How to Recover an EDB to PST

Email recovery from EDB to PST

Exchange Database files can be recovered or exported to a PST file using tools and utilities built into the Microsoft Exchange system. The methods and utilities used to export data from an EDB depend on the version of Exchange and its corresponding EDB file. ExMerge exports mailboxes to PST files from an EDB in earlier versions of Exchange 4.0, 5.0, 5.5, 2000 and Exchange 2003. The Export_Mailbox CmdLet recovers mailboxes from an EDB file into a PST file from Exchange 2007 Service Packs 1 to 3.

Things You'll Need

• Microsoft Back Office Resource Kit
• 32-bit version of Exchange 2007

Instructions

Using ExMerge to Recover Data From EDB to PST

1. Run the ExMerge utility by double-clicking the "Exmerge.exe" file, and click "Next" to begin the Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Wizard.

2. Select the option "Extract or Import (Two Step Procedure)" and click "Next."

3. Select the option "Step 1: Extract data from an Exchange Server Mailbox" and click "Next."

4. Enter the name of the Microsoft Exchange Server that contains the .EDB to be recovered. For additional options, click the "Options" tab. Select the options desired, and hit "OK" to return to the previous screen. Click "Next."

5. Select the database or databases to recover and click "Next."

6. Select the mailboxes to be exported. Click one or as many mailboxes as needed and click "Next."

7. Select the default locale and click "Next."

8. Choose a folder to place the .PST file or files and click "Next."

9. Save the settings for future use, or click "Next" to continue without saving the settings. You can use saved settings to run ExMerge in batch mode.

10. Click "Finish" once the Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Merge Wizard has completed successfully. The exported .PST created will be in the folder location you specified.

Using the Export-Mailbox CmdLet to Export Bulk Mailboxes From EDB to a PST File

1. Open the Exchange Management Shell from an Exchange Server or client workstation by clicking "Start, "Programs," "Microsoft Exchange Server 2007" and "Exchange Management Shell."

2. Create a folder where the exported .PST files are to be located -- for example, "C:\PSTs".

3. Type: Get-Mailbox --Database <name of database/EDB> | Export-Mailbox --PSTFolderPath c:\PSTs

4. Open the folder C:\PSTs you specified in the "Export_Mailbox" command to access the now-exported PST file.

Tips & Warnings

• The account you use to recover EDB to PST files must have the Exchange Server Admin role, have full permissions to the mailboxes and be a local administrator on the source and target machines.

• The Exchange Server 4.0, 5.0 and 5.5 version of ExMerge is included in the Microsoft Back Office Resource Kit, Second Edition. The Exchange 2000 and above server versions of ExMerge come included on the server installation CD in the Support\Utils\I386\Exmerge folder.

• To open the Exchange Management Shell from a workstation or server, click "Start," "Programs," "Microsoft Exchange Server 2007" and "Exchange Management Shell."

• You can only run Export-Mailbox on a client or server running the 32-bit version of Exchange Server Manager and Outlook 2003 SP2 or greater. The CmdLet cannot be run from a 64-bit machine because Exchange 2007 does not contain the Outlook PST provider.

• To run the Export-Mailbox CmdLet, you need an installation of Exchange 2007 System Management tools and Outlook 2003 SP2 or later on a client or server.

• Microsoft does not support running the Outlook client on an Exchange Server 2003 or below. Install the Exchange Administrator Tools and Outlook client on a workstation and run ExMerge from there instead of directly on the Exchange Server.

References

• MSExchange.org
• Microsoft TechNet: How to Export Mailbox Data
• Microsoft: Microsoft Does Not Support Installing Exchange Server Components and Outlook on the Same Computer