Migrating Microsoft® Exchange 2013 to Microsoft® Exchange 2019

Already using Microsoft Exchange 2013 and want to migrate to the new Microsoft Exchange 2019 and keep using your data? Here you can learn how to continue using your old mailbox with Microsoft Exchange 2019.

Please Note

Some steps in this article require intermediate/advanced computer knowledge.

Prerequisites

You already have a Microsoft Exchange 2019 contract and a Microsoft Exchange 2013 account set up.
Your Exchange 2013 account only has accounts configured as their own email addresses. These instructions do not apply to Exchange 2013 accounts configured with existing/external email addresses, such as an email address at GMX or Gmail.
Your Microsoft Exchange email accounts are on different contracts in the same IONOS account.
The domain you want to use for your Exchange 2013 mailbox and your new Exchange 2019 mailbox is in your IONOS account.

Notes

There are basically two options for a migration. The procedure you should choose depends on whether you want to continue using your current version of Microsoft Outlook (2013 or 2016) or whether you want to switch to Microsoft Outlook 2019. The first option becomes an issue, for example, if you are using an older version of Windows, e.g. Microsoft Windows 7 or 8, since Outlook 2019 requires Windows 10 or later. You can find a compatibility overview for Windows and Outlook here.

Select which step-by-step guide you would like to follow:

I want to continue using my current version of Outlook

- or-

I want to use my old data with Outlook 2019

Using Your Current Version of Outlook

First, back up the data in your existing Microsoft Exchange mailbox. A backup of the mailbox contents is created using a PST file in Microsoft Outlook. You can find step-by-step instructions on how to do this here.

Warning

By default, emails from the last 12 months are downloaded when Cached Exchange Mode is enabled. Cached Exchange Mode allows you to work with your Microsoft Exchange mailbox even when your network connection is slow or unavailable.

Check the Cached Exchange Mode offline settings and make sure the slider in the Microsoft Outlook account settings is set to All to download all emails. Otherwise, there is a risk of data loss!

The steps to do this are listed in the Configuring Offline Settings of Cached Exchange Mode section of the article Backing Up Microsoft Exchange 2013 Data.

Now you should rename all of the old Microsoft Exchange 2013 addresses you are migrating:
- Log in to IONOS.
- Select the contract that contains your Microsoft Exchange mailbox(es).
- In the Tasks column, click the gear icon and select Settings.
- - Rename the Microsoft Exchange mailbox, i.e. the part before the @ symbol.
- Click Save.
Repeat step 2 for each Microsoft Exchange 2013 email address you are moving.
Create your new Microsoft Exchange 2019 addresses using the same domain as your Microsoft Exchange 2013 addresses. You can find step-by-step instructions on how to do this here.
Now you are ready to remove your old Microsoft Exchange 2013 accounts in Outlook:
- Start Microsoft Outlook.
- Click on File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
- In the Data Files tab, click Add...
- Select the desired folder where you want to save the data file and click OK.
- In the Email tab, select the old Microsoft Exchange mailbox you want to delete.
- Click Remove and then click OK.
- To remove the old Microsoft Exchange mailbox, click Yes.
In Outlook, set up your new Microsoft Exchange 2019 account again. You can find step-by-step instructions here. Note here that you need to use the credentials for your new Microsoft Exchange 2019 mailbox.
Now you just need to restore your backed up data. To do this, use the PST file from step 1. Again, you can find detailed step-by-step instructions in this article. Alternatively, you can use the IONOS Email Migration Tool powered by audriga for this purpose. Detailed instructions on how to move emails and folders can be found in the following article:

Using the IONOS Email Migration Tool to Move Emails and Folders to Another IONOS Email Account

All done! Your Microsoft Exchange 2019 account is now set up and ready to go.

Next steps: If your domain is in a Microsoft Exchange 2013 contract, we recommend transferring your domain from your old Microsoft Exchange 2013 contract to your new Microsoft Exchange 2019 contract. You can find instructions on how to do this here. Then you can cancel your old Microsoft Exchange 2013 contract if you no longer need it.

Using Your Old Exchange Data with Outlook 2019

Attention

The instructions listed here describe how to migrate Microsoft Exchange 2013 mailboxes in conjunction with the Microsoft Outlook 2019 version available for download from IONOS. The use of this Microsoft Outlook 2019 version is recommended by IONOS. Other versions are not recommended.

Preparation

First, back up the data in your existing Microsoft Exchange mailbox. A backup of the mailbox contents is created using a PST file in Outlook. You can find step-by-step instructions on how to do this here.
Uninstall your current version of Outlook, assuming it is version 2016 or prior. You can find detailed instructions on how to do this here.
Rename your all of your old Microsoft Exchange 2013 addresses now:
- Log in to IONOS.
- Select the contract that contains your Microsoft Exchange mailbox(es).
- In the Tasks column, click on the gear icon and select Settings.
- Rename the Microsoft Exchange mailbox, i.e. the part "in front of the @ sign
- Click OK.
Create your new Microsoft Exchange 2019 addresses using the same domain as your Microsoft Exchange 2013 addresses. You can find step-by-step instructions on how to do this here.

Remove any configuration made by the Outlook Configurator (if applicable)

If you already configured Microsoft Outlook using the Outlook Configurator provided by IONOS, we strongly recommend that you remove this old configuration before installing Microsoft Outlook 2019.

Start the OutlookConfigurator.exe program.
In the corresponding field, enter the email address associated with your account
Select the third option Remove and confirm with Next.
Follow the rest of the instructions.

You have successfully removed your old account. Now proceed with the installation and configuration of Microsoft Outlook 2019 as described below.

Installing and Using Outlook 2019

Download and install Outlook 2019.
In Outlook, set up your new Microsoft Exchange 2019 account. You can find step-by-step instructions here. Please note here that you need to use the credentials for your new Microsoft Exchange 2019 mailbox.
Now you just need to restore your backed up data. The backup PST file is used for this purpose. Again, you can find detailed instructions here. Alternatively, you can use the IONOS Email Migration Tool powered by audriga for this purpose. Detailed instructions on how to move emails and folders can be found in the following article:

Using the IONOS Email Migration Tool to Move Emails/Folders to Another IONOS Email Account

All done! Your new Microsoft Exchange 2019 account has been successfully set up with Outlook 2019. We recommend that you cancel your old Microsoft Exchange 2013 contract if you no longer have a need for it.