Migrate .PST Files to UMD Google using Google Workspace Migration for Microsoft Office (GWMMO)


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Mail messages, contacts, and calendars that have been saved to a local archive on a Windows machine using Microsoft Outlook are saved as a .pst data file. If you would like this data to appear in your University of Maryland (UMD) Google Workspace for Education account, you may use a tool created by Google to "self-migrate" the data. It is recommended that you use Google Workspace Migration for Microsoft Outlook (GWMMO) with the assistance of your local IT contact. Additionally, you should back up your .pst file in a separate location before beginning. You can download GWMMO and view a tutorial on how to use the tool.

After downloading and installing GWMMO on your Windows machine, you can proceed to migrate the .pst file that contains your messages, contacts, and calendars to your university Google Workspace account.

Download and install GWMMO

  1. Go to https://tools.google.com/dlpage/outlookmigration.
  2. Click Download Migration Tool.
  3. An OutlookMigrationSetup.exe file will download to your Downloads folder.
  4. Go to your Downloads folder and locate the OutlookMigrationSetup.exe file. Double-click the file icon to begin the installation.
    NOTE: The User Account Control window may open as the installation process begins. Click Yes to allow the installation to continue.
  5. Downloading and installation of GWMMO should continue automatically. Allow the installation process to continue without interruption. Once the installation is complete, the GWMMO Sign-in window will open. Click Continue.
  6. Enter your @umd.edu email address in the Email Address field and then click Continue.
  7. The GWMMO launch page will open in the web browser that was used to download GWMMO. This page will allow you to begin migration of your .pst file.

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Outline of migration steps

To learn how to migrate the .pst file that contains your messages, contacts, and calendars using GWMMO, follow the steps listed below.

  1. Open GWMMO. Login to GWMMO with your @umd.edu email address.
    Google Apps Migration for Microsoft Outlook icon
  2. The GWMMO would like to: webpage will open in your default web browser. Click the blue Allow.
  3. Select the.PST File from the drop-down menu. Select Migrate only new data. Click Next.

    From PST File selected from Select a Microsoft OutLook User profile or PST files to migrate menu.

  4. The migration of the selected .pst file will begin. Once the migration has completed, log into your GAFE account to verify the following:
    • A label with the same name as the .pst file with all the contents is nested below it.
    • A second calendar below their main GAFE calendar with the migrated entries.

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Consolidate the migrated calendar (if desired)

You may also wish to consolidate the calendar contained in your .pst file with your Google Calendar. To learn how to do this, follow the steps listed below.

  1. Go to your Google Calendar. Locate the migrated calendar in your My Calendars list to the left of the calendar display.
  2. Click the drop-down arrow next to the migrated calendar and select Calendar Settings.

    Drop Down menu from migrated calendar with Calendar Settings highlighted.

  3. The Calendar Settings page will open. Scroll to the Export Calendar section. Click Export this calendar.
  4. A .ical zip file will download to your Downloads folder. Export the migrated calendar as a .zip file via Google calendar and locate it on the workstation.
  5. Locate the .ical zip file in your Downloads folder. Double-click the file icon to extract the zipped files. Extract the .ics file from the export.
  6. Go to your Google Calendar. Scroll to the Other Calendars list to the left of the calendar display. Click the Other Calendars drop-down menu button. Select Import Calendar.

    Other Calendars drop-down menu with Import calendar option selected.

  7. The Import Calendar window will open. Click Choose File. Locate the .ics file from the extracted .ical zip files in your Downloads folder using the File Explorer window that opens. Click Open once you locate the desired .ics file.
  8. On the Import Calendar window, click Import.
  9. After a successful import, the imported calendar will be added to your list of Other Calendars.
    NOTE: Keep in mind the following risks and recommendations when importing .pst files.

    Category Issue Name  Problem/Success  Impact Recommendation 
    Time Management Large PST files  PST files larger than 3GB took more than a day to complete the migration into GAFE. High – Required multiple attempts to complete migration for two largest accounts over the course of a week. Break the account up into multiple PST files. Perform migration at a dedicated workstation to maximize the transfer speed.
    Quality Management  Phantom Labels and Messages Folders and messages that were not visible in the PST file via Outlook were being migrated into GAFE as unnecessary labels and empty messages Low–Requires clean-up of unnecessary labels and empty messages created by GWMMO migration tool. Assist customers in identifying the unnecessary labels and empty messages.
    Label and Calendar Structure Entire PST file is imported into a series of nested labels. Calendar events imported into a new calendar. Medium – Caused confusion leading to false reports of missing items. Clean-up folder structure in PST file prior to running the GSMMO migration tool. Export
    Calendar event import failures Significant percentage of calendar entries did not migrate over. Low – Very few customers reported missing any important or upcoming entries. Limit the range for calendar entries to be migrated.

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