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Migrating Your Data After Graduation: A Student's Guide

Migrating Your Data After Graduation: A Student's Guide

When you graduate, your university Microsoft 365 account will be deactivated after a period of non-enrollment. To retain access to your files, emails, and other data, follow these steps to migrate your content to a personal Microsoft account.

Step 1: Prepare Your Personal Microsoft Account

Important: If your account ends in @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, or @live.com, you automatically have a personal Microsoft account.

  • Ensure you have access to OneDrive (5GB free storage) and Outlook.com.

Step 2: Transfer Your OneDrive Files

  1. Sync your school OneDrive locally using the OneDrive desktop app.
  2. Sign in to your personal OneDrive and sync it to your device.
  3. Use File Explorer to drag and drop files from your school OneDrive folder to your personal OneDrive folder.
  4. Wait for the sync to complete.

Note: The Mover tool previously used for this task has been retired.

Step 3: Export Your Emails and Contacts

  • In Outlook:
    • Go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
    • Choose Export to a file > Outlook Data File (.pst).
    • Select your mailbox and save the file.
  • In your personal Outlook account:
    • Use the same Import/Export wizard to import the .pst file.

Step 4: Export Your Calendar

  • In Outlook:
    • Go to File > Save Calendar.
    • Choose the date range and save as an .ics file.
  • Import the .ics file into your personal Outlook calendar.

Step 5: Save Your OneNote Notebooks

  • Open each notebook in OneNote.
  • Use File > Export to save as a OneNote package or PDF.
  • Re-upload to your personal OneDrive or OneNote.

Note: Learn how you can sign into multiple accounts on OneNote here.

Step 6: Sync Microsoft Edge Data (Optional)

  • Sign in to Edge with your personal account.
  • Use Sync settings to transfer bookmarks, passwords, and preferences.

Tips for a Smooth Transition

  • Start early: Begin the migration before your account is disabled.
  • Use a wired connection for large file transfers.
  • Backup sensitive files to an external drive or cloud service.

 

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