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User Query: “We are facing issues when trying to import a PST file to a user’s mailbox. Before encountering the issue, we imported 15 PST files successfully. All of a sudden, we’re facing a problem when importing the 16th PST file (whose size is 20 GB only) is failed. The error message we received says,
Remote Server returned ‘554 5.2.0 STOREDRV.Deliver.Exception:QuotaExceededException.MapiExceptionShutoffQuotaExceeded; Failed to process message due to a permanent exception with message Move/Copy messages failed. […]’
There is no problem in the PST file, and there is no configured retention policy or quota enabled in the mailbox.
What is the “MAPIExceptionShutoffQuotaExceeded” Error?
The “MAPIExceptionShutoffQuotaExceeded” error is seen when the PST file you’re importing contains data whose size is greater than the available space in the destination mailbox. The primary consequence of the error is that it disables the sending or receiving of emails until the error is resolved.
Let’s understand the error in detail with an example:
Suppose that the mailbox you’re targeting is any archive mailbox that allows import of a PST file data up to 100 GB. Even though the archive mailbox allows you to enable the auto-expansion feature, it’s not applicable in the case of a large PST import. Due to this, you can see the import error.
What are the Possible Causes of the Office 365 PST Import Failed Error?
The error can be due to any of the following reasons:
- Mailbox capacity achieved: One of the most common and possible reasons is that the target Exchange or Office 365 mailbox quota is over. There is no free space to accommodate any new data.
- Recoverable items folder is full: Another reason for the error is that the Recoverable Items folder, which stores the deleted items, is full and preventing the entry of new data.
- Litigation hold: When the administrator of the user has applied retention or any compliance policy on the mailbox, emails (or mailbox) are not permanently deleted from the server. This often restricts new emails from landing in the mailbox.
- Bulk import: If the user tries to perform bulk migration or import of the data, and uploads more data than the capacity of the mailbox.
- Misconfigured retention policies: Improper configuration of data retention policies can result in retaining emails or other data for longer than the necessary timeline.
How to Fix MAPIExceptionShutoffQuotaExceeded Error?
This section helps you learn the solutions to the PST import error based on the cause behind it:
The PST file contains data larger than the available storage
In this case, you can try out the following solutions and resolve the error occurring on the screen:
Increase the mailbox quota temporarily
Here are the Exchange cmdlets that you can run to increase the quota:
Step 1: Open PowerShell as an administrator and run the following commands to connect to Exchange Online:
Install-Module ExchangeOnlineManagement -Force
Connect-ExchangeOnline
Step 2:Execute the given command:
Set-Mailbox -Identity “user@yourdomain.com” -ProhibitSendQuota 99GB -ProhibitSendReceiveQuota 100GB -IssueWarningQuota 98GB -UseDatabaseQuotaDefaults $false
Note: Replace the placeholder with the email address, and you can adjust the quota from 50 GB to 100 Gb depending upon your license.
Step 3:Run the following to verify the increased quota:
Get-Mailbox “user@yourdomain.com” | Select *Quota*
Note: Use the following command to revert the changes once you’ve completed the import successfully.
Set-Mailbox -Identity “user@yourdomain.com” -ProhibitSendQuota 99GB -ProhibitSendReceiveQuota 100GB -IssueWarningQuota 98GB -UseDatabaseQuotaDefaults $false
Fix corrupted PSTs
When the issue is caused by corruption in the PST file, you can use the ScanPST.exe utility (Inbox Repair Tool) that can easily handle corrupt or damaged PST files.
This is the built-in utility of Microsoft Outlook to repair the corrupted PST file and resolve most of the Outlook errors, such as Outlook crashes suddenly, Outlook fails to open, etc. However, in case of severe corruption and large PST files, we recommend that you go with an advanced PST file repair tool.
Your mailbox is completely full
To resolve the error, manually delete all the emails permanently and then empty the Deleted Items folder using the following steps:
Step 1: Sign into your Outlook account, and from the left pane, right-click on Deleted Items.
Step 2: Select the Empty folder to permanently delete all the deleted emails from the mailbox.
Another solution you can try in this situation is to check if your mailbox is enabled for Litigation Hold. When the service is on, your Recoverable Items folder will keep on filling. To avoid this, remove the Litigation Hold or eDiscovery Hold, or enable online archive.
Professional Solution: Use the Automated Import PST to Office 365 Tool
To avoid issues like interrupted mail flow, incomplete transfers, and others, use a professional solution to import or migrate your PST files. Kernel Import PST to Office 365 is an efficient solution, which is known for its ease of use, intuitive interface, and a set of advanced features, such as:
- Allows selective data migration from PST files to Office 365.
- Easy mailbox mapping to the desired destination users.
- Support file import for large or even oversized PST files.
- No change in the mailbox access roles even after the import.
- Do not require the installation of Outlook to run the process.
Download the import PST files to Office 365 software and avoid seeing the Import PST error MAPIExceptionShutoffQuotaExceeded in the future migrations.
How to Avoid Import PST Error MAPIExceptionShutoffQuotaExceeded in the Future?
Here are a few tips that you must follow to avoid the PST Import Quota Exceeded error in the future:
- Before you begin, evaluate the size of the source PST and the space remaining within the target mailbox.
- Split PST files before import if you’re planning to move large PSTs to Office 365 mailboxes.
- Always remember that Office 365 skips the entry of any data item that exceeds the maximum size, i.e., 150 MB.
- Delete unnecessary data from PST so that the size of PST file is managed and not greater than the available target storage.
Final Say on How to Fix Office 365 PST Import Failed Error
Just like other Outlook errors, it’s easy to fix Import PST error MapiExceptionShutoffQuotaExceeded if you know the right methods. However, you can skip the hassle and import your PST files using Kernel Import PST to Office 365. The tool allows quick as well as selective import of mailboxes. Moreover, it has the capability to handle even corrupted and damaged files and provide reports and logs at the end of the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
A: Manual PST file imports often fail because of the Outlook data file corruption, improperly configured permissions, network interruptions, and oversized PST files.
A: To import PST to Microsoft 365, you can either use the network upload method or the drive shipping method based on your requirements.
