailbox can cause a serious problem. So, it is best to reduce the mailbox. To do this, you can archive your older emails, delete your unnecessary items, and move large attachments to cloud or local storage.
  2. Disable unnecessary add-ins: If you have installed unwanted add-ons, then disable them. Click on the File button >> Options >> Add-ins and then disable it.
  3. Clear Outlook Data Cache: Corrupted cache files can cause your system to hang mid-work. For this, delete the cache.
  4. Regularly update your Outlook to fix any performance issues.

2. Managing your OneDrive Syncing

OneDrive from Office 365 is also one of the reasons for your system slowing down. So, here are the solutions to resolve the problem.

  1. Pause the Syncing process while a Heavy Task, if you are editing your large files or using any files that require heavy resources. Right-click the OneDrive icon and click on Pause syncing to set a time.
  2. Folders that are not unwanted, exclude them by selective sync. From the OneDrive settings, click on the Account option and then choose the folder and uncheck the ones you never need.
  3. Updated your OneDrive so that your OneDrive and the system performance will improve. Also, it will make your synchronization faster.

3. Updating your Computer System

Older systems can create so many problems, like slowing down your computer. To do this, update your Office 365 and Windows system.

  1. For Office 365: Open any Office apps, click on File, and then Account option. Select the Update Options, then Update Now.
  2. For Windows System: Navigate to the Settings, click on Update & Security. Select the Windows Update option and then check for updates.

4. Adjust the System Resources

Not only Microsoft 365, but handling the load itself can make your computer slow down. Here are the ways to improve the performance.

  1. Upgrade to SSD: If you are still using a hard drive, then it may fill quickly. So, switch to an SSD (Solid State Drive) to save your data to speed up the performance.
  2. Upgrade your RAM: You know that Outlook and Teams consume so much memory. Therefore, add more RAM to multitask your processes without any issues.
  3. Close Unwanted Background Apps: There are some apps that are running in the background, but you don’t know them. So, go to Task Manager, find out the apps, and end the tasks.
  4. Empty Disk Space: Disk cleanup also helps you fix the problem. Remove the temporary files, cache, and unnecessary data.

Pro Tip: Backup and Archive Office 365 Mailbox

When the data overloads your Office 365 mailbox. This will cause your computer to slow down. When so many emails, documents, and contacts are stored in your mailbox. It consumes too much storage and increases the load on your system’s CPU and memory. Therefore, it is best to archive or backup your Microsoft 365 mailbox. SysTools Office 365 Backup Software is a professional solution and is a great way to help you overcome the Office 365 slowing down computer error. You can easily download your data into a PST file, which you can easily access from anywhere. Thus, by saving your emails, you not only solve the problem but also safeguard your data.

Download Now Purchase Now

Final Words

These are the ways to solve when Office 365 is slowing down computer. Here, I have explained the reasons and found out if Microsoft 365 is the culprit or not. Then, provided various solutions to resolve them. Here, you can see how Outlook and OneDrive can cause the problem. Also, not only Office 365, system may also be the reason for this problem. But using the solutions that I have explained may help you fix the issue. So, properly follow them.

Read More: What is the limit of Office 365 Extra File Storage?

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How to Avoid Office 365 Migration Failure? Expert’s Guide https://www.systoolsgroup.com/updates/how-to-avoid-office-365-migration-failure/ Mon, 24 Nov 2025 13:05:00 +0000 https://www.systoolsgroup.com/updates/?p=13110 This informative article describes the eight most common mistakes that users make while migrating Office 365 data to another account. If you are among them then, go through this write

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This informative article describes the eight most common mistakes that users make while migrating Office 365 data to another account. If you are among them then, go through this write and learn the right way, to avoid Office 365 migration failure. Let’s get into it.

Table of Content

Microsoft Office 365 is a complete collaboration platform for unified communications and productivity. Besides these amazing cloud services, it offers great accessibility as well as flexibility in managing the business environment. And therefore this cloud solution is increasingly popular within businesses. Since more and more companies want to take the benefit of the wealth of services offered by Office 365 to work collaboratively the massive migration to Office 365 is a very present reality.

However, lack of time and wrong methodologies may lead users to unwanted consequences during Office 365 data migration. So, if you want to perform this move successfully then, you must prepare with more seriousness and professionalism. In this guide, we’re going to talk about how to avoid Office 365 migration failure.

8 Common Office 365 Migration Mistakes That Should Not Be Committed

Error # 1: Poor Planning

Most companies often immerse themselves in large projects like Office 365 migration without taking a review of existing substances. For instance, Office 365 users, groups, distribution folders, distribution lists, data storage, obsolete data, mailboxes, unused accounts, and empty mailboxes.

Hence, evaluating the compatibility of applications with browsers and preparation for migration is very crucial while migrating to Office 365.

Error #2: Sluggish Internet Connection

This is another common mistake made by most companies that results in various forms like permanent data loss, incomplete migration, or corruption. This happens because Office 365 is a cloud-based platform that delivers its services over the Internet so a strong Internet bandwidth is necessary to migrate heavy data files.

To avoid complex issues after migration, companies must check their existing network connections to ensure that they can handle the Office 365 migration and other regular Office 365 operations.

Recommendation: For smaller companies who are struggling with slow Internet issues, it is highly recommended to perform Office 365 migration in off-hours.

Error #3: Absent Secured Migration Policies

Some of organizations understand the importance of backups and perform periodical Office 365 backups. However, some companies lack this additional protection and begin Office 365 migration which sometimes leads them to failure.

Hence, having a complete backup and data recovery plan is of utmost importance as this will help to restore the vital database easily in case something goes wrong while performing Office 365 migration.

Error # 4: Huge Mailboxes and Files

If it’s an organization then, it is very obvious to have quite heavy mailboxes and files. Migrating these extensively large data files and mailboxes is an error-prone task and also can be time-consuming. Consequently, if the organizations are not prepared well for this scenario, then issues like the unavailability of the database for a long time and affect the smooth workflow.

To avoid such difficulties, it is advised to archive email inboxes and extract all the unnecessary email attachments. This is one of the reasons Office 365 data migration failed.

Error #5: Misconfigured Firewalls/ Servers

A firewall is a very crucial component of network security and only a secured network can perform successful Office 365 migration. Wrong Firewall, Proxy device, or CAS Server configurations are some of the most common causes of Office 365 Migration Failure.

Therefore, it is recommended to avoid using risky rouge/ management services and non-standard authentication mechanisms. In addition, organizations must test their systems using production data.

Error #6: Less Compatible Software Installation

Since most of the versions of Office 365 come up with subscriptions to the latest versions and built-in support for the systems, there might be systems with slightly old versions.

All the companies who are using an older version of Office 365 like Office 2010 or 2003 will not be capable of using Office 365 properly. Hence, companies are suggested to ensure that their systems and software are compatible with their Internet browser as well as Office 365.

Error #7: Lack of Postmigration Strategy

Several companies execute Office 365 migration without concentrating on the execution or without paying enough attention to the optimization of a new environment which is a very common mistake.

The execution of Office 365 migration needs proper sound project management and a complete audit of ongoing reports, collection, and control over essentials. Only after that, the migration be performed safely and efficiently.

Error #8: Picking Unprofessional Approach

Theoretically, Office 365 migration seems quite a simple and direct procedure but, when companies perform this operation by themselves, they find it is not that easy. In addition, they come across so many unexpected complex issues that can only be solved by an IT expert.

