This guidance is for staff and students who are leaving the University and need to take copies of their emails or files with them for personal reference.

You should complete any of these steps before your University account is closed, as access to email and files may be removed without notice after your leaving date.

Note: Microsoft 365 does not provide a single “export everything” option for Outlook or OneDrive. Because of this, the University recommends using one of the practical alternatives outlined below, depending on what data you need and how much of it you want to keep.

 

Outlook (emails)

Microsoft Outlook does not provide a single, readable way to export all emails. Instead, there are a few workarounds available that allow you to keep copies of emails in different ways, depending on your needs.

Select one of the options below to view more information and step-by-step guidance

What this option is for

This option is best if you want to keep a large number of emails or complete folders together in a single file. It is designed for users who expect to continue using Outlook after leaving and are comfortable importing their emails into another Outlook account for viewing later. This method keeps emails grouped and structured in a way that closely matches how they appeared in your University mailbox.

When you might use it

  • You want to keep entire folders, such as your Inbox or Sent Items, rather than selecting individual emails.

  • You are comfortable using Outlook on a personal device or another Outlook account after leaving.

  • You want your emails preserved in a format that behaves like a mailbox once imported.

Limitations

  • This option only works in Outlook for Windows (desktop app). It does not work in Outlook in a browser.

  • The exported file cannot be opened or read on its own outside of Outlook.

  • To view the emails, you must import the file into another Outlook account.

Instructions: export to a PST file

  1. Open Outlook settings (Windows desktop app) from the top left corner.
  2. Select Files, then Export.
  3. Select Get started and choose the folder you want to export. You can only choose one folder at a time, but you can include all subfolders. Select Next.
  4. Choose how you want to handle duplicate items and whether you want to export all items or only items older than a specific time period.
  5. Select where to save the file on your computer by selecting Choose file, then select Export.
  6. Set a password for the export and keep it safe (you will need it when importing). The file will then download to your computer.
  7. Move the PST file to your personal device using one of the following options:
    • Email it to yourself as an attachment (only if the file size is within the email attachment limit).
    • Upload it to OneDrive (work or school), select Share, share it to your personal email address, then download it on your personal device from your personal email.
    • Copy it to an external drive (for example, a USB stick or external hard drive).

Important notes:
A PST file is not viewable as a normal file outside of Outlook. You cannot open it in a web browser or read it like a document. The only way to view the emails is to import the PST back into Outlook using another Outlook account.

Once imported, the emails appear in Outlook like a mailbox. You can open messages, view attachments, and continue email threads (for example, reply or forward) as normal.

This option only works with Outlook. It is not compatible with other email services such as Gmail. You can create a free Outlook account from the Microsoft website.

Instructions: import the PST into Outlook

  1. Open Outlook settings (Windows desktop app) using your personal Outlook account.
  2. Select Files, then Outlook data files.
  3. Select Add files and choose the PST file you downloaded.
  4. When prompted, enter the password you set when exporting.
  5. The imported data will appear in your folder list under Outlook Data File.

Optional: rename the imported Outlook Data File

  1. In Settings, go to Files, then choose Outlook data files.
  2. Select Manage next to the chosen file. Enter a new name in the Display name field, then select Go back to save.

Suggestion: Rename the Outlook Data File to something meaningful (for example, University Email Archive).

What this option is for

This is the simplest and most reliable way to keep a small number of important emails after you leave the University. Forwarding sends a copy of the email to your personal inbox so you can read it later without needing access to your University account.

This option is best for critical messages you may need for personal reference (for example, confirmations, receipts, or key conversations). It is also a good choice if you want to keep emails in a format that is easy to access on any device.

When you might use this

  • You only need specific emails rather than a full folder or mailbox.
  • You want the emails to remain fully readable in your personal inbox.
  • You understand that forwarding does not allow you to continue the same email conversation from your personal account (your replies will come from your personal email address, and you can only respond to the senders email address).
  • You use any personal email provider (for example, Gmail or Outlook.com).

Limitations

  • Emails must be forwarded one at a time.
  • There is no bulk forward option in Outlook.

Instructions

  1. Open the email you want to keep. Right-click and select Forward.
  2. In the To field, enter your personal email address.
  3. Select Send. Repeat these steps for any other emails you want to keep.

Important notes:
Attachments are included automatically when you forward an email (although very large attachments may be affected by email size limits).

This option works in both the Outlook desktop app and Outlook in a web browser.

