How to Do Abstract Exchange Mailbox Recovery from Disabled, Disconnected & Dumpster Accounts?

On tracking down technical patterns, maximum strength of IT industrialists and large enterprises Exchange Mailbox Recovery is highly crucial. Large firms are totally dependent over MS Exchange server for saving business-crucial emails data. Any potential damage to Exchange database results in non-functional mailboxes or public folder (stored in server).

Which Situations Grounds for Recovering Emails from Disabled, Disconnected or Recovery Database:

1. Often, upgrading Exchange server versions .edb database is disconnected or dismounted which fails to mount over again
2. Running inadequate PowerShell Scripts for restoring Exchange mailboxes may result in disconnected mailboxes
3. Accidental server shut down or dirty shutdown results in inaccessible mails, calendars, contacts etc
4. In unguided manner installing or uninstalling Exchange server will make the server offline
5. Running broken transactional log files makes .edb database inconsistent and Offline
6. Creating new database for replacing old (oversized) database from Exchange sever will make the old database orphaned

There are multiple other aspects which forces Exchange administrators to recover Exchange mailboxes from dismounted or disconnected Exchange database. Exchange database recovery will not only serve the purpose, rather the need to do Exchange mailbox recovery to PST file is also compulsory when Exchange server is Offline.

How to Directly Export Mailboxes from Disconnected, Disabled, Unmounted, Offline or Recovery Database using A Wizard:

Considering the real time demands of Exchange user’s researches have being made that to find out possible Exchange Mailbox Conversion and Recovery solution which quickly escape from Command Prompt. Based on real user queries, an active GUI based EDB to PST converter may provide an alternative to scan, recover EDB database, search items, select mailboxes and export all Exchange mailboxes to PST file in GUI mode.

How to Restore Data from Disconnected Mailboxes or Recovery Database to PST using Powershell: Exchange Server (2010 SP1) does not allow to do Exchange mailbox recovery directly from Offline or disconnected mailboxes and restore them to PST file. Rather user must create a Exchange Recovery Database and move Recovery Database components into a live Exchange mailbox. Then from live server Export mailboxes to Outlook PST file. Follow the given series of Powershell Scripts:

First, need to create a Recovery Database by running Powershell Script:
New-MailboxDatabase –Recovery –Name (RecoveryDB) –Server MAIL1 –EDBFilePath drive:\Recovery\DB\name.edb –LogFolderPath D:\Recovery\Logs

(This command will create a recovery database, now we need to move emails, contacts, calendars & tasks from disconnected, offline, dumpster or disabled mailboxes to Live Mailbox for complete Exchange database recovery.)

Second, run “New-MailboxRestoreRequest” command to export mailboxes into live user mailbox (For Exchange 2010):
New-MailboxRestoreRequest –identity destinationuser –RecoveryMailbox sourceuser –RecoveryDatabase RecoveryDB –DestinationFolder RecoveryFolder

(This command will export mailboxes data e.g. inbox, outbox, sent, deleted & personal folders from recovery database to live mailbox of Exchange user.)

Third, export Exchange mailboxes to PST using New-MailboxExportRequest
New-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox sourcename -FilePath “\\drive:\abc.pst”
(Run this command to export Exchange mailboxes to PST file in Outlook after complete Exchange mailbox recovery)

Frequently Encountered Problems by all Exchange Geeks:

1. Users are needed to run numerous Powershell Commands prior to executing simple Exchange mailboxes recovery or conversion
2. Initializing system attendant services, information store services or adding Import Export Security roles can be a complicated job
3. Exchange 64-bit does not support running Powershell Scripts for exporting Exchange mailboxes or Exchange database recovery

(Note: For Technical Exchange experts above mentioned issues might not be a matter of worry but for a novice user messing up with PowerShell commands can result in severe loss to stored emails content).

Adom Watson has invested precious time and efforts in digging out crucial Exchange Mailbox Recovery concepts. Being specialized in PowerShell Scripts, he decodes most interesting edb recovery series for restoring mails from inactive, disconnected and offline Exchange database. He is still busy in discovering time-efficient schemas to do Exchange Database recovery. In this concern, currently researches are done on: http://www.edb-pst.net/.

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