However, if organizations come across some critical conditions that cannot be handled easily then, they should use a tried and tested tool to migrate Office 365 data to another Office 365 account. They should be aware of the downtime involved in this operation if not choose the right approach.

Most Reliable & Secure Approach to Avoid Office 365 Migration Failure

It is suggested to use the Office 365 Mailbox Migration Tool for the above operation. This is a seamless and only reliable approach to avoid Office 365 migration failure. It has various modern features to convert this complex task into a seamless data transfer flow. Moreover, this is the most widely used tool by IT experts for multiple types of migration in O365.

Download Now Purchase Now

testimonial

Ultimate Features of Tool to Avoid Failure in Office 365 Migration

  • It is capable of migrating emails, contacts, calendars, tasks, categories & documents.
  • Offers multiple mailbox migration such as shared mailbox, Office 365 archive folder, tenant to tenant, and many more.
  • Comes with a built-in Date filter for selective data migration for mailbox items.
  • It also provides a user account-based priority migration option to set the user’s account to migrate first.
  • It also keeps the data and folder structure intact in the post-migration stage.
  • Offers ultra-modern facility to migrate group and group members from Office 365 to Office 365.
  • Only required to sign in with Office 365 Admin account credentials.
  • Several options to Re-Run failed migration without creating duplicate files to avoid Office 365 migration failure.
  • It also offers a summary and detailed report of data migration at the post-stage.
  • Compatible with Windows 10 (64-bit) and Windows Server 2012 & 2016 versions.

These are only a few features that are listed above, there are various benefits and modern features that have to be offered by this utility. Download the free Demo version now to self-verify its working & performance without any cost.

Conclusion

In this informative write-up, we have provided 8 factors that may affect your data migration and can cause failure in Office 365. You can use the above-mentioned utility to avoid Office 365 migration failure. Users with no prior technical experience can also easily perform this operation without any error.

The post How to Avoid Office 365 Migration Failure? Expert’s Guide appeared first on SysTools Software.

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How to Forward Outlook 365 to Gmail? Best Methods https://www.systoolsgroup.com/updates/forward-outlook-365-to-gmail/ Fri, 14 Nov 2025 17:50:45 +0000 https://www.systoolsgroup.com/updates/?p=34588 Many professional users often forward their professional emails to their personal accounts. But there are people who don’t know how to forward Outlook 365 to Gmail. Thus, in this article,

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Many professional users often forward their professional emails to their personal accounts. But there are people who don’t know how to forward Outlook 365 to Gmail. Thus, in this article, I am going to explain how you forward your emails in simple ways.

Those who are unfamiliar with Outlook 365. So, it is the version of Microsoft Outlook that is integrated with Office 365. As you know, Microsoft 365 is a cloud platform that provides access to all Microsoft tools, including Outlook. Normally, MS Outlook is a desktop application that you have to download on your computer.

Whereas Microsoft 365 Outlook is also used as a basic email service, but with Microsoft 365 features. Those who have subscribed to it use this program for secure communication, advanced admin controls, and to connect with Teams and other collaboration tools.

Gmail, on the other hand, is a free email service run by Google. Billions use this email program for email management. It also uses a cloud computing platform, which makes it easy for them to run on any device with a stable internet connection. Gmail also easily integrates with Google Workspace apps for managing multiple email accounts.

Why Users Need to Forward Outlook 365 to Gmail?

For email services, Outlook 365 and Gmail are the most popular choices. Even some users use both programs for their work. But if you want to clearly understand the reason behind the forwarding. Then, I mentioned the causes below.

  • Having two email accounts: Microsoft 365 Outlook and Gmail makes it difficult to manage your emails. So, often people forward their emails into a single inbox so that they can easily access all their emails.
  • Gmail has its own mobile app, which makes it easy for you to read your important emails from anywhere. So, for immediate response, they set email forwarding to Gmail.
  • To keep a copy of your important emails, users forward their emails from Outlook 365 to Gmail.
  • Sometimes, admins enable forwarding to monitor the activities of the user. And they also use it for shared mailboxes, inactive user accounts, and monitoring support.

Hence, forwarding Outlook 365 to Gmail is so useful for you. For this, Microsoft offers you several forwarding options that you can use.

Options Available for Microsoft 365 Outlook Forwarding

To forward your emails from Outlook 365 to Gmail. There are several types available.

  • Automatic forwarding for all emails
  • Conditional forwarding based on rules
  • Forward as a copy where emails stay in Outlook
  • Full redirect where Gmail becomes the main receiver

I will explain all these types with proper steps. So, properly follow them.

Forward Outlook 365 to Gmail with Automatic Forwarding Option

For your easy procedure, Outlook 365 offers you an automatic forwarding feature. By enabling this function, all your incoming emails will be automatically forwarded to your Gmail account.

  1. Sign in to the Web Outlook using the Microsoft 365 credentials.
  2. Go to the Outlook settings. Then, click on the Mail option.
  3. Select the Forwarding button and then switch the enable forwarding check box.
  4. Provide the personal Gmail address. If you want, you can enable Keep a copy of forwarded messages option.
  5. Click on the Save button.

Forwarding Emails from Outlook 365 to Gmail By Applying Condition

If you want only a specific sender to forward their emails. Then, you can use a condition to forward the emails.

  1. Same as the first method, log in to the Outlook 365 Web.
  2. Click on the Mail option and then the Rules button.
  3. Select the Add new rule and provide a descriptive name of the rule.
  4. To add a condition, click on Apply to all messages, or you can define specific criteria.
  5. Choose the Forward to option under Add an action. Type your Gmail address.
  6. Lastly, hit the Save button to apply the forwarding option.

Forward Outlook 365 Emails As an Admin

For compliance and tracking the activities of the employees. The administrator applies forwarding. Remember, this method is only applicable within the organization. It means that you can forward emails in your domain.

  1. First, sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center.
  2. Click on the Users and then the Active users option.
  3. Select the name of your user whom you want to apply the forwarding to. Press the Mail tab.
  4. Choose Manage email forwarding from the Email forwarding section.
  5. Click on the Forward all emails sent to this mailbox. Provide the Gmail mailbox.
  6. You can choose to keep a copy of messages in your Outlook mailbox and then save the changes.

Here are the solutions to forward Outlook 365 emails into your personal Gmail account. Other than that, some users also forward their Microsoft 365 Outlook to the Google Workspace. I also have a method for this.

Forward Outlook 365 Emails to G Suite

Companies that use both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 for their email management. They often forward their emails from Outlook 365 to work Gmail. Along with it, many also move their emails. To smoothly transfer the multiple emails, SysTools Office 365 to G Suite Migration Tool. It is a professional software where you can migrate your emails without any issues. To know how you can move the files.

Download Now Purchase Now

Working Steps of the Software

  1. The first step is to download the software on your computer.
    download the software
  2. From the setup, click on Microsoft 365 as a source and G Suite as a destination.
    click microsoft 365 and g suite options
  3. Click on the Email option from Workload to forward your emails. If you want, you can also apply a Date Filter for selective emails.
    select email button
  4. In the source dashboard, enter Microsoft 365 Admin Email and Application ID. Click on the Validate button to check the permission.
    provide microsoft 365 account details
  5. Provide Admin Email, Service Account, and Certificate File of your destination G Suite account. Hit the Validate button.
    enter g suite account
  6. You can now add users by either choosing Fetch Users or Import Users.
    add user accounts
  7. After adding the users, now, click on the Start Migration button.
    start the migration process

Conclude

Forwarding your emails is helpful in many scenarios. Therefore, here I have provided ways to forward Outlook 365 to Gmail. In this, I have explained the methods to forward your emails from Microsoft 365 Outlook to your personal account. And a solution to forward them from the professional Google Workspace account. All these will help you when you want to forward your important emails.

