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Frequently Asked Questions

Switching from Workspace Email to Hosted Exchange Email Without Losing Any Messages

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Last Updated: April 28, 2015 11:42 AM

You can move your email messages and transfer settings from your existing email plan to your Hosted Exchange Email plan.

We've all been there—upgrading our technology. Whether it is getting a new computer, a new operating system, or, in this case, a new way of managing your email, there are settings you need to change and migrations you might need to perform.

If you're starting from scratch and you don't care about your existing messages, don't worry about the information in this article. Instead, go to Getting Started With Microsoft Hosted Exchange Email. However, if you want to see all your old email messages in your new account and transfer over all your contacts, then follow these instructions.

Step 1: Configuring Your Domain Name and Setting Up Your Hosted Exchange Email Account

You need to make some changes to your domain name so it is configured to work with Hosted Exchange Email. After you set up the domain name properly, you can create your Hosted Exchange Email account and set up your mailboxes.

Configuring Your Domain Name to Work with Hosted Exchange Email

Before adding your mailboxes, we're going to preemptively update your zone file to tell the Internet where to go for your new email.

To make the transition seamless, you need to add the Hosted Exchange Email MX record without deleting any of the other MX records. Then, remove the other MX records after the Hosted Exchange Email address is set up.

NOTE: For every domain name you intend to use with Hosted Exchange Email, you have to update the MX records and add two CNAME records. If your domain name is registered with another provider, contact them for assistance with changing to the CNAME and MX records listed below.

Before continuing, you need to know which version of Exchange your mailbox uses. For more information, see Finding Your Hosted Exchange Email Version.

To Configure Your Domain Name to Support Hosted Exchange Email

  1. Log in to your Account Manager.
  2. Next to Domains, click Manage.
  3. From the Tools menu, select DNS Manager.
  4. For the domain name you want to edit, click Edit Zone.
  5. In the CNAME (Alias) section, click Quick Add, and then complete the following fields:
    • Create a CNAME called autodiscover pointed to:
      • Exchange 2007 — autodiscoverredirect.ex1.secureserver.net
      • Exchange 2010 — autodiscoverredirect.ex2.secureserver.net, autodiscoverredirect.ex3.secureserver.net, or autodiscoverredirect.ex4.secureserver.net
  6. In the same section, click Quick Add again, and then complete the following fields:
    • Create a CNAME called OWA pointed to:
      • Exchange 2007 — mail.ex1.secureserver.net
      • Exchange 2010 — mail.ex2.secureserver.net, mail.ex3.secureserver.net, or mail.ex4.secureserver.net
  7. In the MX (Mail Exchanger) section, click Quick Add, and complete the following fields:
    • Priority — Type 15.
    • Host — Type @.
    • Points to —
      • Exchange 2007 — presmtp.ex1.secureserver.net
      • Exchange 2010 — presmtp.ex2.secureserver.net, presmtp.ex3.secureserver.net, or presmtp.ex4.secureserver.net
  8. Click Save Zone File, and then click OK.

TIP: It can take from 30 minutes to 48 hours for the Internet to reflect these changes.

Setting Up Your Hosted Exchange Email Account

Get started by setting up your Organization and adding one or multiple email addresses.

To Set up Your Hosted Exchange Email Account

  1. Log in to your Account Manager.
  2. Click Hosted Exchange Email.
  3. Next to the account you want to use, click Set Up Account.
  4. Read the End User License Agreement, and then click Accept.
  5. In the Organization name field, enter your company, business, or organization name, and then click Next.
  6. Enter your user name and password. If necessary, indicate whether you are configuring a mobile mailbox.
  7. (Optional) Click + below the Password field to add additional mailboxes.
  8. Click Next.
  9. Review your settings, and then click Finish.

To Add a Domain Name to Your Organization

Add your domain name to your Organization to personalize your email addresses. Your Organization can use multiple domain names. Remember, for every domain name you intend to use with Hosted Exchange Email, you have to update the MX records and add two CNAMEs.

  1. On the left, in the All Organizations list, click Domains for the Organization where you want to add a domain name.
  2. Click Add Domain and do one of the following:
    • Click Add a domain in this account, and then select a domain name from the list.
    • Click Add a domain Not in this account, and then enter a domain name in the field.
  3. Click OK. The Status for the domain changes from Pending to Setup.

NOTE: If the status does not update, click Refresh in your browser.

