How can I save OLM file in Outlook PST / Office 365?

With growing acceptance of Windows GUI, it becomes natural to attract towards user-friendly interface of Microsoft applications like Outlook, Power Point, MS office, etc. However, Outlook for Mac (2011/2016) is a good email platform for experiencing the GUI of Microsoft product in the Mac machine environment, but it lacks edges of MS Outlook Windows.   

Outlook for Mac and Windows Outlook are two different sides of a coin. The major difference is the file format. Outlook for Mac uses OLM file as a backup of all items while MS Outlook stores all entities into PST (Personal Storage Table).  In case, you are moving from Outlook Mac to MS Outlook (PC), then you must need to convert OLM file to MS Outlook PST file. Then, you can easily import PST file into any version of MS Outlook.

Reasons for Migration:

Before going ahead for the procedure to convert OLM file to Outlook PST, Let’s discuss why users need to move from Outlook to Mac to Windows Outlook.

1.      Outlook for Mac - hard to maintain for laymen 
2.       Outlook for Windows blocks insecure attachments, this feature, is not added in Mac Outlook
3.      The installation and maintenance required significant investment if you prefer Outlook for Mac
4.       Windows Outlook is compatible with various versions of Exchange Server
5.       The conversion of OLM to PST can be done through manual method or automated tool; Here I will discuss the manual method with steps.

Manual Method:

The first step is to create IMAP account (using Gmail or iCloud), Gmail is the best option for this conversion. So create a new Gmail account and after creating the account you can login into your newly created Gmail account. The Gmail has two options IMAP and POP. Here you need to enable the IMAP account. To do so follow the steps mention below.

Step 1: Open your Gmail account.

Step 2: On your Gmail account you will see a gear button on the right corner, So click on that it scrolls many options               

Step 3: Then Click on the Settings.

Step 4: In the setting section, click on the Forwarding and POP/IMAP

Step 5: Here check the IMAP status to enable if not checked and click on the Save changes. If the option is already enabled, then simply click on Cancel and exit.

Your IMAP account has created successfully, now you need to Setup Outlook for Mac to IMAP account, Follow the below steps:

Step 1: Open Outlook for Mac on your system and Click on Tool>> Accounts and the click on ‘Email’

Step 2: Here you need to enter your account details such as email address, password and other required information. Click on Add Account

Step 3: The IMAP account you have created is now mentioned on Mail tab.

Now you have to do synchronization between Outlook for Mac and IMAP account. To do the synchronization you have to create Gmail label, for that follow these steps:

Step 1: Login to the Gmail account and click on the Gear and then click on the Setting

Step 2: In the Setting section click on the Labels (mention on the left side)

Step 3: Now click on the Create new label

(You have to assure that label should be shown and Shown in the IMAP box is checked)

Step 4: Go to your Outlook for Mac and click on the Send/Receive to update the IMAP account

Migrate Emails from Outlook for Mac to IMAP account

This is the last process to do the conversion. Here your mails and mailbox data will move from OLM file to IMAP account, follow the steps:

Step 1: Open Outlook for Mac and click on the folders you want to move and then click Move>> Copy to folder

Step 2: Now type the name of your IMAP folder and click on Copy

Step 3: After copying the mailbox data to IMAP mailbox folder, click on Send/ Receive to update the Outlook for Mac IMAP folder. You can get recent items by refreshing the Gmail account

Step 4: Here all the copied emails and mailbox data are positively synchronised to IMAP mailbox folder

Now, all you need to move the mailbox data from the IMAP mailbox folder to Windows Outlook. You can simply do it by dragging IMAP mailbox folder to inbox folder of IMAP

Note: Before moving the data by manual method, you should take backup of original data file

Final Words:

If, you are confident to execute the above manual procedures, then go ahead. During manual conversion, you shouldn’t take inappropriate action which could lead corruption in the backup of a database file. So, non-technical users can use third party software for instant and safe conversion.

The above manual method hasn’t any scope for Office 365 file format. It can accomplish through third party software like Stellar OLM to PST Converter – Technician