Read Also: How to Transfer Excel to Google Sheets?

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How to Change Public Folder to Shared Mailbox? https://www.systoolsgroup.com/updates/public-folder-to-shared-mailbox/ Mon, 10 Nov 2025 02:53:13 +0000 https://www.systoolsgroup.com/updates/?p=33151 Do you know how to convert public folder to shared mailbox? If not, then here I am going to help you by explaining ways to change your public folder into

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Do you know how to convert public folder to shared mailbox? If not, then here I am going to help you by explaining ways to change your public folder into a shared mailbox and also move your data. But first, let us understand the difference between these two.

In today’s times, many professional organizations prefer to use shared folders through channels like SharePoint, OneDrive, and Shared Mailboxes to ease access, increase flexibility, and enable external and internal users to participate. Although Public folders are supported for real-time collaboration and specific Exchange modules, they are particularly structured for guest access.

On the other hand, Shared Mailboxes support collaboration, that allows plenty of regular users as well as guest users to to work together securely from anywhere.

Comprehending the difference between the Public folder and Shared Mailbox would help users and professional organizations enhance their data-sharing implementation and make sure for a seamless transitions across numerous cloud-based collaborative modes.

Know About Public Folder & Shared Mailbox

In Microsoft 365, public folders and shared mailboxes are used for sharing information and improving collaboration. But their usage and purpose are different from each other. A public folder is used to archive, share emails, and calendars. It is an old feature provided by Microsoft that can still be used.

Shared mailbox, on the other hand, is an advanced collaboration tool where you add multiple users to a common mailbox. This makes it easy for users to send and receive emails from common addresses and also manage them. So, a Shared mailbox is a modern approach to collaboration. That’s why many experts are moving from the public folder to the Shared mailbox.

Why Shared Mailbox Chosen Over Public Folder?

  • Shared Mailboxes are designed for modern-day teamwork tasks, which allow users to remark, update, or edit their files, which makes the collaboration process way easier and minimizes the chances of having any delays for sending data whatsoever.
  • Without any complications, users can easily share essential folders with other users or external partners through guest invitations or secure links. This guarantees that multiple projects, including multiple users, can be well-managed effectively.
  • Share Mailbox do not need the assistance of IT administrators for setting up or handling permissions regularly, making it completely independent.
  • Another benefit of opting out of shared folders is that they can be customized according to users’ requirements, from having full editing rights to just permitting other users to view only.
  • The advantages of cloud security can only be featured in shared mailboxes, consisting of tracking access, policies on data compliance, and encryption, ensuring all the shared data is safeguarded and can be managed easily.

Difference Between Public Folder and Shared Mailbox

Features Public Folders Shared Mailbox
Purpose Used for archiving emails, calendars, and sharing documents. Used for team collaboration, group communication, and shared access of data.
Outline Follow folder structure. Follows a mailbox-based interface.
Easily Accessible Public folders are easily accessed from Outlook and OWA, but users need manual setup. The mailbox is automatically displayed in Outlook and OWA for assigned members.
Send Emails Cannot send emails from a public folder. Easily send and receive emails from a common email address.
Support Contacts and Calendars Provides limited contact and calendar features. Support shared calendars, contacts, and tasks.
Storage Space Provides large storage, but is difficult to handle. Storage limit is 50 GB, can be expanded using a license.
Best Use Case For archiving and legacy systems. Best for teamwork, group emails, and collaboration.

Preparing for the Process

  • Make sure you have appropriate global admin or Exchange admin rights to convert your public folder.
  • Check the size of your public folder, as the shared mailbox has limited storage.
  • Make sure you backup your data before going through the process to avoid any data deletion.
  • Review the user access and permissions that are included in the public folder.

Export Public Folder Data and Move into Shared Mailbox

This is the common way to change your public folder to Shared mailbox. Here, you have to first extract the public folder data and then create the shared mailbox in Office 365 and move the files to the mailbox. This is a lengthy process, but I have provided proper steps for this.

  1. In the Outlook Application. Click on the Open & Export option.
  2. Select the Import/Export button.
  3. Then, click on the Export to a file option and then press the Next button.
  4. Choose Outlook Data File (.pst). Hit the Next option.
  5. Select the public folder from the list and then click the Next button.
  6. Create a Shared Mailbox by going through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
  7. Select the Groups option and then click on Shared Mailboxes.
  8. Hit the Add a shared mailbox button and then enter a name and assign an email address.
  9. Save the mailbox. I am going to import the data that you have exported.
  10. Open Outlook where you can access the Shared Mailbox.
  11. Go to the File option and then Open & Export.
  12. Click on the Import/Export button and select Import from another program or file.
  13. Choose Outlook Data File (.pst) and browse to the file that contains the public folder data.
  14. Go back to the Shared Mailbox that you have created from the Microsoft 35 admin center.
  15. Add the users to access the shared mailbox.
  16. After that, you can now see the shared mailboxes that have been converted from public folders.

Convert Public Folder to Shared Mailbox with Migration Script

  1. Download the Microsoft Public Folder Migration Script from the Microsoft Download Center.
  2. Then, start the process by creating a public folder mailbox in Office 365: New-Mailbox -PublicFolder -Name PFMailboxOnline.
  3. Perform the migration process with these commands: //Export the Public Folder Listcd C:\PFScripts.\Export-PublicFolderStatistics.ps1 > PFStats.csv//Create a Mapping File for Migration.\PublicFolderToMailboxMapGenerator.ps1 PFStats.csv > PFMapping.csv// Start Migration in BatchesNew-MigrationBatch -Name “PF-Migration” -SourcePublicFolderDatabase “PFDatabase” -CSVData (Get-Content PFMapping.csv -Raw) -NotificationEmails “admin@domain.com”.
  4. Convert Public Folder to Shared Mailbox with this command: Set-Mailbox “PFMailboxOnline” -Type Shared.

The above method is a free way to convert a public folder to the Shared mailbox. But some users may have difficulty converting them. Especially moving your Public folder data. So, to make the process easier, I have a professional solution that can easily help you.

Professionally Move Public Folder to Shared Mailbox

To change the public folder to the shared mailbox, the first step is to export your data from the public folder. So, if you have already exported public folder to PST, you can use SysTools Office 365 Import Tool. It is an advanced solution that can easily move your files to the Office 365 and the shared mailbox. To use the software, you don’t need any technical knowledge. because of its user-friendly interface. To know how it works, follow the steps below.

Download Now Purchase Now

Steps to Use Professional Software

  1. Download the software on your computer.
    download the software
  2. Click on the Outlook from the Source tab and Office 365 from the destination tab.
    choose outlook and office 365
  3. Choose the Workload option and apply the date filter, then press the Next button.
    select workload option
  4. Browse the location where your PST file is located. Click on the Validate option to set the correct permissions.
    browse the location
  5. After clicking the Next option, provide the Admin Email and Application ID. Validate the credentials that are provided.
    enter the details
  6. Now, add the user where you want to move your account. Choose Fetch Users or Import Users to import the file.
    add users account
  7. Lastly, press the Start Import option.
    click start import button

To Be Concluded

Many people want to convert public folder to Shared Mailbox. That’s why, in this article, I have explained to you three ways to move your public folder. The first two methods are manual, which are free solutions. However, some of you may have a problem using them. So, I will also explain a professional solution. With these methods, you can effortlessly move your public folders to Office 365.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Is it possible for guest users to access Public folders?

