KB ID 0001360

Problem

Applicable To: This procedure works on all versions of Exchange Newer than Exchange 2010 SP1 (update rollup 8). If your Exchange server is OLDER than that you will need to use the following link;

Exchange 2007 / 2010 (Pre SP1)- Export Mailbox’s to PST files

The following procedure exports a user mailbox to a PST file on a network share.

Solution

Note: Not Even ‘Exchange Organisation Administrators” have the right to import / export mailboxes, you need to grant those rights to your user object, (or a better approach would be to create an admin account just for this purpose, then delete it when you are finished).

New-ManagementRoleAssignment –Role "Mailbox Import Export" –User {username}

Note: This grants import, and export rights.

Create a file share on a drive with plenty of space, ensure the Exchange Trusted Subsystem has read / write access. And ensure the SYSTEM account has full control.

To create the ‘Export Request’

New-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox “mailbox-alias” -FilePath \\server-name\share\file-name.pst

Note: Add “-IsArchive” to the end of the command for Archive Mailboxes.
Note2: If the export repeatedly fails, add -BadItemLimit 200 to the end and try again, you can also use the -AcceptLargeDataLoss in exceptional circumstances

To view progress;

Get-MailboxExportRequest OR Get-MailboxExportRequest | Get-MailboxExportRequestStatistics

When complete, you need to remove the move request(s);

Get-MailboxExportRequest | Remove-MailboxExportRequest OR (If you still have movement requests running) Get-MailboxExportRequest -Status Completed | Remove-MailboxExportRequest

Using Content Filters

You can specify a content filter to only export emails after a certain date all mail received after 01/01/17 e.g.

New-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox {mailbox-alias} -ContentFilter {(Received -lt ’01/01/2017’)} -FilePath \\{server-name}\{folder}\{file-name}.pst

Or to export emails between two dates;

New-MailboxExportRequest -ContentFilter {(Received -lt ’31/12/2018‘) -and (Received -gt ’31/12/2017′)} -Mailbox {mailbox-alias} -FilePath {server-name}\{folder}\{file-name}.pst

Using IncludeFolders (and Exclude Folders)

You can specify IncludeFolders (or ExcludeFolders) to only export emails from certain folders, e.g.

Only export Inbox (and sub-folders) and Sent Items;

New-MailboxExportRequest -IncludeFolders “#Inbox#/*”,”#SentItems#” -Mailbox {mailbox-alias} -FilePath \\{server-name}\{folder}\{file-name}.pst

Don’t Export Sent Items and Deleted Items;

New-MailboxExportRequest -ExcludeFolders “#SentItems#”,”#DeletedItems#” -Mailbox {mailbox-alias} -FilePath \\{server-name}\{folder}\{file-name}.pst

Export ALL Mailboxes to PST

foreach ($Mailbox in (Get-Mailbox)) { New-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox $Mailbox -FilePath “\\{server-name}\{folder-name}\$($Mailbox.Alias).pst” }

6 Comments

Ik Cyril
26/10/2018

Command to export pst to a different partition (E:)
Post a Reply
- PeteLong
  29/10/2018
  
  Put the UNC Share on E: then use the same command 🙂
  
  P
  Post a Reply
  - Fernando Cortés
    24/07/2020
    
    Hi.
    
    How to export the mailbox to PST using alphabet. Example. Users with “A”, Users with “B”., C, D, E …
    
    This for to run the script step for step
    
    Regards
    Post a Reply
    - PeteLong
      28/07/2020
      
      I’ve never done it, but why not simply do something like Get-Mailbox -Filter ‘DisplayName -like “a*”‘ and Pipe that into the Export request?
      Post a Reply
Steve L.
06/10/2021

Pete,

I’m always relieved when I see a google hit on one of your posts.

Techs like you are a dying breed. Thank you for the work you do.

-Steve
Post a Reply
- PeteLong
  12/10/2021
  
  Thanks Steve – Yep I’m an old dinosaur!
  Post a Reply

Exchange Exporting Mailboxes to PST Files