Methods to Convert User Mailbox to Shared Mailbox Office 365

Summary:- In this blog, I will walk you through step by step how to convert a User Mailbox to a Shared Mailbox. We are elaborating on the key difference between the both and the reason behind the conversion. Also, we will show you how to convert a mailbox using the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, Exchange Admin Center, and Powershell. Additionally, we introduce you to the efficient and reliable solution Office 365 Converter tool.

 

User vs Shared Mailbox: Key Differences Explain

User MailboxShared Mailbox
The User Mail is associated with the individual user. Its primary email box is used for sending and receiving emails, storing contacts, creating calendars, appointments, etc.The Shared Mailbox, on the contrary, allows multiple users. This Mailbox is used to access it for sending or receiving emails. It doesn’t have login credentials as the user mailbox does; the user needs permission to access it.

Let’s proceed further and look for the reason for the conversion of the user to a shared mailbox.

Reasons to Convert User Mailbox to Shared Mailbox

Multiple reasons are available for O365 to convert to a shared mailbox, such as:-

  • Consider an employee who left the company, but their respective email address is still required, and all he needs to do is deactivate the account for security reasons. In that case, convert to a shared mailbox. Office 365 is the best option.
  • Several users need to manage the Mailbox.

Overall, there are many other reasons for conversion. Let’s proceed further and discuss the methods available for conversion.

Method 1: Office 365 Convert to Shared Mailbox in the Admin Centers

Conversion of a user mailbox to a shared mailbox can be done by using both methods, such as the Microsoft 365 Admin Center and the Exchange Admin Center. Let’s discuss both methods one by one.

Part 1: By Using the Microsoft 365 Admin Center

In the user setting, we can convert the user mailbox to shared directly:-

  1. Expand Users and select Active Users
  2. Choose the user
  3. Then, Open the Mail tab
  4. Now, Hit on Convert to Shared Mailbox
  5. Hit on Convert in the confirmation screen.

In the admin center, you can view the shared Mailbox under Teams & Groups > Shared mailboxes.

Part 2: By Using the Exchange Admin Center

Also, we can use the Exchange Admin Center, of course, to convert users to a shared mailbox

  1. Expand recipients and choose mailboxes
  2. Choose the Mailbox (user)
  3. After that, open the Others tab
  4. Next, Hit on convert to a shared mailbox
  5. Hit on confirm.

In the same mailbox list as the user shared, the mailbox is also listed. We can use a built-in filter to quickly check whether Mailbox is shared in the Exchange Admin Center or not.

In the mailbox view, Hit on the filter and choose Shared Mailbox.

Method 2: Convert User Mailbox to Shared with PowerShell

Another way to change the user to a shared mailbox is to use PowerShell. With PowerShell, we only need to enter a single command for conversion. Before you start, make sure the Exchange Online Module has been installed in PowerShell.

  1. Connect to exchange online.
  2. To convert the Mailbox, we’ll use the Set-Mailbox cmdlet. You only need to be aware of the Mailbox’s name or email address: The example shown below converts the Mailbox 123 User to a shared mailbox.

Set-Mailbox -Identity “123 User” -Type Shared

  1. In order to verify, you can pull the information on the Mailbox using the Get-EXORecipient cmdlet. The Recipient Type Details field will display you what kind of Mailbox it is. The following example displays detailed information about the mailbox “123 User”.

Get-EXORecipient -Identity “123 User”

  1. To see the Recipient Type Details, which will show you the type of Mailbox it is, use the Get-EXORecipient cmdlet. The below-mentioned example below pulls the Recipient Type Details field for the 123 User.

Get-EXORecipient -Identity “123 User” | Format-List RecipientTypeDetails

Note: This manual procedure to convert to shared mailbox Office 365 is a lengthy and time-consuming process. Additionally, it requires basic technical knowledge of how to execute the whole procedure. These are the certain disadvantages of the manual method, due to which users also search for alternate solutions. Let’s further discuss this automated solution in more detail.

Method 3: Convert User Mailbox to Shared Using Automated Solution

Office 365 Converter tool is a risk-free and reliable utility to convert a user mailbox to a shared mailbox and vice versa i.e., “convert shared mailbox to user mailbox”. This software allows the migration or backup of Office 365 mailboxes into multiple other file formats and various email clients. Along with this, it also migrates Office 365 emails to various email clients. Additionally, it provides several inbuilt features to ease the conversion process. Moreover, this tool is compatible with all Windows OS like 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, etc.

The Stepwise Procedure of this Tool

  1. Download and Run the Office 365 Converter software on your device.
  2. Now, select the Backup Option from the displayed software interface.
  3. To move forward, click Continue.
  4. After that, select Use Modern Authentication, enter your Office 365 ID, and click the Sign in button.
  5. Now, the software will authenticate your provided Office 365 ID. After Successful Authentication, it goes back to the tool’s interface.
  6. Further, after successful authentication. Select the types of mailboxes from which you need to back up using a drop-down list from the mailbox. Hit the Next button.
  7. Now, a tree structure of the selected Office 365 data items will be displayed. Check the folders from the interface that you need to back up and hit the Next button.
  8. Opt for Office 365 as a saves/ Backup / Migrate option. Select Use Modern Authentication, enter the Office 365 ID, and hit the Sign in button.
  9. After the successful authentication, choose the additional inbuilt features as per the requirement and hit the Next button. Check the Mailbox and tap Next to move forward.
  10. Lastly, map your Office 365 ID data to migrate it into the Public Folder and click on the Convert button.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, we have covered every part of the query users face in this blog. The manual procedure has some drawbacks that prevent the user from choosing them. You can directly perform the automated solution to convert the user mailbox to a shared mailbox. professionals highly recommend the advanced solution.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How do I convert a user mailbox to a shared mailbox in Windows 11?

Ans- By using automated software, we can easily convert a user mailbox to a shared mailbox in Windows 11. Additionally, this tool is not only compatible with Windows 11 but also with all Windows OS like 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, etc.

Q. How can I remove duplicate emails during the O365 migration?

Ans- In the professional tool, there is an inbuilt feature available to remove duplicate emails on the basis of the To, From, Subject, and Body options during the O365 Migration process. 

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About The Author:

As a Technical expert, I love to write blogs on email migration, data recovery, and cloud migration. In my free time, I like to research new things related to technology.

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