A. No, external or guest users are not permitted to access the Public Folders as they are considered constrained to the internal members that are within the same Exchange organization.

Q2. Why are home users and organizations switching from Public Folders to Shared Mailboxes?

A. This situation is taking place due to the greater flexibility, accessibility, and advanced collaboration features provided by Shared mailboxes along with cloud storage.

Q3. What role do Shared Mailbox play in collaboration?

A. Shared Mailbox allows users to have real-time collaboration, share data with external users, and sync files, making them remote or hybrid environments.

Q4. Are Public Folders getting disintegrated?

A. While Public Folders are still supported, however, Microsoft encourages organizations to shift from Public Folders and adopt advanced solutions like Shared Mailboxes for improved and better management.

The post How to Change Public Folder to Shared Mailbox? appeared first on SysTools Software.

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How to Move, Copy, or Migrate Office 365 Mailboxes to Another User? https://www.systoolsgroup.com/updates/how-to-move-emails-from-one-account-to-another-in-office-365/ Thu, 30 Oct 2025 07:15:00 +0000 https://www.systoolsgroup.com/updates/?p=3541 There are times when an Office 365 administrator needs to move or migrate Office 365 mailbox emails to another user account. This includes employee transition, account consolidation, etc. In this

The post How to Move, Copy, or Migrate Office 365 Mailboxes to Another User? appeared first on SysTools Software.

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  • There are times when an Office 365 administrator needs to move or migrate Office 365 mailbox emails to another user account. This includes employee transition, account consolidation, etc. In this article, I am covering a detailed overview of the entire migration process. Follow this guide to ensure a successful data migration project using professional software.
  • Table of Contents

    User Query:

    “I am the system administrator in an organization, and I have to transfer Office 365 emails from one account to another due to department separation. Nowadays, every day and night, I am searching for a solution for it. Is there any solution to perform this operation easily? Can you please suggest an appropriate way to do the same?”

    Scenario: It is obvious that the business owner wants to migrate email from one Office 365 account to another. Because the number of employees is increasing day by day in an organization. Thus, it is hard to manage a large number of users in one domain. In this condition, it is necessary to separate the Office 365 user accounts of the employees according to the different departments and with separate billing arrangements.

    Want to Skip the Hassle? Try SysTools Migrator — 100% Secure & Automated

    The manual method can be overwhelming and complex, especially if you have multiple mailboxes to migrate. Switch to the more secure and reliable approach by choosing the software listed below and migrating mailboxes in minutes. Download the free demo and follow the steps below.

    Try Free Demo – Download Now

    5 Quick Steps to Transfer an Office 365 Mailbox from One Account to Another

    • Step 1. Install & Launch Tool > Select Office 365.
    • Step 2. Select Mailbox Items > Apply Date Filter.
    • Step 3. Provide O365 Admin Details > Validate.
    • Step 4. Create Mapping >Validate > Select Users.
    • Step 5. Click on > Start Migration Button.

    What are the Reasons for Moving Emails from One Mailbox to Another in Office 365?

    • When an employee leaves the organization or changes roles, the associated mailbox data must be transferred to the new user responsible for those tasks.
    • At various times when the department undergoes restructuring or role realignment, the mailboxes need to be reassigned to align with the updated organizational structure.
    • Facing errors in account creation, such as misspelled names or incorrect user details, requires migrating the mailbox to a new, accurately named account.
    • To maintain security and manage access control, migrating an Office 365 mailbox to another user account becomes crucial, which can be part of security protocols.
    • Also, changes in subscription plans or service levels within Office 365 require moving mailboxes to different user accounts to match the new specifications.
    • Migration might be necessary to resolve performance or technical issues affecting the mailbox’s accessibility, storage, or functionality.
    • Another noteworthy reason could be due to compliance. Ensuring email data is retained according to regulatory requirements.

    Like the above-discussed scenario and query, many more organizations have decided to transfer emails from one Office 365 account to another. As companies work in the cloud, they ask for the steps to go further and transfer the Office 365 mailbox to another account. But surprisingly, there is no convenient native method available to perform this type of migration.

    You must know that Office 365 migration is not an easy task. So, you will need a foolproof plan for an error-free execution. This write-up will discuss the ins and outs of migration needs that will help you successfully move all your important data to Office 365.

    What Are The Key Elements in Transferring Office 365 Mailbox to Another Account?

    Every project is incomplete without planning. And, it is essential to have a proper strategy before performing the actual migration to mitigate probable challenges.

    The second element is to prepare a pre & post Office 365 migration checklist to make sure that you are equipped with everything you need and ready for the process.

    Now, let’s discuss them individually to help you better understand.

    Stage #1: Planning to Move Emails from One Account to Another

    When you migrate an enterprise organization’s data to Office 365, it’s critical to plan thoroughly. Such as;

    • The steps you want to follow
    • When and how are you going to complete these steps
    • The users who will finish the steps

    Besides, planning will help you identify the key objectives of your migration project. The objectives might range from a full-scale move to a simple task where you just need to Office 365 copy mailbox to another user for a specific business need. And, you can refer back to it whenever you think something is missing.

    Also Read About: Office 365 Mailbox Types, Features & Their Significance

    Also, through an accurate strategy, you can almost nullify the possible challenges of Office 365 migration.

    However, planning includes;

    • Deciding when you want to carry out the process
    • Assigning an estimated time frame for completion
    • Scheduling team meetings with the concerned employees to execute a seamless migration

    Once you are ready with the road map, it’s time to proceed toward the next phase.

    Stage #2: Prepare for Pre-Migration

    There are a ton of things you need to consider when moving emails from one account to another in O365, and for that, you have to list out the following;

    Establish Clear Communication: Well, you are taking such an important step, like data migration, which involves moving emails, documents, etc. Before you transfer mailbox to another user Office 365, this communication is key to managing expectations. Hence, you should let the staff know about the project scope, period, and what the impact on work.

    Examine Your Current Environment Before Moving Office 365 Mailbox to Different Account

    • Listing all servers and active users.
    • Checking account creation method.
    • Number of licenses required.
    • Network capacity is suitable or needs improvement.
    • Is there a need for training sessions for end-users or not?
    • Requirements of a Firewall, antivirus, setting authentication, router upgrade, etc.

    Analyze On-premise Inventory: When you break down basic elements and prepare the inventory, it will become easier to execute the migration.

    • Make a list of all the names of user mailboxes, as well as shared resources.
    • Identify the desired storage locations, browser, OS versions, and configurations.
    • Check for the internet connectivity, DNS hosts, proxy, available bandwidth, etc.

    Define List of Data to be Migrated:

    • Make sure to update the Active Directory.
    • Get rid of all the unnecessary and unused user accounts.
    • Match the UPN of the source and destination.
    • Note both offline and online archive facilities for the future.

    Configure Office 365 Accounts: Lastly, ready all the Office 365 accounts by,

    • Having enough Office 365 licenses and subscriptions, or purchasing accordingly
    • Don’t miss out on verifying the domain names
    • Compile all the security permissions, applications for use, etc.

    When you ensure that you are all set to move your data to the destination, then comes the next phase.

    Stage #3: Choosing the Right Approach for Office 365 Transfer Emails from One Account to Another

    As we all know, there is no direct way or tool offered by Microsoft to perform this operation. Hence, I have to get it done through other indirect ways. You can perform this operation by setting email forwarding on the source Office 365 accounts. However, it has various limitations, which I will discuss in the coming section.

