OS and Software > Microsoft Help > Office Live Small Business transition to Office 365

Office Live Small Business transition to Office 365

This is from the self transition guide (link here):

Step 6: Move your custom domain
Moving your custom domain name involves several steps. First, you remove your custom domain name from OLSB. Next, add your domain to Office 365 and verify that you own the domain. Finally, update the records at your domain registrar to direct network traffic for your domain to Office 365.

Remove your domain name from your OLSB account
In order to free up your domain name for use with Office 365 (or another provider,) you must remove it from OLSB.

• If you bought your custom domain through OLSB, we provide you with a way to move your domain. Caution: Before you move your domain, we recommend updating your administrator email address to an address not associated with your Office Live Small Business account. This will ensure that your Domain Registration Key (DRK) is sent to an active email address. (For example, you can use a free Hotmail account).

To update your administrator email address:
1. On the OLSB Home page, at the top, click More, and then click Domain Manager.
2. On the Domain Manager page, next to the domain name that you want to view, click Properties.
3. On the Domain Properties page, you can make changes to your email address. Click Edit properties in the Registration Contact Information section and update your email address.

To move your domain:
1. On the OLSB Home page, at the top, click More, and then click Domain Manager.
2. In the domains table, find your purchased domain and in the options column click Move domain.
3. On the subsequent page, enter an email address to receive your domain registration key.
4. You’ll receive an email with full instruction with how to access your domain at Melbourne IT.

Once you’ve completed these steps, Office Live will continue to host your site pages and you can still access your OLSB email. You will now have access to your domain at Melbourne IT and will be able to complete the steps necessary to add and verify your domain in Office 365.

As per the instructions, this will give you access to manage the domain and it looks like you can transfer control but as per the guide you can also keep the domain under ownership of Microsoft/Melbourne IT and they will keep the ongoing registration for you.

reply to Sparrow
On a side note, I'm also an Office 365 partner. Feel free to contact me if you need any additional assistance.

Thank you so much for your offer. I certainly appreciate it and may contact you if I become completely stuck.

I am cross-eyed from reading the Transition guide and was not sure if I should edit the Domain Manager with OLSB. For the life of me, I could not find your quoted text in the .pdf guide.

Need to take a break, stop panicking and do this slowly.
--
"Be simple, be earnest and spread that simplicity throughout everything you do."

I'm with Office Live now, but I want to move my domain and website to bluehost. When I go to "More", then "Domain Manager" it takes me to a page with the info to transition to office 365. I purchased my domain name when I started with Office Live, through Office Live, and now I can't find a way to get the registration key/authorization code to free up my domain. I'm very frustrated.
Any ideas?

Ahhh, found what I needed....

reply to mlerner
One quick question:

Is it mandatory to subscribe to Office 365 in order to maintain my website, domain and email addresses with MS acting as a Melbourne IT Reseller?

I am no fan of cloud applications and have no need for it in any case.

Bottom line needs are to maintain my website, domain and email addresses.
--
"Be simple, be earnest and spread that simplicity throughout everything you do."

Ultimately nothing can be "maintained" without some manual intervention except for the domain, the service will be shut down and you are required to manually backup your existing data.

The domain itself while it was registered under Melbourne IT can be transferred to another registrar. Once you have access to the portal at Melbourne IT, you should be able to unlock the domain and get the transfer code. If you transfer the domain you can do whatever you want with it.

I'm not sure how billing will work on the domain once Office Live is shut down but the guide seems to indicate that the domain will be maintained. If you choose to keep the domain under Melbourne IT, Microsoft indicates that you will continue to have the domain and you will be able to renew it in the future. However, if you are not going to subscribe to Office 365 I would recommend you transfer the domain.

As far as the website and email addresses, your Office Live account will be shut down in any case and the guide directs you to manually migrate your data, you can migrate some of this to another service or to Office 365. If you are not subscribing to Office 365 you will need to arrange for web space and email elsewhere. As far as your website, if it had been hosted on Office Live, it cannot be transferred, you will need to setup a new one.

In addition, if you choose to subscribe to Office 365, you have the option to have your domain and/or website hosted elsewhere. Many of my customers choose to only have hosted email with Office 365 and host their website somewhere else.

Of course. It's the domain name and email addresses I want to "maintain". I've been downloading and removing Galleries and saving all else in .mht, .txt and screenshots. I understand the entire site must be recreated - breaking my heart, but I know it need be done.

Can the .olp files be used anywhere after the shutdown? Having a great deal of difficulty with the backups - OL is sputtering and taking forever. Can no longer download reports.

I still can not access 365 (trial) and waiting for a call from support. They gave an ID name, but no password. Things seem a little messy and I have a feeling this is not going to be a smooth transition for many.

I purchased the .com version of my site from Melbourne IT today for 5 years. I have to see what they offer and compare the two.

Been a long day. Thank you for your response.

Yikes. Yeah unfortunately, even though it's basically the same platform, they have nothing on their servers to talk to each other and seamlessly migrate the data so you're left doing it all by hand.

Well I've just learned what .olp is (seems to be a proprietary format) and I'm almost positive you won't be able to use it with any third party host but it may allow you to restore to an Office 365 account, the guide doesn't say anything about that, however, I'll do some more looking.

reply to Sparrow
I am so confused and panicked about this office 365...right now I maintain my free website...I have to re-create everything (panic). Is there someone I can hire to do this for me?? Help

reply to mlerner
I found a relatively simple solution for transferring all the website data from OL to 365.

Open the editing windows in both applications and simply copy and paste everything from OL to 365 - formatted text, images, HTML format, etc... So far, it is working perfectly.

The only thing that has to be edited in 365 is the design formatting and custom color schemes, which is as easy as pie.

I have not yet changed the DNS servers or anything associated with the domains. Once I see the 365 website is a decent copy of OL, then I will do the final steps.

Only existing problem I have is the inability to remove the "Member Login" tab from the public facing web page. After I unchecked it in "pages" it disappeared from the edit page, but not the website. I can't find it in the SharePoint source code either, and believe me, I searched...

Edit to add: Found the solution for the "Member Login" tab. On the design page > Home > Set up > remove the checkmark from the "Member Login" box.

By the way, MS support has been fantastic.

reply to rachelsflowe

Moving Your Domain from Office Live to Office 365