For staff · Staff whose email is moving from our web host (cPanel and Roundcube webmail) to Microsoft 365
cPanel email to Microsoft 365: staff guide
What staff need to know when email moves from cPanel webmail to Microsoft 365: export contacts and calendars, reconnect devices, plus ready-to-send emails.
What is different for you
| Item | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Email provider | Our web host ([HOST NAME]), using cPanel | Microsoft 365 (Exchange Online) |
| Webmail | Roundcube at [OLD WEBMAIL ADDRESS, e.g. https://contoso.com:2096] | Outlook on the web at https://outlook.office.com |
| Password | Your webmail password | Your Microsoft 365 password. [HOW YOU GET YOUR PASSWORD] |
| Outlook and phone mail apps | Set up with the old (IMAP) account | Old account removed and Microsoft 365 account added. Your mail downloads again. |
| Shared addresses such as [SHARED ADDRESS, e.g. info@] | A separate login and password | A shared mailbox that appears in your own Outlook, or a group that delivers to you |
What stays the same
- Your email address
- Your email and mail folders. They are copied to Microsoft 365.
- Addresses that used to forward to you keep reaching you.
- Our website. Only email is moving.
Your checklist
Before the move
- Export your contacts and calendar from Roundcube webmail before [DATE], or check IT is doing it: [CONTACTS AND CALENDAR PLAN]. They do not move with your email.
- If you keep contacts or a calendar in a desktop mail program instead of webmail, tell [IT CONTACT]. IT may export them a different way.
- Note your email filters, signature and autoresponder (out-of-office). None of these move.
- Save any very large attachments (over 35 MB). Messages that big are not copied.
- IT will change your webmail password on [DATE] so the copy can run. If your phone then asks for a password, that is expected.
- Keep using email as normal. New mail keeps being copied until the switch.
On the day
- On [DATE], start using Microsoft 365 for email.
- In Outlook on your computer, remove the old email account and add your Microsoft 365 account with your email address and new password. If Outlook keeps finding the old account, IT will set up a fresh Outlook profile with you.
- On your phone, remove the old email account and add your Microsoft 365 account, for example in the Outlook app.
- Leave your computer on and Outlook open, overnight if you can. It downloads all your mail again.
- Check new mail arrives and that your folders look the same as in Roundcube.
After the move
- Import the contacts and calendar you exported from Roundcube, or check IT has done it. Contacts may need converting first, and IT can help.
- Set up your signature, rules and out-of-office reply again in Outlook.
- If you organise important repeating meetings, send them again from Outlook. Imported calendar events do not update if they change later.
- Remove the old account from every device so you do not reply from the old mailbox.
- Use https://outlook.office.com for webmail. Roundcube will stop receiving new mail.
Questions people ask
Will I lose any email?
No. Your email and folders are copied. Only single messages over 35 MB are skipped, so save those attachments first.
Do my Roundcube contacts and calendar move?
Not automatically. Export them from Roundcube (contacts as a .vcf file, calendar as an .ics file) and import them into Outlook.
Will the website be affected?
No. Only the email part is moving. The website stays with [HOST NAME].
Why is my phone asking for a password?
IT changed the webmail password for the copy. Remove the old account from the phone and add your Microsoft 365 account.
What happens to info@ and other shared addresses?
They become shared mailboxes or groups in Microsoft 365. If you are a member, the mail appears in your own Outlook.
Can I keep the old account in Outlook?
No. Remove it so you do not reply from the old mailbox by mistake.
Emails you can send
Announcement (2 weeks before)
Subject: Our email is moving to Microsoft 365 on [DATE]
Hi all, On [DATE] we are moving our email from [HOST NAME] (Roundcube webmail) to Microsoft 365. Your email address stays the same, and your email and folders will be copied across. The website is not affected. Important: contacts and calendars in Roundcube do not move automatically. [CONTACTS AND CALENDAR PLAN] Please also note your email signature, filters and autoresponder. These need setting up again in Outlook. On [DATE] we will change your webmail password so the copy can run. If your phone then asks for a password, that is expected. Questions: [IT CONTACT] Thanks, [SENDER NAME]
Action needed: export from Roundcube
Subject: Action needed by [DATE]: export your contacts and calendar
Hi all, Please export your contacts and calendar from webmail before [DATE]: 1. Sign in to webmail at [OLD WEBMAIL ADDRESS]. 2. Open Contacts, select your address book and choose Export. Save the .vcf file. 3. Open Calendar, open the calendar's options and choose export. Save the .ics file. 4. Send both files to [IT CONTACT], or keep them safe for after the move. If you keep contacts in a desktop mail program instead, tell [IT CONTACT]. Thanks, [SENDER NAME]
Reminder (2 days before)
Subject: Reminder: email moves to Microsoft 365 on [DATE]
Hi all, We switch to Microsoft 365 on [DATE]. Before then: - Export your contacts and calendar from Roundcube if you have not already. - Note your signature, filters and autoresponder. - Save any very large attachments (over 35 MB). - Make sure you have your Microsoft 365 sign-in details: [HOW YOU GET YOUR PASSWORD] Thanks, [SENDER NAME]
Go-live (the morning after the switch)
Subject: Your email is now in Microsoft 365: set up your devices
Good morning, Our email now runs on Microsoft 365. Please set up your devices today: On your computer: 1. Remove the old email account from Outlook. 2. Add your Microsoft 365 account with your email address and new password. 3. Leave Outlook open. It will download all your mail again. On your phone: 1. Remove the old email account. 2. Add your Microsoft 365 account, for example in the Outlook app. Webmail is now at https://outlook.office.com Need a hand? [IT CONTACT] is on standby on [PHONE OR CHAT]. Thanks, [SENDER NAME]
Completion
Subject: Email move to Microsoft 365 is complete
Hi all, The email move is complete. Thanks for your patience. If you have not yet done so: - Import your Roundcube contacts and calendar into Outlook (or check IT has). - Set up your signature, rules and out-of-office reply. - Remove the old email account from every device. The old mailboxes will be removed on [DATE]. If anything is missing, tell [IT CONTACT] before then. Thanks, [SENDER NAME]