Export Disabled Mailbox to PST File Format – For All Disconnected/ Inactive Mailboxes
Summary: In this blog, we are going to explore the manual & automated methods to export disabled mailbox to PST file format. Not only this but also the benefits & disadvantages are going to be there in the article. Finally, we will conclude the article with a final verdict based on experts’ opinions & user reviews.
Table of Contents
Microsoft Exchange server is no doubt an extremely popular email client. Many businesses across the globe use it for their communication purposes. However, there are several reasons for the up-gradation of technology, accessing files without a live Exchange server, etc. The disabled mailbox in the Exchange server is not linked to any user in the Active Directory. It is known as the offline mailbox. Due to such reasons, organizations & users want to execute this undertaking. Let’s start with the prerequisites of the operation followed by the manual method & automated methods.
Prerequisites to Export Disabled Mailbox to PST Exchange 2010, 2016, 2019
Users need to prepare for this operation & thus prerequisites help a lot. Evidently, for the modern approach, as such, there are not any guidelines but for the manual approach, there are. This is because the manual approach is complicated & difficult to execute.
- A Dummy Database (Temporary)
This is required to move the data in the mailbox from the original database to the temporary database. Further, the files will be exported from the temporary database. - Network Shared PST Folder
The PST folder of users must be shared with a network along with all relevant export permissions. This is to set up the network for the export operation. Right-click on the PST file folder, Go to Properties, Select the Security tab & under Exchange Trusted Subsystem, and assign full control permissions.
Note: – Disables and disconnected mailboxes in the Exchange server can be retained within 30 days as per the default retention period.
Manual Methods to Export Disabled Mailbox to PST Format
PowerShell commands are the key in the manual method, which may not be to everyone’s liking. New users who are unfamiliar with PowerShell scripts might have to struggle a lot. Anyways. Let’s get started learning the approach if you only need to export a few data files.
Step 1. Make a new AD user from the Exchange Management Shell and connect it to the disconnected Exchange mailbox.
Step-2. Open PowerShell application and Run the Command “New-MailboxExportRequest” as shown below.
New-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox“<mailboxname>” -FilePath” “<destinationlocation>”
Step-3. Simply, Enter the Mailbox Name to export inactive mailbox to PST & Enter the Desired Location to accomodate this data.
New-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox [email protected] -FilePath \\NDRWEB76-PC5\PST Data\user_PST.pst
Step 4. Lastly, remove the newly created AD user and make sure to disable the Exchange mailbox.
Export Disabled Mailbox to PST Using Automated Solution
If you are thinking of avoiding all the risks present in the manual method, you should go for the automated method. It is the first choice of IT experts & users across the world. It can even export public folder mailbox to PST with ease.
You must know that the automated approach includes advanced algorithms-rich software. This software is developed by the IT engineers dedicated to this task. Use the Best Rated EDB to PST Converter that can easily execute these operations.
Download & install the tool from the above buttons & follow the steps carefully.
- Step-1. Run the Tool & Click on Add file to add the disabled mailbox.
- Step-2. Preview & Select Mailboxes & Click on the Export Selected button.
- Step-3. Now, Select the PST file format & Browse the Destination Path.
- Step-4. After clicking on the advance settings, Set Filters as per your choice.
- Step-5. Finally, just Click on the Export button to start the operation.
After the completion of the operation, one can easily generate the status report to know the details of the export procedure. This is so far the quickest method to export disabled mailboxes to PST Exchange 2010, 2016, and 2019 versions.
Benefits of Manual & Automated Methods
Now we must understand the benefits that we get from both manual & automated solutions. Although the manual method isn’t that great still we are going to list each & every benefit users can get from these solutions.
Benefits of the Manual Method
- The manual Method is free & users don’t have to pay anything to execute the procedure.
- Users don’t need to download any software.
Benefits of Automated Method
- It’s the safest way to export inactive mailboxes to PST.
- It can repair corrupted files & then export them.
- The automated method is time-saving & much faster than the manual ones.
- It can users to selectively export their mailbox data items.
- You do not need to reduce Exchange EDB Size, it supports large EDB files.
- Last but not least, it is easy to understand for new users.
Drawbacks of Both Methods
When it comes to the drawbacks of the manual method, users can make their decisions easily after gaining knowledge of both methods. Let’s see where these methods are behind to export disabled mailbox to PST Exchange 2010, 2016, and 2019.
Drawbacks of the Manual Method
- The manual method isn’t safe & it can corrupt your files.
- It is quite time-consuming to use the manual method.
- Several users complain that this does not have any smart features (filters).
- For this users have to execute PowerShell scripts that are hard for new users.
Drawbacks of the Professional Method
- The automated method isn’t free. However, its trial version is there but for the full version, users have to pay an affordable subscription fee.
The Bottom Line
After understanding the aspects of this operation, we can say that now with the automated solution, it’s easy to execute this operation. The manual methods also work but there is no assurance of them working fine. As there can be several reasons for such an operation, users need a genuine solution. This is why the automated method is the best to export disabled mailbox to PST file format without any issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How to Disable a mailbox in an Exchange server using PowerShell?
Ans – Execute the below command for disabling or disconnecting the mailbox in the Exchange server.
Disable-Mailbox <MailboxIdentity> [-Arbitration] [-Archive] [-PublicFolder] [-RemoteArchive]
Q2. How do I export the disabled mailbox to PST in my Exchange 2016?
Ans – Use the above-mentioned automated tool with the below steps.
- Step-1. Download and Run the Tool. & Click on Add file to add the disabled mailbox.
- Step-2. Add the File and hit on the Export Selected button.
- Step-3. Now, choose the PST file format and provide the Destination location.
- Step-4. Finally, hit on the Export button.