How to Export Public Folders to PST - Complete Guide

This blog contains the information through which the users can take the most from it to export their Exchange public folder to a PST file. However, there are several reasons which need to be known before you start exporting the public folder. Keep reading this write-up to know the reasons and the perfect solution.

Exchange Public folder is an important asset for any organization which is using the Exchange Server, and they allow sharing the of information/data with another organization member. Moreover, users can also take a look at their hierarchy on Outlook. However, there is a need that arises when users look to export public folders to PST, and through this article, we will also capture the incidents that support the export. 

If we talk about the solution part, non-technical can face issues while exporting public folders through manual export solutions. But don’t worry; there are various alternatives available that completely eliminate the need for the preparation for the export and allow you to do the task in a couple of simpler steps.

What requires users to export their Public folder into PST?

One of the most basic reasons the organization is looking to export the public folder to PST is to keep the backup of the public folder data. Similar to any other Exchange folder, the data retention policy of the Exchange is also similar to the public folder. Users can only recover their data from the public folder after the retention period. 

Another reason like the data saved in the public folder cannot be replicated in the other public folder. When the user tries to fetch the information, the user will fail in their efforts. Exporting the data into the PST file allows another organization to access that data.

Also, you can easily access the public folder hierarchy in Outlook. Exporting the public folder data into the PST makes data more accessible because the Exchange can sometimes go for maintenance. There are many other reasons which are why Exchange users look to export their public folder data.

We will now continue this write-up by explaining the methods that allow you to comfortably move all public folders into the Outlook PST file.

How to Export Exchange Public Folder into PST?

You can take help from Outlook to export the public folder. Using this method, the user can export a public folder to PST and CSV file format. However, we will look at the procedure which allows exporting the pub folder data into PST. Ensure that your Outlook account is configured with the Exchange server and assign the right to users to export the public folder data. Also, make sure to have space in your system according to the size of the public folder data. The data is saved in compressed form in the Exchange and once you export it into PST it will automatically become bigger.

Follow the given below procedure properly to start moving the data from the public folder: 

• The first step in order to export a public folder to PST will be to open Outlook. Afterward, go to the file from the menu section.
• Now make your way to click on the Open & Export and, later on, select the Import/Export option.
• You must choose the Export to a file option from the Import and Export wizard. Click on next to move ahead.
• You need to select the Outlook data file option, and once done with it, hit on the next button.
• Now expand the folders to check which data you need to move. Here a filter option is also given, which allows users to move only the selected data based on a few filter criteria. After applying the filter option, click on Next.
• User also needs to set a location where they want to save the resultant file. By using the browse, you can make it possible. Apart from that, you need to choose any option from the list of three options. At last, click on next to start the export procedure.

Before starting the process to export the public folder to PST, an important consideration is that the EDB files should be in a healthier state; otherwise, you cannot extract the data from them. 

Using Tried & Tested Software to Export Exchange Public Folder into PST

Although there are manual solutions to export the public folder data into PST, they are quite hard to follow if someone who is not that technically skilled. To export public folders to PST without facing any issues so the users can switch to third-party software. 

Shoviv Exchange EDB Recovery tool is an excellent option to export the complete data from the Exchange public folder into PST in some simple steps. This tool got an excellent interface making it easier to capitalize on its functionality. Moreover, the software gives various user-centric features to make the task to export a public folder to PST easy. Users can also export Exchange mailboxes to PST by following certain quick procedures.

To add the EDB files users can also use the tool’s search option if they don’t know the exact location of the file. Users can also add the corrupted EDB into the software, and without taking much time, the software allows them to recover the EDB file. The tool supports the export of multiple EDB files at the same time. This software also allows for incremental export, which is responsible for exporting only the newer data from the last export process. It makes sure to maintain the data integrity and also doesn’t alter the folder hierarchy. Users can check the software's efficiency by examining its demo version.

Go after the steps involved to export public folder to PST file

• Open the software into your system and click on the Add source option from the tool’s ribbon bar.
• First, click on the Exchange Server Single Store option from the Add Source window. Select the public folder from Store type following with entering details such as Exchange name, email, and password. Once done, proceed further after clicking on the Finish button.
• Now you can take a look over all the added items under the tool preview pane. After that, you need to click on Export to PST.
• You can expand the public folder and select the subfolder you need to export, and then click next.
• The software provides flexibility to filter that data on several filter criteria. As you can see in the image below, you can filter data based on Process Message Class, which you can include and exclude. Its Process Item Data filter option allows filtering out data based on the selected date range. Once done, you can click on Next.
• You can move the public folder data into your existing PST by choosing the Export in Existing PST option. Otherwise, you can select the location to save the new PST file using Browse. In addition, there is an option to secure the PST files with a password and make multiple small PST. Choose an incremental export option and click on the Next button.
• This Exchange EDB Recovery tool will now start exporting the public folder. Simultaneously, users can watch the process log, which includes details like filtered items, total item count, failed item count, processed items, and much more. After the process, you will also get an option to save the process completion report. Click on the finish button to end the process.

Conclusive Statement

Exchange public folder holds crucial information about the company; if they get compromised, it can have a negative impact. So it is crucial to export public folder to PST to make the backup copy of the public folder data. In addition, various other situations make it important to have a public folder backup. This blog is all about the reasons and highlights the solution to make them possible.  However, it depends upon the user's choice to select the method for exporting their public folder. Ultimately, we recommend that all users try the free version of the third-party software explained before making the final decision.