    You may love to know: How to perform Office 365 tenant to tenant migration in simple steps, without facing any issues. Follow this linked article to adopt a modern solution for this complex operation.

    Move Emails from One Mailbox to Another Using the Office 365 Admin Center

    Follow the steps below carefully to set up email forwarding in Office 365.

    • Step 1. To open the Office 365 admin center, you have to navigate to this URL – https://admin.microsoft.com in your respective browser.
    • Step 2. Now, from the left pane, click on Users, and then from the dropdown, click on Active Users. It will open the existing Office 365 users’ accounts associated with the respective Admin account.
    • Step 3. Choose the required user accounts that you want to migrate. Then click on the Mail option from the right pane.
    • Step 4. Then, click on the Manage email forwarding option.
    • Step 5. Now, enable the Forward all emails sent to this mailbox checkbox.
    • Step 6. Now provide the destination email address where you want to move the new upcoming emails.
    • Step 7. Enable the required options and then click on the Save Changes button.

    Note: You need to assign the respective licenses to both users to set the email forwarding.

    Setbacks of the Manual Method of Email Forwarding 

    • You must have technical knowledge and admin access to set up email forwarding.
    • It is not a direct or practical alternative solution to this situation. It doesn’t truly solve the problem of how to move emails from one account to another in Office 365, as it leaves all existing data behind.
    • You can not set forwarding for old email data; it will only work for upcoming emails.
    • Most importantly, you have to keep the source account active with proper licensing, which will increase the cost.
    • Setting up email forwarding for multiple user accounts can be a daunting and time-consuming task.

    Use Automated Software to Move Emails from One Account to Another in Office 365

    From the above drawbacks, it becomes clear that email forwarding is not the right way to migrate the data. Moreover, it has various limitations too. Hence, to save hours of work, many Microsoft 365 administrators utilize a professional tool to complete this migration job.

    Thus, keeping this in mind, I am going to show you how to move emails from one account to another in Office 365 using the SysTools Office 365 to Office 365 Migration Tool. Before migration, you need to follow some prerequisites that are given in the section below.

    Download Now Purchase Now

    Some Points You Need to Remember Before Migration

    Before you migrate email from one Office 365 account to another, make sure you have an Office 365 license assigned and you can access the OWA for admin. Also, it is required that both source and destination admin accounts should be impersonated, and you have a “Mailbox Import Export” role as well as the admin user.

    A Few Important Prerequisites to Follow Before You Start to Migrate Office 365 Mailbox to Another User

    1. Before migrating emails from one account to another account with this tool, you have to create a project in Microsoft Azure and generate an Application ID to perform the migration. To create a project, Read More.
    2. After creating a project and generating an Application ID in Azure, I have to get an activation code for the Software to move email data from one account to another account. To activate the software, Read More.

    Automated Steps with Screenshots for Office 365: Move Emails from One Account to Another

    Step 1. First, launch the software and select Office 365 as the source and destination, then click Next.

    Migrate Office 365 Mailbox to Another User

    Step 2. With this tool, you can migrate emails and other items, documents, contacts, and calendars to another Office 365 account.

    office 365 migrate mailbox to another user

    Step 3. If you want to migrate selective data, you can use the Date Filter option. Apply Date Filter, click on Next.

    office 365 move mailbox to another user

    Step 4. After that, log in source tenant with Admin Email and Application ID and click on the validate button to validate permission, then transfer the Office 365 mailbox to another account.

    office 365 transfer email to another account

    Step 5. Now, log in destination tenant with Admin Email and Application ID, then click on the Validate button, and then next.

    Transfer Office 365 mailbox to another account

    Step 6. Here, you have to click on Fetch Users to fetch source tenant users to move emails from one account to another Office 365.

    office 365 transfer email to another user

    Step 7. The software also provides a mapping option to create a mapping between source and destination accounts. To do this task, you have to import the CSV file in which you will maintain the source and destination user IDs. Now you can see all users are fetched. Now import the destination users.

    migrate Office 365 mailbox to another account

    Step 8. Source and destination users are mapped. Now, click on the validate button to move emails from one account to another in Office 365.

    how to migrate office 365 email to another office 365

    Step 9. Source and destination permissions are validated. Click on the Start Migration button to begin the process to migrate Office 365 mailbox to another user.

    migrate between office 365 accounts

    Step 10. The software starts migrating emails from one Office 365 account to another user account. It will take a few minutes to complete the migration process.

    Verified Feedback from One of Our Esteemed Clients- 

    testimonial

    Stage #4: Do this After You Migrate Office 365 Mailbox to Another User

    You should not ignore this very last step. It includes,

    • Redirecting the email accounts of users to Office 365 and confirming the status of each folder. It must show as ‘The folder is up to date
    • It’s mandatory to assign licenses to the mailboxes that are migrated within 30 days. Otherwise, it will get deactivated.
    • To easily connect your mailboxes to Outlook email clients, you need to configure Autodiscover DNS records in Office 365.
    • Once you make sure that you are not going to need the source environment in the future, you can close it down.

    Also Read: How to Import PST files to Shared Mailbox in Office 365?

    Features That Make It Stand Alone for Moving Emails to Another Account:

    The software also provides three options for Re-Run Migration. So that users can re-run this data transfer without creating duplicate files. Below are the three remarkable features that make this utility stand out for transferring Office 365 mailboxes to another account.

    • Retry failed migration – If items failed in the initial migration process.
    • Run Full Migration – If items are skipped in the previous migration process.
    • Delta Migration – If you want to migrate newly arrived data to the destination account.

    Final Thoughts on Migrate Office 365 Mailbox to Another User Process

    It is not an easy task to move emails from one account to another in Office 365; various aspects need to be determined. So, in this article, I have explained a step-by-step procedure to perform this complex operation without losing a bit of data. This procedure is also applicable if your goal is a Microsoft 365 transfer emails to another account, as the platforms are fundamentally linked. This is a hassle-free, tried and tested solution that helps to quickly perform this type of migration with maximum data security.

    FAQs

    Q1. How to move Office 365 emails from one account to another without PowerShell?

    Transferring a mailbox to another user in Office 365 via PowerShell can be error-prone and complex if you are not technically sound. Hence, if you do not want to explore the manual method, then you can use the above tool and perform this migration in minutes, and save hours of manual work.

    Q2. Can I as an admin migrate Office 365 mailbox to another user with this tool?

    Yes, using the above software solution, you can migrate shared mailbox to Office 365 and also migrate archive mailbox to Office 365.  You just need to select the user IDs and then provide the destination email ID and hit the start button. In this way, you can easily migrate different types of mailboxes to another account in Office 365.

    Q3. How long does it take to complete the transfer Office 365 mailbox to another account?

    Transfer duration is subject to the number of user accounts you plan on moving. If there are just a few accounts that are to be copied to a different account, then the process will end fairly quickly. Otherwise, even if you are an experienced admin, you are looking at significant steps of time that may lead to downtime. However, an easy way to shorten the process is to use the advanced utility I have made available for you.

    The post How to Move, Copy, or Migrate Office 365 Mailboxes to Another User? appeared first on SysTools Software.

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    Explore Difference between Lotus Notes and Office 365/Exchange Online https://www.systoolsgroup.com/updates/difference-between-lotus-notes-vs-office-365/ Tue, 14 Oct 2025 09:13:23 +0000 https://www.systoolsgroup.com/updates/?p=1400 Lotus Notes vs Office 365 has been a raging debate among admins even when both the platforms are now known by different names. HCL acquired the former, and Microsoft renamed

    The post Explore Difference between Lotus Notes and Office 365/Exchange Online appeared first on SysTools Software.

