how do i move email from one outlook account to another. I have two and I am paying for two subscriptions. I don't want to lose my email when I cancel one.

Question

I discovered that I have 2 microsoft accounts under 2 different emails. I am paying a subscription on both. I would like to delete one, but I don't want to lose my emails. How do I move old emails from one account to the other?

Answer 1

To move emails from one Outlook account to another, you can follow these steps:

1. Export Emails from the Old Account: Use Outlook to export your emails from the account you wish to delete. You can do this by creating a .pst file. Here’s how:
   • Open Outlook and go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
   • Choose Export to a file and click Next.
   • Select Outlook Data File (.pst) and click Next.
   • Select the email account you want to export and click Next. Choose a location to save the .pst file and click Finish.
2. Import Emails to the New Account: After exporting your emails, you can import them into your other Outlook account:
   • Open Outlook and go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
   • Choose Import from another program or file and click Next.
   • Select Outlook Data File (.pst) and click Next.
   • Browse to the .pst file you exported earlier, choose how you want to handle duplicates, and click Next.
   • Select the folder to import into (usually your inbox) and click Finish.
3. Verify and Clean Up: After importing, check your new account to ensure all emails have been transferred successfully. You can then proceed to delete the old account if desired.

By following these steps, you should be able to move your emails without losing any data when you cancel one of your subscriptions.

Answer 2

Hi Michele,

Canceling a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscription does not delete an Outlook mailbox, it only removes the premium features after the end of the paid period. Deleting a Microsoft account does delete the mailbox and all data. So do not delete the old account until you have moved the mail and verified it in the new one.

Open Outlook for Windows classic. You will know you are in the classic app if there is a File menu in the top left. If you only see a gear icon and no File menu, you are in the new Outlook for Windows which does not support PST export or import yet. In that case switch to classic Outlook for Windows from the toggle in the app, or install the Office apps that include Outlook, then continue.

Add both mailboxes in the classic Outlook app so you can see them in the left pane. If the second account is already there, you can skip adding it now and add it later during import.

Go to File > Open and Export > Import/Export. Choose Export to a file. Choose Outlook Data File (.pst). Select the old mailbox at the top of the tree, check Include subfolders so every folder and subfolder is included, then Next. Choose a safe location for the PST and click Finish. If Outlook asks for a password for the PST you can leave it blank and click OK. Wait for the status bar to finish.

Go to File > Open and Export > Import/Export. Choose Import from another program or file. Choose Outlook Data File (.pst). Browse to the PST you created and click Next. Choose Import items into the same folder in, then select the mailbox you plan to keep as the destination. Check Include subfolders and click Finish. Outlook will copy all mail and folders into the destination mailbox. Leave Outlook open until the status bar shows it is done.

Sign in to the destination account in a web browser at Outlook.com and confirm that the folders and messages appear there. Give it time to finish syncing if you imported a lot of mail.

After you see everything in the destination mailbox on the web, you can safely stop paying for the extra subscription. If anything is unclear, tell me which Windows version and which Outlook app you see, and I will tailor the exact clicks for you.