For staff · Staff whose email is moving from [OLD EMAIL PROVIDER] to Microsoft 365
IMAP to Microsoft 365: staff guide
What staff need to know when email moves from an IMAP provider to Microsoft 365: what moves, what to export first, new sign-ins and ready-to-send emails.
What is different for you
| Item | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Email provider | [OLD EMAIL PROVIDER] | Microsoft 365 (Exchange Online) |
| Webmail address | [OLD WEBMAIL ADDRESS] | https://outlook.office.com |
| Password | Your [OLD EMAIL PROVIDER] password | Your Microsoft 365 password. [HOW YOU GET YOUR PASSWORD] |
| Outlook and phone mail apps | Set up with the old account | Old account removed and Microsoft 365 account added. Your mail downloads again. |
| Shared addresses such as [SHARED ADDRESS, e.g. info@] | A shared login and password | A shared mailbox that appears in your own Outlook. No separate password. |
What stays the same
- Your email address
- Your email and mail folders. They are copied to Microsoft 365.
- The way people outside [ORGANISATION] email you
Your checklist
Before the move
- Contacts and calendars do NOT move automatically. Export them before [DATE], or check that IT is doing it for you: [CONTACTS AND CALENDAR PLAN].
- Note your mail rules (filters), email signature, automatic forwarding and out-of-office reply. None of these move.
- Save any very large attachments (over 35 MB) somewhere safe. Messages that big are not copied.
- IT will change your [OLD EMAIL PROVIDER] password on [DATE] so the copy can run. Your phone may then ask for a password or show errors. This is expected, so do not keep retrying.
- Keep using your email as normal. Mail is copied in the background, and anything new is picked up before 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. IT can do this 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, if you can overnight. It downloads all your mail again, which takes a while for a large mailbox.
- Check new mail arrives and that your folders and recent messages look right.
After the move
- Import the contacts and calendar you exported, or check IT has done it.
- Set up your email 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.
- Make sure the old account is removed from every device so you do not reply from the old mailbox by mistake.
- Use https://outlook.office.com for webmail from now on.
Questions people ask
Will I lose any email?
No. Your email and folders are copied, newest first. Only single messages over 35 MB are skipped, so save those attachments first.
Why are my contacts and calendar not there?
The email copy only moves mail. Contacts and calendars are exported and imported separately. See [CONTACTS AND CALENDAR PLAN].
Why is my phone asking for a password?
IT changed the old password so the copy could run. Remove the old account from the phone and add your Microsoft 365 account.
Can I keep the old account set up in Outlook?
No. Remove it, so you do not reply from the old mailbox. It will stop receiving new mail after the switch.
How do I get into the shared mailbox now?
If you are a member, it appears in your own Outlook after the move. You no longer need the shared password.
Why is Outlook slow at first?
It is downloading your whole mailbox again. Leave it open and connected and it will catch up.
Emails you can send
Announcement (2 weeks before)
Subject: Your email is moving to Microsoft 365 on [DATE]
Hi all, On [DATE] we are moving our email from [OLD EMAIL PROVIDER] to Microsoft 365. Your email address stays the same, and your email and folders will be copied across. Important: contacts and calendars do not move automatically. [CONTACTS AND CALENDAR PLAN] Please also note your email signature, mail rules, forwarding and out-of-office reply. These need setting up again in Outlook. On [DATE] we will change your [OLD EMAIL PROVIDER] password so the copy can run. If your phone then asks for a password, that is expected. After the switch you will remove the old account from Outlook and your phone and add your Microsoft 365 account. We will send step-by-step instructions. Questions: [IT CONTACT] Thanks, [SENDER NAME]
Action needed: export your contacts and calendar
Subject: Action needed by [DATE]: export your contacts and calendar
Hi all, Our email copy to Microsoft 365 moves your mail, but not your contacts or calendar. Please export them before [DATE]: 1. Sign in to webmail at [OLD WEBMAIL ADDRESS]. 2. In Contacts, export your address book. Save the file. 3. In Calendar, export your calendar. Save the file. 4. Send both files to [IT CONTACT], or keep them safe for after the move. [OR: IT will export these for you. You do not need to do anything.] 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 if you have not already. - Note your email signature, rules and out-of-office reply. - 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 contacts and calendar (or check IT has). - Set up your signature, rules and out-of-office reply in Outlook. - Remove the old email account from every device. The old [OLD EMAIL PROVIDER] service closes on [DATE]. If anything is missing, tell [IT CONTACT] before then. Thanks, [SENDER NAME]