How do I migrate my UIC Gmail emails into a UIC Exchange account?

Overview

Your emails can be migrated from UIC Gmail to UIC Exchange using Microsoft Outlook on Windows and Mac computers. This process would most commonly be used if you are required to switch to UIC Exchange and would like to keep your emails from UIC Gmail.

Table of Contents

• Migrating your emails on a Mac Computer
• Migrating your emails on a Windows computer
  

Migrating Your Email

The migration of your emails from Gmail to Exchange will be completed using Microsoft Outlook, part of UIC's Microsoft 365 suite. Microsoft 365 can be obtained from officedownload.uic.edu. Emails can be migrated using earlier versions of Microsoft Outlook, but the instructions may be different from those provided in this guide using the Microsoft 365 version.

Migrating your email on a Mac Computer 

1. Add both your Gmail and Exchange accounts into your Outlook program.  Instructions can be found at How do I add my UIC email account to Microsoft Outlook? 
   
   NOTE:  When adding the accounts it may be useful to note the type of account in the Account description section that appears once the account has been added to differentiate between the two accounts.
   
   
    
2. If you do not want to mix together your migrated emails with emails you have or will receive in your Exchange account in the future, create a new folder for the migrated emails in your Exchange account. This can be done by holding down the control key on your keyboard and then click on the Exchange mailbox.  A new folder will be created in the Exchange account and you will be able to give it a name such as Migrated emails.
   
   
    
3. Move messages between your Gmail and Exchange accounts.  Individual messages can be dragged and dropped between the accounts. To move entire folders:
   1. First click on the folder in your UIC Gmail account, click on the Move button in the Outlook Ribbon:
      
      
       
   2. Select Copy to Folder.
      
      
       
   3. Type the name of the folder you created previously and then press Copy. The folder of emails will be migrated to your Exchange account.
      
      

Migrating your emails on a Windows computer

1. Add your UIC Gmail account to Outlook using the instructions in How do I add my UIC email account to Microsoft Outlook?
    
2. Create a .pst file of your Gmail emails.  Before starting these steps, make sure that your Outlook program is not still synchronizing emails (this is displayed in the bottom Outlook ribbon to the left of Connected).
   1. Click File then Open & Export then Import/Export.
      
      
       
   2. Select Export to a file and then click Next.
      
      
       
   3. Select Outlook Data File and click Next.
      
      
       
   4. Select the account to export (your NetID@uic.edu email address will be listed - pick that) and click Next.
      
      
       
   5. Select a location and name for the exported emails, select the option to allow duplicate items to be created and click Finish.
      
      
       
3. Remove the Gmail account.
   1. Click File in the upper left then Account Settings and then Account Settings...
      
      
      
       
   2. Select the Gmail account from the list and click Remove.
      
      
       
4. Add your Exchange account to Outlook using the instructions in How do I add my UIC email account to Microsoft Outlook?
    
5. Import your .pst file of Gmail emails into Outlook.
   1. Click File then Open & Export and then Open Outlook Data File.
      
      
       
   2. Select Import from another program or file and then click Next.
      
      
      
       
   3. Select Outlook Data File (.pst) and then click Next.
      
      
      
       
   4. Click browse to locate the .pst file created earlier, select the option to allow duplicates and click Next.
      
      
       
   5. Make sure Outlook Data File is selected along with Import items into the same folder in: (NetID@uic.edu) and then click Finish.
      
      NOTE:  Emails will be directly transferred into folders with the same name as your Exchange account (example: all emails from the Inbox in Gmail will be transferred to the Inbox in Exchange.  Emails in folders that do not match existing ones will create a new folder in Exchange).