This is recommended for critical or personal emails you want to keep for reference after leaving.

What this option is for

This option allows you to send batches of emails to your personal email account more quickly than forwarding them one by one. The selected emails are attached to a new message as files, which you can then download and keep.

This can be useful if you have several related emails in the same folder and want to save them together without exporting your entire mailbox.

When you might use this

  • You want to keep multiple emails.
  • You want the emails saved as individual attached files rather than copied into your inbox.

Limitations

  • This option works for emails only; you cannot drag entire folders.
  • There is no published limit on how many emails can be attached at once.
  • Very large batches may fail due to email size limits.
  • The Select all option may not work as expected.

Instructions

  1. Open the folder containing the emails you want to keep.
  2. Select one or more emails.
  3. Open a new email by selecting the new mail button from the top ribbon.
  4. Click and drag the selected emails into the new email message. These will be added as individual attachments. 
  5. Enter your personal email address in the To field.
  6. Select Send.
  7. Open your personal email account and review or download the attached emails to your device.

Important notes:
The emails are attached to the message as files, which you can save and keep for reference.

If you are sending a large number of emails, send them in smaller batches to avoid size limit errors.

This option works with any personal email provider (for example, Gmail or Yahoo).

 

OneDrive (files)

OneDrive provides several straightforward ways to keep copies of your files for personal reference. By organising your files into folders and using OneDrive’s built-in download and sharing features, you can store important documents safely on your own device.

Select one of the options below to view more information and step-by-step guidance

What this option is for

This option is recommended for most users, as it provides a simple way to access files from another device without needing additional equipment. It allows you to share a folder from your University OneDrive to your personal email account so you can download the files to your own device.

When you might use this

  • You need to access files on another device.
  • You do not have a USB stick or external hard drive available.

Limitations / considerations

  • Your work or school account remains the owner of the files; sharing only gives temporary access from your personal account.

  • Once your work or school account is removed, access to the shared folder will also be removed.

  • To keep the files, you must download the folder to your local device from your personal account before this happens.

Instructions

  1. Go to OneDrive via office.com and sign in with your University account.
  2. Select New folder and give it a clear name (for example, My University Files).
  3. Move all the files and folders you want to keep into the new folder. By organising them this way, your existing folder structure will be preserved when you download the files.
  4. Right-click the folder and select Share.
  5. Enter your personal email address in the To field and, if needed, allow edit permissions.
  6. Select Send. This will email a sharing link to your personal account.
  7. Open the link from your personal email and download the files to your device.

What this option is for

This is the recommended option for most users and works well for keeping your files organised when leaving the University. By downloading your files as a single folder, you can keep the original folder structure and store everything safely on your own device.

When you might use this

  • You want to keep files together with their existing folder structure.
  • You are copying files to a USB stick, external hard drive, or your personal computer.

Limitations

  • Very large folders may take time to download.
  • If the folder is very large, the download may fail and need to be split into smaller folders.
  • If using a University device,  you will still need to copy or transfer them to your personal device.

Instructions

  1. Go to OneDrive via office.com and sign in with your University account.
  2. Select New folder and give it a clear name (for example, My University Files).
  3. Move all the files and folders you want to keep into the new folder. By organising them this way, your existing folder structure will be preserved when you download the files.
  4. Select the folder, then choose Download from the top banner. The folder will be saved to your device’s Downloads location by default.
  5. Transfer the downloaded folder to your personal device. This could include copying it to a USB stick or external hard drive, or emailing it to yourself as an attachment if the file size allows.

 

Google accounts and services

The University currently operates in a hybrid environment using both Microsoft and Google systems. While the majority of personal data, including email and personal file storage, has moved to Microsoft Outlook and OneDrive, some shared drives and services still exist within Google Drive.

If you have worked with shared files or used Google services with your University account (for example Google Drive or Gmail), you may still have data stored within Google systems. Before leaving the University, you can download a copy of this data using Google’s official guidance:

Download your Google account data (Google Takeout)

 

Helpful reminders

  • Allow enough time to review your email and files and decide what you need to keep.

  • Some options work better for small amounts of data, while others are more suitable for larger volumes; choose the approach that best fits your needs.

  • Large downloads or exports can take time to prepare, especially if you have many files or emails.

  • Once access to your University account has ended, personal data cannot be recovered. For more information about leaving the University, review the Staff leavers guidance or Student leavers guidance.