To Assign Your Domain Name to Your Email Address(es)

NOTE: Assigning your domain to your email addresses enables your Hosted Exchange mailbox. Do not proceed with this step until you are ready to stop receiving messages in your Workspace Email account and begin receiving them in your new Hosted Exchange Email account.

After adding your domain name, you can assign it to your email address(es).

  1. From the All Organizations list, click Mailbox for the Organization containing the email address you want to modify.
  2. In the Actions column, click Edit for the email address you want to modify.
  3. From the Domain list, select the domain name you want to use for the email address.
  4. Click OK.

Step 2: Downloading and Setting Up Outlook

Your Hosted Exchange Email account comes with Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2010 for every user of your plan. After downloading Outlook, you can set it up to work with your Hosted Exchange Email account.

NOTE: Do not set up Outlook with your Hosted Exchange Email until you have assigned your domain to your email address.

Downloading Outlook

Users can access the download page to download and install Outlook. Email Administrators can also access the download page, or they can download Outlook from the Hosted Exchange Email Manager.

To Download Outlook for Users

  1. Go to the Outlook/Entourage Download page.
  2. Enter your Email Address and Password, and then click Log In.
  3. Read and accept the Hosted Exchange Email End User License Agreement.
  4. If you are using a PC, click Download for Microsoft® Outlook 2007® or 2010. If you are using a Mac, click Download for Microsoft Entourage 2008 or Outlook 2011.

To Download Outlook for Email Administrators

Follow the instructions listed above for Users to access the download page, or you can log in to the Hosted Exchange Email Manager and then click the Download Outlook link.

Setting Up Microsoft Outlook

If you're already using Outlook, the steps for adding your Hosted Exchange Email account are different than if you are setting up a new copy of Outlook.

To Set Up a New Copy of Outlook for Your Hosted Exchange Email Account

  1. Open the Outlook install file, read and accept the Microsoft Software License Terms, and then click Continue.
  2. Launch Microsoft Outlook.
  3. In the Startup Wizard, click Next. If the Startup Wizard doesn't automatically display, from the Tools menu, select Account Settings, and then click New.
  4. In the Add New E-mail Account dialog box, select Microsoft Exchange, POP3, IMAP, or HTTP, and then click Next.
  5. On the Account Configuration page, select Yes to indicate you want to configure an email account, and then click Next.
  6. On the Auto Account Setup page, enter the following:
    • Your Name — Enter your first and last name.
    • E-mail Address — Enter your email address.
    • Password — Enter the password you created for your email account.
    • Retype Password — Enter your password again.
  7. Click Next to allow Outlook to autodiscover your settings and complete any remaining fields.

To Set Up an Existing Copy of Outlook for Your Hosted Exchange Email Account

  1. Go to the Windows® Start menu and select Control Panel.
  2. Double-click Mail.
  3. Click Show Profiles.
  4. Click Add.
  5. Enter a name for the profile, and then click OK.
  6. On the Auto Account Setup page, enter the following:
    • Your Name — Enter your first and last name.
    • E-mail Address — Enter your email address.
    • Password — Enter the password you created for your email account.
    • Retype Password — Enter your password again.
  7. Click Next to allow Outlook to autodiscover your settings and complete any remaining fields.

Step 3: Migrating Your Messages and Contacts

For Current Outlook Users

Moving Messages

If you were already using Outlook, then all your messages are stored by Outlook in a .pst file. You can import the .pst file into your new Hosted Exchange Email address. Keep in mind, when you import those old messages, they will consume storage space in your Hosted Exchange Email account.

To Move Your Messages

  1. In your Outlook account, from the File menu, select Import and Export.
  2. Select Import from another program or file, and then click Next.
  3. Select Personal Folder File (.pst), and then click Next.
  4. Locate your backed up messages on your local hard drive, and then click Next.
  5. On the Import Personal Folders page, select your email account.
  6. Select Include subfolders, and then select Import items into the same folder.
  7. Select your Exchange Mailbox from the list, and then click Finish.

Moving Contacts

If you were previously using Outlook and were using the contact feature, you can move your contacts into your new profile that contains your Hosted Exchange Email account.

To Move Your Contacts

  1. From the File menu, click Import and Export.
  2. Click Import From Another Program or File, and then click Next.
  3. In the Select File Type to Import From box, click Personal Folder (.pst), and then click Next.
  4. Click Browse to locate the .pst file you want to import, and then click Next.
  5. Click the Contacts folder that you want to import, and then select Include Subfolders, if necessary.
  6. Click Import Items Into the Current Folder, and then click Finish.

Outlook imports the Contact items to the target folder.