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    Lotus Notes vs Office 365 has been a raging debate among admins even when both the platforms are now known by different names. HCL acquired the former, and Microsoft renamed its product to better represent its product. However, name and ownership are just surface-level differences between the two. As we are going to reveal in this write-up, there are multiple parameters on which both take a completely opposite route. After which, they will be able to determine if they need to do a Lotus Notes to Office 365 migration or vice versa. So, let’s take an overview of each platform one by one.

    Table of Contents

    About Lotus Notes Before the Debate

    Before understanding Lotus Notes vs office 365. Let us understand in brief about Lotus Notes. It is an IBM’s email client. Lotus Notes email files are saved in .nsf extension. Lotus Notes Server is known as Domino. With so many operational capabilities, Lotus Notes is much more than just an email client. This is because it also contains other email items like to-do lists, templates, journals, contacts saved in address books, bookmarks, tasks team-rooms, discussion forums, file sharing, micro-blogging, instant messages, blogs, & user-directories. etc.

    Also Read: How to Troubleshoot Common Lotus Notes Issues on Your Own

    So, it’s not only an emailing application but total enterprise solution for all organizational email activities. Lotus Notes is able to access both, local as well as server-based data & applications. Let’s have a quick look at some of the useful features of Lotus Notes before knowing Difference between Lotus Notes and Office 365 or Lotus Notes vs Exchange online.

    • Emailing & quick-messaging
    • Web browsing use
    • To-do-lists and calendars to manage work assignments’ list, operations that user has to execute, and responsibilities user needs to carry out on specific days, to formulate a timetable as per the date
    • One can use IBM Notes for accessing local and server-based data & applications

    Highlighting Office 365 in Brief

    Office 365 is cloud-based solutions’ suite including MS Exchange Online as email/calendar environment, along with multiple collaborative applications like SharePoint, Office Web-Apps, desktop applications, Skype for Business etc. With Office 365 suite, you will be provided with the following applications which will explain you the Difference between Lotus Notes and Office 365:

    • Exchange Online for emails, sharing calendars/contacts/tasks
    • Office Online for collaborating with Word/Powerpoint/Excel/OneNote online
    • Office ProPlus which is the free desktop/mobile version of MS Office
    • OneDrive Transfer (Limits for Free Account)/Online storage of file (having the capacity of 1 TB)
    • Skype for Business is a tool for instant messaging, for online meetings, voice/video conferences, and also for screen-sharing
    • SharePoint can be used for web content creation, documents management as well as collaboration

    Before we can see the differences, let’s check out what’s the same between the two platforms.

    Lotus Notes vs Office 365 Understanding the Similarities

    This helps us make the comparison more accurate later on.

    Basic Email Communication
    Both HCL Notes and Office 365 fall into the communication tools category. So the primary role is the same, which is to improve information sharing among the workforce.
    Therefore, both include an email service for sending, receiving, managing, and organizing email messages.
    The secondary email options to add attachments, build folders, and set priorities are also available in both of them.

    Standard Collaboration Features
    Wherever there is communication, collaboration follows. As a result, users get the basic ability to share data with colleagues regardless of the platform they go with. So organizations won’t find any major differences while sending documents, spreadsheets, and slides.

    Personal Information Management
    One other area where users might see similarities between the two is the ability to use digital calendars and contacts. Users can maintain their online professional network with (names, emails, etc.) and schedule appointments (reminders, invitations).

    Difference Between Lotus Notes and Office 365 in App Availability

    What makes Office 365 special is its vast array of inhouse native apps. Each with its own distinct use case. Such is the variety of apps that users often complain that they are not able to make full use of their subscription. Some of the most well known are Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive etc.
    When we look at Lotus Notes we find no such library of apps. There lies a key difference between the two. Although HCL tries to balance this gap by allowing organizations to deploy their custom alternatives it is rarely similar to what O365 has to offer.

    Compare AI Integration in Microsoft 365 and HCL Notes

    There is no doubt that Artificial intelligence is here to assist us. And Microsoft seems keen to be the leading provider of this technology. With the introduction of Copilot (Microsoft AI companion) more and more organizations experience improvement in day-to-day productivity. It can be used for everything from in-context suggestions, improve search accuracy, and automate tasks. This has almost endless potential.
    HCL (formally IBM) Notes lags behind in this department as well. This is mainly because it is a largely on-premise-based product. So naturally, deploying AI capabilities becomes a major headache. To combat this HCL provides its clients with APIs and guidance in AI integration. All in all, Notes seems to be losing this round, as it will always be better to get a finished product than to come up with an in-house solution.

    HCL Notes vs Microsoft 365 Historical Comparison

    For admins as well as users alike it is important to take a look as how did both of these came to be. It gives us a more clear picture as to why there are so many differences despite occupying a similar niche.
    HCL is not the originator of Notes; in fact,  they bought it from IBM in 2019 who inturn got it after their acquisition of LDC. The timeline resembles the following: Start – 4.0 (Lotus Development Corporation), 4.0 – 11.0 (IBM), 11.0 – Current (HCL).
    When we look at Office 365 we find that it was a brainchild of Microsoft and has been developed by it with no other owners. Microsoft has bolstered its capabilities time and time again with strategic acquisitions. However, the core product remains what it is. And now after its transformation into Microsoft 365 (basically a reskin). Office 365 is even more tightly integrated into the ecosystem.

    Difference Between Lotus Notes and Office on User Interface

    This is the criteria that makes or breaks a users engagement. With a legacy of industry-leading interface Microsoft scores extra brownie points. Although sometimes Microsoft graphics could appear sluggish as they were aimed for corporate offices. Its safe to say that they have come a long way since the boxy green fields of the XP era. Now every animation, button placement, and visulaization is carefully crafted to minimise effort and maximise intuitiveness.
    HCL is more or less playing catch up when it comes to a GUI. Its functioning, but that’s about it. As HCL inherited the cumbersome bloats, which were a major reason why customers left the earlier IBM Notes. It would be wrong not to praise the speed with which the interface has seen improvements. However, time will tell if its enough to compete with the juggernaut that M365 is.
    The main problem with a hard-to-use interface is the extra time that users have to spend on learning it rather than doing the work they were supposed to. So this in turn adds secondary costs in terms of workforce training.

    Security Difference between the Two

    AES is the now standard protocol and it is safe to say HCL has implemented it inside Notes once they took over. Reducing the security concerns that users had previously. The server-level architecture uses NoSQL.

    On the other hand, there is an entire Office 365 security and compliance system.

    Lotus Notes vs Office 365 Setup

    This is perhaps the most significant difference between the two. That’s why this debate on HCL Notes vs Office 365 puts forward the question of on-premise vs cloud to the forefront. As Microsft 365 (earlier Office) is entirely a cloud-based setup , that is if we exclude the one-time purchase Office 2021 version. The cloud setup ensures that all the data is readily accessible with just an internet connection. So remote work is also possible.
    While no activity can be performed on HCL Notes unless and until the device is on the same network as the server. As on-premise setup provides the direct ability to see the housed data organizations have to sacrifice something in return. However organizations who want greater control over security and customization this is a must.

