Unable to Open an Old OST File After Outlook Profile or Mailbox Changes
Hi everyone, I am looking for suggestions on handling an old OST file where the original Outlook profile or mailbox is no longer available. The situation is that an OST file contains important mailbox data, but Outlook cannot open it normally after changes to the user account or profile. This can happen after a Microsoft 365 mailbox change, Exchange migration, user account removal, or when an OST file becomes damaged. Since OST files are linked to the Outlook profile and mailbox that created them, simply moving the file to another system does not always make the data accessible. Before attempting any recovery approach, I would like to understand the recommended steps: Is there any Microsoft-recommended method to access an orphaned OST file? What checks should be performed before trying to recover data from the OST? How do administrators usually handle old OST files when the original mailbox is no longer available? What is the best way to validate recovered mailbox data? I would appreciate feedback from anyone who has handled similar Outlook OST recovery scenarios after Microsoft 365 or Exchange changes.Need to Restore PST Files to Office 365 Mailboxes - What's the Best Approach
Hey everyone, I have a task coming up where I need to restore several PST files back into Office 365 mailboxes. Haven't done this before at this scale and honestly not sure where to begin. I've looked at Microsoft's native import service through Purview but I have a few concerns: Some of the PST files are quite large — not sure how well it handles that I need to restore only specific folders for some users, not the entire PST I'm worried about data consistency after the restore Would prefer something that doesn't require too many admin roles or complex setup For those who have done PST to Office 365 restores — what approach worked best for you? Any tools, tips, or things to watch out for that you wish you knew before starting?
BC SharePoint External File Storage view threshold exceeded
I recently set up External File Storage in Business Central. The view and folder structure were automatic, and the file links and communication between the two applications seems tenuous. Very quickly I ended up with a view threshold exceeded error in the SharePoint library. I was told that this is a known issue and Microsoft suggested the below mitigations. I plan to do the indexing when I don't have users logged in. I simplified the default view. I can't apply a retention policy in BC because the associated table is not included in the allowed tables. I'll give some thought to the Azure Blob storage option. My question, however, is what do they mean by "Partition attachments across multiple libraries"? This option intrigues me but how do I do that without breaking the file link between BC and SP? TIA. Recommended Mitigations Action Purpose Index key columns on the BC-managed library Enables filtered views past 5,000 Simplify default view (remove sorting/grouping/lookup columns) Avoids unnecessary joins that trigger LVT Partition attachments across multiple libraries (per company/environment/year) Keeps each library under threshold Apply BC attachment retention/archival Controls long-term volume Consider Azure Blob/Files for high-volume scenarios No equivalent list-view constraint
Word/PowerPoint are not suitable replacements for Publisher
I’m writing following the guidance that Word and PowerPoint can be used as replacements for Publisher. This feedback is based on completing a real production document, not theoretical use Having just completed a fairly complex, layout-heavy technical document, I thought it only fair to share how that works in practice. In theory, I can see the logic: Word handles documents PowerPoint handles layouts Therefore, between the two, everything should be covered Unfortunately, in reality, this appears to be more of a theoretical exercise than a practical solution. Publisher was clearly designed for: Fixed, page-based layouts Precise positioning of objects Efficient alignment of mixed content (text, images, tables) Producing consistent, professional multi-page documents By comparison: Word is admirably committed to reminding you that it would prefer everything to flow freely, regardless of whether you want it to or not PowerPoint, while better behaved, does seem to assume every page is a standalone slide rather than part of a structured document Both tools can, with enough persistence, be persuaded into doing the job. However, this involves a level of manual intervention, workaround, and general negotiation with the software that feels somewhat at odds with modern productivity software. To put it simply: They are not replacements in any meaningful, real-world sense. The end result can be achieved, but the process is unnecessarily time-consuming, fragile, and prone to unexpected layout changes—particularly when precision actually matters. Replacing a purpose-built publishing tool with two applications that were never designed for that role gives the impression that this use case has been… optimistically simplified. I would strongly encourage Microsoft to either: Provide a genuine page-layout solution within the Office suite, or Enhance existing applications so they can support fixed-layout publishing without constant workarounds At present, the gap left by Publisher is very noticeable for anyone producing structured documents beyond basic text. I appreciate the direction of Microsoft 365 overall, but in this particular area, the experience feels less like an evolution and more like working around a missing tool. Regards AndyMoving Office 365 Mailboxes to IMAP Servers - What’s the Best Approach
I’ve recently been looking into scenarios where organizations need to move mailboxes from Microsoft 365 to IMAP based email servers, and I noticed this is still a common requirement in many migrations. In most cases, the challenge is not just moving emails, but making sure everything like folder structure, old emails, and user data stays intact without creating too much disruption for users. From what I’ve seen, doing this manually can get very complex, especially when there are multiple mailboxes or large data volumes involved. That’s where migration tools usually come into the picture. Most tools simplify things by handling: 1. Secure connection to Microsoft 365 accounts 2. Bulk mailbox migration 3. Preserving folder hierarchy 4. Reducing downtime during the move 5. Avoiding duplicate data issues One thing I’ve noticed is that running a small pilot migration first always helps. It gives a clear idea of how the actual migration will behave before moving all users. Has anyone here worked on Office 365 to IMAP migration at scale? Would be good to know what approaches or tools worked best in your case and what challenges you faced during the process.Office 365 Mailbox Export to PST - Third Party Tools: What’s Your Experience?
Exporting Office 365 mailboxes to PST is still a common requirement in many Microsoft 365 environments, especially for backup, compliance, and migration scenarios. While Microsoft offers native options like Purview eDiscovery and Outlook export, many administrators also consider third-party tools when dealing with large mailboxes or bulk export requirements. In real-world scenarios, factors like speed, ease of use, permission handling, and consistency of exported data often influence the choice of tool. Some teams prefer native methods for compliance control, while others explore third-party solutions to simplify large-scale or repeated export tasks. For those working with Microsoft 365, what has your experience been with third-party PST export tools? Have they helped in your environment, or do you still rely mainly on Microsoft’s native options?
OneDrive Archival of Unlicensed Users
The change enforcing archival of unlicensed OneDrive users after 93 days was announced in January of last year but seems to be hitting tenants very gradually. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/unlicensed-onedrive-accounts?WT.mc_id=365AdminCSH_spo I'm curious what other organizations are doing to tackle this change and how widespread the rollout has been so far. When the change was announced, did your organizations do anything to prepare? For those of you who are already seeing archival in your tenant When did it actually begin? Particularly for very high volumes of unlicensed accounts, how are you handling this? Have you had any luck with Purview content search and export for retrieval of files?Primer: How to Use RBAC for Applications to Control App Use of the Mail.Send Permission
The temptation to use the Mail.Send application permission in scripts can lead PowerShell developers into trouble because the permission allows access to all mailboxes, including sensitive executive and financial mailboxes. Fortunately, RBAC for Applications allows tenants to control the access that apps have to mailboxes and other Exchange content. All explained here with an example script to test RBAC of Applications. https://office365itpros.com/2026/02/17/mail-send-rbac-for-applications/
