Recovering Messages from an Offline Exchange Database

Applies to: Exchange 2010, Exchange 2013, Exchange 2016, and IntelliSnap

You can recover messages from an offline copy of an Exchange mailbox database.

Notes

You can use this recovery method for Public Folder databases for Exchange 2013 or later. If you want to restore messages from Public Folder databases for Exchange 2010 or earlier, use the Exchange Offline Mining Tool.
If you want to recover deleted email messages in a user's mailbox for Exchange 2010 or earlier, use the Exchange Offline Mining Tool.

Before You Begin

Make sure that the MediaAgent is prepared for recovering messages.
The Exchange database must be restored out of place to a MediaAgent.
If the location where the Exchange database is restored is a network share, then the Active Directory computer account for the MediaAgent must have write access to that location.
Ensure that the .edb file, ese.dll file, eseutil.exe file, and exchmem.dll file are in the same folder.

If not, create a new folder and place all the files in this folder. Then, create an additional setting sEseLocation, and set its value as the new folder path.
To restore messages to a mailbox, set the Exchange server details and Exchange service account details.

From the CommCell Browser, expand Client Computers > client.
Right-click Exchange Database, and then click All Tasks > Recover Messages From Offline Database.

The Recover Messages From an Offline Database dialog box appears.
From the Use MediaAgent list, select the MediaAgent where the recovery operation is performed.
In the Exchange Database location box, enter the full path to the .edb file.

Make sure to include the name of the file and the .edb extension.
Click OK.
In the Browse window, select the messages that you want to recover, and then click Recover All Selected.

The Restore Options for All Selected Items dialog box appears.
To restore messages either to a mailbox or to a PST file, follow one of the following two procedures:
- To restore messages to a mailbox, select To Mailbox, and then type or browse to the destination path where you want to recover the selected messages.
  
  Note
  
  To restore messages to a different folder on the same client, clear the Restore to Same Folder check box.
- To restore messages to a PST file, select To PST File, and then type or browse to the path where you want to recover the selected messages.
  
  Make sure to include the name of the PST file and the .pst extension.
  
  Optional: To limit a specific user to access the restored PST file, in the PST Owner box, type the SMTP address of their service account mailbox.
Click OK.