As Gmail offers cloud-based storage for emails for free and other advanced features, it has become many people’s preferred email client. Many people are migrating from Outlook to Gmail for which they need to import emails from PST to Gmail that holds their crucial data in them.
In this article, we will explore different methods of how to migrate PST to Gmail manually and with the support of advanced software. Before diving into the import process we will first understand PST files and the possible reason that makes people convert PST files to Gmail.
What is a PST File?
A PST (Personal Storage Table) is an Outlook data file (.pst) that contains email messages and other Outlook items like attachments, calendars, contacts, tasks, events, etc. It downloads all of the email data from the mail server and saves them on the computer. A PST file can only be opened in Microsoft Outlook email clients but not in any other email clients. PST files are generally used for saving and archiving purposes as a backup and recovery of people’s crucial data.
Possible Reasons Why People Import Emails from PST to Gmail
- Centralized Email Management- People using multiple Email accounts generally fail to manage all accounts efficiently. As a solution, they consolidate emails from multiple sources into one account. Since Gmail is a popular choice among users, they import their Outlook data file (PST) to their Gmail account to access and manage their data from one platform.
- Cloud-based Application- Gmail is a cloud-based application which means your emails can be accessed from any device or operating system with an internet connection. PST files imported to Gmail can also be accessed from anywhere without the need to install any other email client.
- Non-Outlook Users- Many people receive PST files but may not have Outlook installed on their devices. As a Gmail user, they can directly import all their PST files into their Gmail account. This will help them to access and manage their emails from a single platform.
- Business Requirements- Various organizations are transitioning to Gmail for its strong features like Google Meet, Google Drive, and Google Docs which offer smooth functioning of teamwork and document sharing. In such cases, they might need to configure their PST files to their Gmail account in order to operate them.
- Simplifies Migration Process- For users migrating from Outlook to Gmail, importing PST files can simplify the transition process by retrieving your old email messages including contacts, calendars, tasks, etc and even metadata.
Manual Methods to Import PST Files to Gmail
In the following section we will learn about the 2 manual methods to import PST files to Gmail-
Method 1- Configuring Gmail Account with Outlook
Step 1- Enable IMAP in Gmail Account
- Open your Gmail account and press the Gear icon on the top right side of the page.
- Click on the Setting icon and navigate to See All Settings.
- Now you need to go to the Forwarding and POP/IMAP options.
- Press the Enable IMAP option and click the Save Changes icon.
- The above steps will enable IMAP in your Gmail account.
Step 2- Configure Your Gmail Account with Outlook
- Open the Microsoft Outlook account on your computer or install it in case you don’t have it.
- Go to the File option and press the Add Account button.
- Select the option Manually configure server settings or additional server types and press the Next button.
- Select the Internet Email option and click Next.
- Configure your Gmail account and log in with your credentials.
- Your Gmail Account will synchronize with the Outlook Account.
Step 3- Import PST File to Gmail
- Launch Microsoft Outlook client and go to the File menu.
- Next, select Open and Export button.
- Then, click Import/Export button.
- Now click Import from another program or file and tap on Next.
- Select Outlook Data File (.pst) option and press the Next button.
- Tap on the Do not import duplicates option and click Next.
- Click on the Browse button and select the PST file you need to import.
- Click the Finish button and wait for your PST files to get synchronized with your Gmail account
- Finally, go to your Gmail account and you can find your PST files under the Label category.
Method 2- Import PST File into Gmail Using GWMMO Tool
Step 1- Download and install the application on your system
- Open the GWMMO application.
- Enter your Gmail credentials and click Continue
- Allow GWMMO to access your Gmail account.
- Now, select PST file from the drop-down menu and click Next.
- Choose the PST file you want to import into Gmail and click Next to continue
- GWMMO will provide the options to select the data from the PST file you wish to import, eg- emails, calendars, contacts, etc.
- Select the data you want to import and adjust the additional settings as per your need.
- Next, click Migrate to begin the Migration process.
- The app will show the migration process on the screen until it’s successfully completed.
Challenges of Manually Importing PST files to Gmail
- Time-Consuming- Importing PST files manually can be a very lengthy process as it involves importing each file individually and it can get extra draining if there are large volumes of files.
- Risk of data corruption- A huge risk of data corruption is involved during the migration process especially if the import process gets interrupted due to internet discrepancy or other reasons.
- Loss of Metadata- During the migration process, there’s a possibility of losing metadata like email headers, attachments, or labels, or could be incorrectly formatted.
- Loss of Folder Structure- There are high chance that the email data loses the hierarchy and folder structure during the import of PST files to Gmail.
- Software Requirement- Manual methods may require additional software or tools like Microsoft Outlook which adds extra effort and also may not work with corrupted or orphan MSG Files.
- Technical Knowledge Required- Users must be skilled with the configurations of both email clients. Non-technical users might find the process lengthy and challenging.
Advanced Solution
In our previous section, we discussed the shortcomings of the manual methods to import emails from PST to Gmail, addressing the same issues, we have developed an automated software BitRecover PST to Gmail Wizard to get through the drawbacks of the manual migration. The powerful tool can migrate multiple PST files with unlimited data to a Gmail account at once including attachments. The software offers advanced filters while migrating allowing users to select specific data ranges, sender, and receivers and exclude desired folders.
The PST to Gmail converter tool maintains all email components emails, attachments, email signatures, html links, folders, from, to, cc, subject, etc so there is no data loss during the migration process. It also offers a “Recovery mode” option for users who want to move corrupted PST files to their Gmail account. Our advanced software also provides an option to change the language of the folder while migrating to the Gmail cloud server. You can invest in our pro tool for the best results as it enables users to detect and migrate the complete data like emails, Outlook contacts to Gmail, calendars, tasks, etc including conversion from all folders like sent, inbox, draft, trash, and other folders.
Conclusion
People generally struggle when they need to import emails from PST to Gmail, as manual conversion is tiring and inefficient in a lot of situations. Therefore, understanding the pain points of the users our veteran team has developed an advanced PST to Gmail migration tool to fulfill every need of the users so they experience a hassle-free solution when migrate PST to Gmail.