    Cost Comparison Between HCL/IBM/Lotus Notes and Microsoft Office 365

    Doing a direct price comparison between the two is rather difficult. HCL Notes have a high variance between them so much so that no two customers have the same billing amount. Moreover, as there is no official figure to go from it is hard to estimate on what that number may look like. The industry average of similar programs goes anywhere from $20 to $50, so your cost may be in this range. Keep in mind that server maintenance may need to be negotiated separately.
    Where as Office 365 plans have a fixed price globally that starts from $6.00 per user per month (pricing may change due to external factors like currency fluctuations and taxes). Price increases depending upon the plan you subscribe to and can be paid either monthly or annually.

    Concluding

    The above article shed light on two different email environments, Lotus Notes vs Office 365. We have tried to explain the key points of difference between Lotus Notes and Office 365 in an easy-to-understand language. We hope those who are confused between the two will find what they need and will be able to select the appropriate choice.

    The post Explore Difference between Lotus Notes and Office 365/Exchange Online appeared first on SysTools Software.

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    Resolve TPM Error in Office 365 Cloud: Step-by-Step Guide https://www.systoolsgroup.com/updates/fix-tpm-error-office-365/ Sun, 05 Oct 2025 09:16:20 +0000 https://www.systoolsgroup.com/updates/?p=32440 When attempting to activate or sign in to Microsoft 365 applications, some users encounter a “Trusted Platform Module (TPM) has malfunction” or TPM Error in Office 365. This issue, often

    The post Resolve TPM Error in Office 365 Cloud: Step-by-Step Guide appeared first on SysTools Software.

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    When attempting to activate or sign in to Microsoft 365 applications, some users encounter a “Trusted Platform Module (TPM) has malfunction” or TPM Error in Office 365.

    This issue, often accompanied by error codes like 80090016, 80090030, or c0090016.

    If this happens, users can’t use any of the O365 apps like Word, Outlook, Teams, etc. Don’t worry if you face this problem; we have a list of solutions you can try out. Note that some solutions need admin intervention, so put them on speed dial.

    Before we get to the solutions themselves, let us discuss the situations in which this problem happens.

    Why Does TPM Error Occur in Office 365?

    There is no one single root cause that results in the Trusted Platform Module malfunctioning. Instead, whenever the TPM fails to communicate with the security chip present in a device’s motherboard, you see an error pop-up. It can be due to, but is not limited to:

    • Corrupted TPM keys
    • Misconfiguration during the first installation.
    • Outdated TPM drivers
    • Firmware may be old and thus mismatched.
    • Problems inside the NGC folder that monitor the Windows Hello PIN setup.
    • Conflicts with services like Antivirus/Firewall/Proxy/VPN present on the system.
    • The device may not be registered in the Azure Portal.

    Now that we know the reasons, let’s start the remedy.

    Start Fixing the TPM Error in Office 365 by Resetting the Activation State

    If you are an admin, you can set up and use the Enterprise version of Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant.

    Unlike the personal SaRA, which is now fully integrated into the Get Help troubleshooter, the enterprise edition is still available as an independent installation. Admins need to be aware that the Enterprise version of Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant is a command-line tool with no GUI component, but it allows creation of custom scripts.

    Users can run the built-in Microsoft 365 Troubleshooter on their device if the admin is absent/busy.

    Other than that, Trusted Platform Module malfunction can be resolved with the help of the OLicenseCleanup.vbs and signoutofwamaccounts.ps1 scripts, plus there is also the WPJCleanUp.cmd, use it only when your device is connected to the Workplace.

    All of these can be found in Microsoft’s official guide for resetting the activation state.

    On that page, you can find the steps to manually clear any prior activation information that persists and causing the message with error code 80090030 to appear.

    Resolve the Office 365 Activation TPM Error by Removing the Credentials

    • Open Start > Search and open Credential Manager.
    • Switch to Windows credentials.
    • Use the small drop-down arrow to expand any credentials for “MicrosoftOffice16”
    • Click Remove > Confirm > close Credential Manager.
    • Press Windows Key > Settings > Accounts > Access work or school.
    • Disconnect the O365 account > Restart device and reattempt Microsoft 365 activation.

    BrokerPlugin May Cause the TPM Error! Here’s How You Fix It

    Your security systems, like antivirus, firewall, and proxy, may misidentify Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin_cw5n1h2txyewy processes and labels it as a threat.

    Effectively stopping it. Without this plugin, the authentication can’t happen, and you see the Trusted Platform Module error show up on your screen.

    Also Read: 7 Ways to Access Microsoft 365 Admin Center?

    You should disable your antivirus, and if this does not fix the issue, contact your system admin. It is possible that it is the proxy or firewall that is blocking the broker plugin. In that case, disable them as well. It is also possible that you are using a VPN, which causes the blockage, so turn the VPN off and try again.

    If you still can’t make the broker work, the problem is with the plugin itself. Delete and reinstall.

    Open File Explorer and put the following in the address bar:

    %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin_cw5n1h2txyewy\AC\TokenBroker\Accounts

    Hold Ctrl + A and Delete.

    Repeat this on the following location as well:
    %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.CloudExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy\AC\TokenBroker\Accounts

    Restart your device and use the Get help troubleshooter.

    Clear the Problematic Trusted Platform Module (TPM) from Your System

    Press Windows Key > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Device Security.

    Under Security processor, you will find Security processor details. Click on Security processor troubleshooting.

    Click the Clear TPM button, restart your device, and activate M365 again. If your organization operates a Hybrid setup, you have a command-line checkup function you can use to fix the issue.

    Fix TPM Error in Hybrid Connection

    Launch a new command-line instance as the admin.

    Type dsregcmd /status

    For users facing EventID 220 (Check User Device Registration), follow the guidelines for Microsoft Entra hybrid joined devices.

    On the other hand, if you see a 0x801c001d code, it would be better to make a service connection point.

    Make an O365 Protection Policy to Bypass TPM Malfunction

    • Open Word(or any other M365 app you have on your system, it doesn’t matter).
    • Tap on your profile and sign out, then close the app.
    • Hit the Windows key > in the Start menu, click on the Settings gear > Accounts > Access work or school.
    • Select your account and Disconnect.
    • Press Windows + R, type regedit and press Enter (a pop-up might appear asking “Do you want to allow this app to make changes on your device?”, press Yes)
    • In the Registry editor, replace the default path name with
    • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Cryptography\Protect\Providers\df9d8cd0-1501-11d1-8c7a-00c04fc297eb
    • Right click on any white space, hit New, then select DWORD (32 bit).
    • Set the name as Protection Policy and the value to 1.
    • Restart the device and activate Office 365

    Disconnect from and then Reconnect to Microsoft Entra ID

    • Windows key > in the Start menu, click on the Settings gear > Accounts > Access work or school.
    • Select your Microsoft Entra ID connection > Disconnect.
    • Restart.
    • Windows key > in the Start menu, click on the Settings gear > Accounts > Access work or school.
    • Press “Join this device to Microsoft Entra ID.”
    • Type in the account credentials.
    • Click “Let my organization manage my device”.
    • Restart and activate.

    Enable Memory Integrity to Fix TPM Error in Office 365

    • Windows key > in the Start menu, click on the Settings gear > Update & Security > Windows Security > Device Security.
    • See Core isolation > open Core isolation details.
    • Set  Memory integrity to on.
    • Restart and activate

    How Admins can Enable or Add a Device in Microsoft Entra ID to fix the TPM Error?

    • Open the Azure portal.
    • On the left side menu, Microsoft Entra ID > Devices.
    • Check the list of Disabled devices, select the one where the user is reporting a TPM error in Office 365 > and Enable
    • Note: Deleted devices must be re-registered.