For Workspace Email Users

Moving Messages

If you were using our Workspace Webmail client to manage your email and want those messages in Outlook along with your new Hosted Exchange Email, you can download those messages into Outlook with the POP protocol.

To Copy Your Messages from Workspace Webmail into Outlook

  1. Open Outlook and launch into the profile you created for your Hosted Exchange Email account.
  2. From the Tools menu, click Account Settings.
  3. Click New.
  4. Click Microsoft Exchange, POP3, IMAP, or HTTP, and then click Next.
  5. Select Manually configure server settings or additional server types, and then click Next.
  6. In the Choose E-mail Service dialog box, click Internet E-mail, and then click Next.
  7. Select Internet Email, and then click Next.
  8. Complete the following fields:
    • Your Name — Enter your full name, how you want it to display to other people.
    • E-mail Address — Enter the email address you want to retrieve the messages from.
  9. In the Server Information section, enter the following information:
    • Account Type — Select POP3.
    • Incoming mail server — Type pop.secureserver.net.
    • Outgoing mail server — Type smtpout.secureserver.net.
  10. In the Logon Information section, complete the following fields:
    • User Name — Enter the full email address you entered previously.
    • Password — Enter your Workspace Webmail password.
  11. Click More Settings, and then go to the Outgoing Server tab.
  12. Check My outgoing server requires authentication, and then click OK.
  13. Click Next, and then click Finish.
  14. Click Close, click Close again, and then click OK.

When you click Send/Receive, all your messages from your Workspace Webmail account are downloaded into Outlook. It might take a while!

Moving Contacts

If you've been using Workspace Webmail to manage your contacts, you can export them and then import them into Outlook.

To Export Your Workspace Webmail Contacts

  1. Log in to your Workspace Webmail account.
  2. From the Address Book menu, select Contacts.
  3. In the Contacts header, click Export.
  4. Click Export CSV.
  5. Enter the location on your hard drive where you want to save your contacts.

To Import Your Contacts into Outlook

  1. In Outlook, from the File menu, select Import and Export, and then select Import from another program or file.
  2. Click Next.
  3. Select Comma Separated Values (Windows), and then click Next.
  4. Browse to locate the file on your local hard drive and then specify how you want to handle duplicates.
  5. Click NEXT.
  6. Select the Contacts Folder from your Exchange Mailbox, and then click Next.
  7. Click Map Custom Fields. Ensure that the fields from your import file correctly match the fields in Outlook.

    TIP: If you do not map your custom fields, you will end up with names that do not have important details, such as the email address, associated to them.

  8. Click Finish.

Step 4: Finalizing the Switchover

Outlook is now set up. Your old contacts and email messages are imported. There's only one last remaining item—the old Workspace Webmail account.

It is now safe to cancel your old Workspace Webmail account. To do so, you need to delete the MX records and then cancel the account. If Outlook is still downloading messages from your Workspace Webmail account, you'll need to remove the account from Outlook as well.

Deleting the Workspace Webmail MX Records

Now that your Outlook is set up, you can start the process of cancelling your old Workspace Webmail account by deleting the MX Records.

To Delete Your Workspace Webmail MX Records

  1. Log in to your Account Manager.
  2. Next to Domains, click Manage.
  3. From the Tools menu, select DNS Manger.
  4. For the domain name you want to edit, click Edit Zone.
  5. In the MX (Mail Exchanger) section, select the records that point to smtp.secureserver.net and mailstore1.secureserver.net, and then click Delete.
  6. Click Save Zone File, and then click OK.

Canceling Your Workspace Webmail Account

You can safely cancel your Workspace Webmail account after waiting 48 hours and verifying it isn't receiving any new email messages.

To Cancel Your Workspace Webmail Account

  1. Log in to your Account Manager.
  2. Click Email, and then use the checkbox to select the account you want to cancel.
  3. Click Cancel Account, and then follow the prompts.

Deleting Your Workspace Webmail Account from Outlook

You can delete your Workspace Webmail account from Outlook after deleting it from your customer account.

To Delete Your Workspace Webmail Account from Outlook

  1. In Microsoft Outlook, from the Tools menu, select Account Settings.
  2. On the E-mail tab, select your non-Exchange Service account, and then click Remove.
  3. Click Yes to confirm that you want to delete the account from your profile.
  4. Click Close.

NOTE: As a courtesy, we provide information about how to use certain third-party products, but we do not endorse or directly support third-party products and we are not responsible for the functions or reliability of such products. Outlook® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All rights reserved.