Transfer/Backup Wharton Email to a Personal Account (Students)
Last Modified on 01/09/2024 2:52 pm EST
Find out how to move emails from your Google@Wharton account to a personal account using various services. Most students prefer to start this process shortly before or shortly following graduation. Regardless of how you view your mail, every student should have a Google Takeout archive, instructions for which are here.
Please keep the following in mind:
- This article only provides instructions for E-mail backup, import, or transfer. For any other data, please see the Google Takeout article.
- Contacts & Calendars are not moved, for instructions on how to backup that data, see the Google Takeout article.
Before You Start
You may need one or more of the following before you can complete this task:
- An active Wharton account
- An active personal Gmail account
- A Google Takeout Backup (instructions here)
- The M365 Suite (including Outlook)
- Access to MacMail
Wharton Gmail to Personal Gmail (Takeout Transfer)
This is the recommend method for backing up your Wharton email and is best for students who want all of their Wharton email transferred to their personal Gmail account. Please keep in mind the following things before starting this process:
- This method can take a long time, especially if you have a lot of email in your account. Don't wait until a few days before your account closes to start.
- Label structure is not kept, any mail in the inbox or various labels will be moved into one label in your personal account.
- Contacts and Calendars are not copied. To backup these items, create a Google Takeout backup.
While Takeout Transfer does have the ability to migrate Google Drive data, if the destination Google Drive does not have enough free space you will not be able to initiate a transfer. If you would like to backup your Google Drive data, we recommend creating a Google Takeout backup.
- Visit https://takeout.google.com/transfer
- Sign in using your Wharton email address and password
- Note: If your account was created after December 2023, you will sign in using your PennKey credentials
- Enter the personal Gmail address you would like your email to be transferred to and click Send Code
- Click Get confirmation code in the verification email sent to your personal Gmail address to obtain the verification code
- Enter the verification code on the Takeout Transfer page
- Uncheck Google Drive
- Click Start Transfer
At this point the transfer process has been initiated. There is no need to monitor this process or stay on this page. Once the process has completed, Google will send a confirmation email.
Back Up via Outlook
PST File Backup
This method is best for students who do not or will not have access to a personal Gmail account. Please keep in mind that you need access to Outlook to be able to view any mail backed up with this method.
Data File Export/Backup
These instructions are for Outlook 2016 or Office365. For additional instructions for exporting Outlook data, please see Microsoft's instructions here.
- If you have not already setup Outlook with your Wharton Gmail account, you can follow the instructions for doing so here.
- Open Outlook
- Click File > Open & Export > Import/Export
- Select Export to a file & click Next
- Select Outlook Data File (.pst) & click Next
- Select your account (i.e. Username@wharton.upenn.edu) & click Next
- Take note of the directory listed in Save exported file as: & click Finish
- Allow the export to run
Data File Import/View
- Open Outlook
- Click File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File
- Select your Outlook Data File & click OK
- Default location is: C:\Users\[User]\Documents\Outlook Files
- Your data file will now be shown as Outlook Data File on the left-hand pane
Back Up via MacMail
- Open Mac Mail
- If you've never added an account, you may be prompted to do so when opening the application.
- Ensure you've added both your Wharton Gmail account, and your Personal Gmail account to Mac Mail.
- Choose Mail > Add Account...
- Select Google and click Continue
- Type in the credentials for the account you're adding
- When both accounts are added, click the Envelope Icon in the upper left corner of the window.
- Wait for all of your emails to download before proceeding. This may take some time.
- When the download is complete, select all of the folders from your Wharton Account.
- Copy and paste the selected folders to a chosen location in your Personal Gmail.
- Don't forget to move over your Inbox and All Mail folders to their corresponding locations in your Personal Gmail.
- Finally, wait for all the emails to be moved from one account to the other. This may take some time.
Google Takeout Import
The following methods will guide you through how to view a Google Takeout archive for mail. They can also be used if you do not or will not have access to a personal Gmail account or Outlook. These methods are not guaranteed to retain label structure as Gmail's labels are not actual folders, and are not carried over when converted into the mbox file (via Google Takeout).
Thunderbird Import (Windows)
Download and Install Mozilla Thunderbird:
- First, make sure you've opened your Zip file by double clicking it.
- You can download Thunderbird for free from here.
- After the file has downloaded, open it and follow the on screen instructions for installation.
Add a Personal Email Account
- Open Thunderbird Application.
- On the Welcome screen, select Email button to add your personal email account.
Install ImportExportTools Add-In:
- Navigate to the three lines in the top-right> Addons > Extensions.
- In the search box, type in ImportExportTools
- Click Add to Thunderbird button
- Exit Thunderbird.
Import the Backup File:
- Start Thunderbird again, and select Local Folders on the left-hand pane
- Right-click Local Folders and select ImportExportTools menu> import mbox file.
- Select Import directly one or more mbox files and click Ok.
- Select the Mail Folder
- Then select the .mbox file that is contained in it and click Open.
Please note that Thunderbird is a View Only Archive, and cannot be replied to or forwarded.
MacMail Import (MacOS)
- Open your Google Takeout Zip file by double clicking it.
- Open MacMail
- NOTE: You will need to configure MacMail with a personal email account initially
- Choose File > Import Mailboxes
- Select Files in mbox format and click Continue
- Browse to the location that contains your archive data
- Open the Mail Folder
- Then select the .mbox file that is contained in it and click Choose
- When the import is complete click Done
Your emails will be listed under the On My Mac section in Mail with the folder name of Import.
Questions?
Contact: Wharton Computing Student Support
Email: support@wharton.upenn.edu