    Also Read: Can You BCC on an Outlook Calendar Invite Yes! Here’s How

    Please make sure that you have the latest BIOS for your device. If not, update ASAP.

    Make TPM Active and Fix TPM Error in Office 365
    • Restart > Before Windows Loads, press and hold the F1 key.
    • Go to the Security tab and select TPM 1.2 (Microsoft recommends TPM 2.0) and set the Security chip in Active position.
    • Save and exit > Restart, let Windows load fully > log in and activate your Office 365 > you should no longer encounter the TPM malfunction.
    Create a New Windows User Account

    Do a clean boot of Windows. Make a new User account and assign it admin privileges.

    Sign in and activate M365.

    Conclusion

    Now you know why a TPM Error in Office 365 happens and how to solve it. Once you do it is recommended that you use a professional Office 365 backup tool to keep a safe copy of data. Although making a backup won’t stop the Trusted Platform Module from malfunctioning, it will be your safety net in case any data loss incidents occur.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q. What role does Azure AD (Microsoft Entra ID) play in TPM errors?
    If a device isn’t correctly registered or synced in Azure AD, TPM validation may fail.

    Q. Do hybrid domain-joined devices face TPM errors more often?
    Yes, hybrid setups introduce extra dependencies (like SCP and device registration) that can break authentication.

    Q. Will reinstalling Office fix the TPM error?
    Not usually. The problem lies in TPM keys, credentials, or policies, not the Office apps themselves.

    Q. Can Group Policy settings trigger TPM authentication issues?
    Yes, restrictive policies around credentials, PIN, or device registration may cause errors.

    Q. Does changing my Windows password help fix the TPM error?
    Sometimes. It forces re-authentication and refreshes cached credentials tied to TPM.

    Q. Can TPM error be linked with Windows Hello PIN problems?
    Yes, since TPM stores PIN keys, a corrupted NGC folder can trigger both PIN and Office activation errors.

    The post Resolve TPM Error in Office 365 Cloud: Step-by-Step Guide appeared first on SysTools Software.

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    Public Folders Not Showing in Outlook? Easy Fixes https://www.systoolsgroup.com/updates/public-folder-not-showing-in-outlook/ Mon, 15 Sep 2025 09:12:13 +0000 https://www.systoolsgroup.com/updates/?p=33545 Are your public folders not showing in Outlook despite being a paying subscriber of Office 365 cloud? I know the situation can be frustrating, having experienced it firsthand myself. Public

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    Are your public folders not showing in Outlook despite being a paying subscriber of Office 365 cloud? I know the situation can be frustrating, having experienced it firsthand myself.

    Public folders are a key feature allowing multiple people in an organization access to critical resources like archived documentation. So when these folders disappear without explanation, users might know what to do next. You cannot simply shift to another collaboration resource, like a shared mailbox, as there are many differences between public folders vs shared mailboxes.

    However, I want you to know that this problem has a few easy fixes users can try out on their own. I have also added a few fixes for your IT administrator to do on your behalf, so share this blog with them. Moreover, the guide will surely help you to end the issue of missing public folders on whichever platform you use to access Outlook. Let’s start by listing the reasons why public folders go invisible. It will help you to select the exact solution for your situation.

    Public Folders Not Showing in Outlook? Understand Why

    Here are some of the most common causes for this issue. Recall if you have recently faced something similar in your work routine.

    • The user has incorrect or missing permissions for the public folder. Or there may be a conflicting deny rule on the parent folder that overrides the user’s “Allow” access.
    • The PF Mailbox may have gone bad post-assignment. Anything from a down, unhealthy, or decommissioned mailbox can cause this to happen.
    • It is possible that the MAPI protocol is disabled on the user’s mailbox, which ends up blocking Outlook desktop client access (this can happen in both the classic and new clients).
    • The user themself may no longer have an Exchange Online license. This automatically disqualifies them from many M365 facilities, including the public folder.
    • Organization uses Modern Auth, but the user’s Outlook client is still on the legacy authentication. This results in them being blocked tenant-wide & getting public folder access revoked.
    • Admin made an overtly aggressive client-side Group Policy Object (GPO) that hides or blocks public folders.
    • There might be an ongoing M365 outage specifically impacting the public folder infrastructure.
    • Slow networks in remote areas may cause a content replication lag that prevents the O365 public folder from fully displaying all the content.
    • If you use Autodiscover, there is are chance that the incorrect DNS records may prevent Outlook from finding the public folders.
    • Some Outlook client applications (e.g., Outlook for mobile) lack native support for public folders altogether.
    • Other reasons, like a corrupt local Outlook profile or a damaged .ost data file, are also known to affect public folder visibility.

    These cover most but not all reasons your own situation might be unique; rest assured, the solutions we have will work regardless of the cause. We will begin with the simplest solutions that users can try on their own and work our way up to the more complex ones that only admins can attempt.

    What Should Users Do If Outlook Public Folders Are Missing? Easy Troubleshooting

    Classic Outlook “Folder View” Trick

    This option is available to all those who are using the classic desktop version of Outlook for Windows or Mac. All you have to do is push two keys simultaneously.

    On Windows: Press Ctrl+6 on your keyboard.

    On Mac: Press Command+6.

    Doing this switches your view to the ‘Folder List’. There, you can see every folder available to your account. If this does not work, then try the following.

    Step 1. Click on File > Toggle Account Settings and select Account Settings.

    fix Public Folders Not Showing in Outlook by visiting Account settings

    Step 2. Select your Exchange account and hit Change.

    Change settings

    Step 3. Tap More Settings > Advanced tab > Ensure “Download Public Folder Favorites” is checked.

    Download Public Folders

    Close and reopen the Outlook client, or better yet, access Outlook on a browser. Desktop clients take a while to sync with the server; the web version, on the other hand, is faster if all you have to do is view the public folder.

    Repair Outlook App to Make Public Folders Visible

    For Outlook 2016: Right-click on the Windows icon > Apps and Features > Microsoft Outlook 2016 > Change > Quick Repair (or Online Repair if Quick fails).

    Repair Outlook

    For the New Outlook App: Right-click on the Windows icon > Apps and Features > Outlook > Advanced Options > Repair.

    if Public Folders Not Showing in Outlook then repair outlook

    How Admins Can Bring Back Disappeared Public Folders

    Step 1. Confirm Public Folders are Enabled:

    Run Get-OrganizationConfig | FL PublicFoldersEnabled

    The result should be “Local” or “Remote.”

    Step 2. Verify User’s Public Folder Mailbox: Check that the user is assigned to a public folder mailbox by running:

    Get-Mailbox "user@domain.com" | FL *PublicFolder*.

    Step 3. Use the Microsoft Diagnostic Tool: As a powerful first step, run the “Cannot access public folders” diagnostic tool in the Microsoft 365 admin center: https://aka.ms/PFCTE.

    Best Practices to Follow for O365 Public Folder Management

    Your job is not done by fixing the case of missing public folders in Outlook. By that, I mean you have to make sure this problem does not occur again in your environment. There are a few ways to ensure that:

    Migrate public folders with a trusted utility. Use the SysTools Office 365 Migrator to ensure that your public folder data remains intact during a cloud migration. The newest version now has the support to create and move public folders, and also transfer security group permissions alongside the public folders.

    Download Now Purchase Now

    If you are an admin planning on an O365 public folder migration, check out the demo version today.

    Conclusion

    Public folders not showing in Outlook is no longer a problem you have to worry about. By following this tutorial, you have surely gotten the remedy. Here we told you about not only the simple ways that users can attempt on their own, but also revealed the fixes admins can apply.

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