email to Office 365 FAQs
Why have we moved to a different version of Outlook?
The Office 365 version of Outlook offers many advantages over the one were previously using within the University. Every member of staff now has considerably more storage space in their mailbox and the service is easier to access from tablets and mobile devices. There is also be a cost saving to the University since we already subscribed to Office 365.
What is Office 365?
We’ve subscribed to Office 365 as a University which offers a suite of software for staff and students that is free to use for as long as they are at the University. If you haven’t already used this, it’s well worth a look. There are online versions the office software you’re used to using which make it easy to work from mobile devices and off campus – along with some new things you might not have looked at before (like Sway or Onenote). For more information visit: https://portal.shu.ac.uk/departments/IS/Pages/office365.aspx Please bear in mind that these are for internal collaboration at SHU. For licensing and security reasons, it might not be possible to share some types of file with people external to the University.
Will it be similar to the version I’m used to?
Yes, it is similar but there are a few extra features. If you use Outlook Web Access it will look different in the new version and you may want to look at our guide to the difference between Outlook 2010 and Office 365. (HSG will produce this or point to online Office resources)
When will I move across?
All University staff should now be using Outlook with Office 365. Public folders will be moving later this year.
I use an Apple Mac, what should I do?
If you have a University supplied iMac or MacBook, you should wait until after the upgrade has taken place and then use these instructions to install the new email client to use Office 365.
If you need to access your emails and calendar urgently before you have done this, you can use any online browser to visit go.shu.ac.uk/office365 and click the Mail icon.
Will it work with my mobile device?
Yes, it works very well. Emails are stored in cached mode which means outlook doesn’t have to download your whole mailbox each time you try to access them.
How much storage do I have for my emails?
You will get a massive 50 gigabytes of storage in your mailbox and unlimited space in your email archive. Currently you have a total of 550 megabytes in your inbox. (For comparison, 1 gigabyte is roughly equivalent to 1000 megabytes.)
I’ve migrated across and can’t remember how to get into my email or calendars – I need access now
Use the web interface at https://go.shu.ac.uk/office365 which works in any browser.
Some of my mail seems to have disappeared
Some of your emails (those over 6 months old at the time of your migration) have been moved to a new archive. If you are having trouble finding your personal archive or can’t see some of your emails, please contact IT Help for assistance.
How are the emails moved to the archive organised?
The folder structure of the original emails are replicated in the archive area to make them easier to find.
What is the difference between the inbox and the archive area?
The archive area has unlimited storage – the inbox has 50 gb of storage you may find it a little slower viewing emails in the archive (in the same way as enterprise vault emails were slower to access). The contents of the archive are not downloaded to your PC so there is no impact on disk space.
The search function doesn’t behave in the same way as before – can you help me?
The search function does operate slightly differently and is reliant on developments at Microsoft for any changes to the way it works. In the meantime, there is advice we can give which might improve the experience for some users, depending on the configuration of their account. Contact IT Help for assistance.
My mailbox has changed and it seems slower than before
On your first login to Outlook after your migration, it will take a while to sync new data and will be slow at first This will improve in subsequent sessions. The preferred set up for Office 365 email is ‘Cached mode’ which makes mailboxes run faster and this is the default mode used for laptops at SHU. If you think you need your PC changing to cached mode, you can contact IT Help for assistance.
When will public folders be available in OWA (Outlook web app)?
When all staff have been migrated to email in Office 365 we will be able to move public folders into OWA. We expect this to be sometime in September.
What if I have any issues after the migration?
if you are having trouble with Outlook or have any concerns, you can attend one of our drop in sessions or contact IT Help on 0114 225 3333. They will be able to assist you.
