Connect to Exchange Online using PowerShell

Exchange

Exchange Online PowerShell allows you to manage your Exchange Online settings from the command line. You use Windows PowerShell on your local computer to create a remote PowerShell session to Exchange Online. It's a simple three-step process where you enter your Office 365 credentials, provide the required connection settings, and then import the Exchange Online cmdlets into your local Windows PowerShell session so that you can use them.

Windows PowerShell needs to be configured to run scripts, and by default, it isn't. You'll get the following error when you try to connect:

Files cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled on this system. Provide a valid certificate with which to sign the files.

To require all PowerShell scripts that you download from the internet are signed by a trusted publisher, run the following command in an elevated Windows PowerShell window (a Windows PowerShell window you open by selecting Run as administrator):

You need to configure this setting only once on your computer, not every time you connect. 
Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned

Connect to Exchange Online

1)$UserCredential = Get-Credential 
$UserCredential = Get-Credential
In the Windows PowerShell Credential Request dialog box, type your work or school account and password, and then click OK.
2) Create the $Session variable by running 
$Session = New-PSSession -ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange -ConnectionUri https://outlook.office365.com/powershell-liveid/ -Credential $UserCredential -Authentication Basic -AllowRedirection
3) Run the follwing to connect to Office 365 
Import-PSSession $Session -DisableNameChecking

Always close the session when done

Remove-PSSession $Session

You should now be connected to O365

After Step 3, the Exchange Online cmdlets are imported into your local Windows PowerShell session and tracked by a progress bar. If you don't receive any errors, you connected successfully. A quick test is to run an Exchange Online cmdlet, for example, Get-Mailbox, and see the results.

If you receive errors, check the following requirements:

  • A common problem is an incorrect password. Run the three steps again and pay close attention to the user name and password you enter in Step 1.
  • To help prevent denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, you're limited to three open remote PowerShell connections to your Exchange Online organization.
  • The account you use to connect to Exchange Online must be enabled for remote PowerShell. For more information, see Enable or disable access to Exchange Online PowerShell.
  • TCP port 80 traffic needs to be open between your local computer and Office 365. It's probably open, but it's something to consider if your organization has a restrictive internet access policy.
  • If your organization uses federated authentication, and your identity provider (IDP) and/or security token service (STS) isn't publicly available, you can't use a federated account to connect to Exchange Online PowerShell. Instead, create and use a non-federated account in Office 365 to connect to Exchange Online PowerShell.