Admins have to conduct an Exchange export mailbox to PST format for a variety of reasons.
Business requirements such as creating an external backup, adhering to compliance protocols, and much more.
Moreover, if they are about to perform a clean-up activity like Mounting and Dismounting Exchange Database its important to have a backup ready.
Regardless of the underlying reason even veteran admins struggle with the task due to the severe limitations of the default methods.
That is why we have come up with this write-up that makes it easy to understand where exactly the traditional method fell short and how a professional solution helps out.
So without further ado let’s discuss the prerequisites you must complete before you can move on with the actual method.
Roles to Conduct an Exchange Export Mailbox to PST Requests
The account used must have a Mailbox Import/Export Role
- Log in to the EAC
- The URL is your.ip.address/ecp
- Go to the Permissions tab
- Under admin roles, click on the + icon
- This opens a new box; there fill in the role name (mandatory) and description (optional).
- Then, under the Roles: section, hit the + icon.
- A secondary box appears, scroll till you find the Mailbox Import Export option.
- Select it, click on add, and press OK.
- Inside the Role Group box, scroll to the bottom and hit the + icon below the Members.
- From the new Select Members box, add all those accounts for whom you wish to unlock the Exchange export mailbox to PST.
- Once done, hit Save.
Note: This permission doesn’t restrict or allow on which mailboxes an import/export can be put on. Rather, it decides which accounts have the permission to make such requests.
PowerShell commands to set permission are as follows
- Launch a New EAC module and type
New-ManagementRoleAssignment -Role "Mailbox Import Export" -User "username"
Replace the username placeholder with the actual identifier.
If you are using the regular PowerShell, you must first enter:
Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.Exchange.Management.PowerShell.SnapIn
- Validate your credentials when prompted, then apply the same query given above.
You can’t begin the export right away, even if you are using the admin account, as the permission setup has a cooldown period.
Instead of waiting, what you can do is log out and log in to the EAC. This effectively resets the portal.
In case you are going with the command version, you also need to perform a reset.
However, as there is no direct login/logoff, the PowerShell equivalent would be to launch a new instance and perform the export from there.
Prepare a Folder Where the Exported Data will Reside
- On your workstation desktop right-click > New > Folder
- Give an appropriate name > Right-click on the folder, select Properties
- Go to the Sharing tab > Click Advanced share
- Mark the checkbox next to Share this folder, click on Permissions
- Tap Add
- In the Enter the object name blank box, type “Exchange Trusted Subsystem,” hit OK
- In the Permissions box, select the new permission, then mark the change box under the Allow column, and hit OK.
- Hit OK and Close on the two remaining boxes.
Make sure you copy and keep the network path of this folder.
Although it may be possible to do some of these steps via PowerShell, it’s quite cumbersome and thus removes the primary advantage of using a command-based method.
We recommend that all admins use the GUI method to create their own network folder.
This completes the two main prerequisites, so now we can move on to the actual method itself. Let’s first see the EAC.
Do an Exchange Export Mailbox to PST via EAC
- Log in to the EAC portal using the account you gave export permissions to.
- In the recipient’s section, go to the Mailbox tab.
- Select one or more accounts and click on the 3 horizontal dots at the top.
- Pick the Export to a PST file option.
- In the new window, browse for the mailbox and keep the radio button on “Export only the contents of this mailbox.”
- Press Next.
- Note: You can only export the contents of a single mailbox at a time.
- Then on the next screen, paste the Network path of the folder. Append a file name at the end, e.g., Exchange-export-mailbox-to.pst.
- You can select an account that will get the export completion message. It can be the same or different from the account whose data you are exporting. This can also include accounts that don’t possess explicit export/import permission. The only requirement is to have a functioning Exchange mailbox.
- The message-sending part is optional, and the export will occur whether or not you use this. It just serves a QoL function.
- There is no filtering option. It is essentially an all-or-nothing type of export, where you get a single PST file with all the mailbox content.
- Once done, hit Finish. The Exchange Server will check all requirements and begin the export.
- After some time, you should see a PST file inside the network folder.
This was the GUI method. You can also use the PowerShell command. Let’s discuss how using a script changes the steps.
Use PowerShell to Pull Mailbox from Exchange Server in PST Format
Be careful while using PowerShell otherwise, you may introduce unwanted issues in the Exchange Server that being said start with.
Launching a new Exchange Management Shell.
Then use:
New-MailboxExportRequest [-Name <UniqueName>] -Mailbox <TargetMailboxIdentity> -FilePath <UNCPathToPST> [-IsArchive] [-SourceRootFolder <MailboxFolder>] [-TargetRootFolder <PSTFolder>] [-IncludeFolders <MailboxFolder1>,<MailboxFolder2>...] [-ExcludeFolders <MailboxFolder1>,<MailboxFolder2>...] [-ContentFilter <Filter>] [-Priority <PriorityValue>]
You can use the following cmdlet to see the current status. Among other things
Get-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox "<MailboxIdentity>" | Format-List Name,FilePath,Mailbox,Status
To modify:
Set-MailboxExportRequest -Identity <MailboxIdentity>\<MailboxExportRequestName> [-BadItemLimit <value>] [-LargeItemLimit <value>] [-AcceptLargeDataLoss]
Pause:
Suspend-MailboxExportRequest -Identity <MailboxIdentity>\<MailboxExportRequestName> [-SuspendComment "<Descriptive Comment>"]
Resume:
Resume-MailboxExportRequest -Identity <MailboxIdentity>\<MailboxExportRequestName>
Remove request upon completion:
Remove-MailboxExportRequest -Identity <MailboxIdentity>\<MailboxExportRequestName>
Use a Tool to Conduct an Exchange Export Mailbox to PST Flawlessly
The SysTools Exchange Export Tool is the way to go. It combines the speedy pace of PowerShell commands with an easy-to-use GUI shell.
Unlike the traditional methods that require a ton of prep work the tool requires minimal setup time.
It also allows admins to filter on the basis of date, Set a size limit on the PST output, and perform concurrent mailbox export of multiple users simultaneously.
Download a copy and follow the steps to get the Exchange data in PST format.
- Launch the tool, Select Exchange as the Source and Outlook (for PST) as the output.
- Scroll to the Workload section and mark the box next to emails. Here you can apply a date filter to gather data from a specific time period.
- Move on to the Source screen where you have to fill in the Exchange Server details, and click Validate. Once you see the green icon press Next.
- Validate the PST folder path where you will keep the output data.
- Use the mapping screen to add the list of users via Fetch, Import, or Download option.
- In the Preview, you will see all available accounts, mark the check box next to the accounts whose mailbox data you need, and set priority to a few accounts among the selected list. Validate and Start Export.
Comparing the Three Methods to Find Which is the Best
| Aspect | GUI Method (EAC) | PowerShell Method | SysTools Exchange Export Tool |
| Method Type | Graphical interface | Command-line interface | GUI tool with built-in automation |
| Number of Mailboxes | One mailbox at a time | Multiple mailboxes together | Multiple mailboxes simultaneously |
| Filtering Options | No filtering (exports everything) | Folder and content-based filtering available | Date range, folder, and size filters available |
| Setup Requirements | Simple setup, just permissions | Requires knowledge of cmdlets and proper syntax | Minimal setup, just fill in fields and validate |
| Speed | Slow (manual process, one mailbox at a time) | Moderate (scripted nature slows non-technical users) | Fast (supports multiple exports at once) |
| Customization & Control | Limited, no customization options | High customization (can set priorities, exclude folders) | High customization (filters, priorities, concurrent exports) |
| Error Handling | No specific error handling | Full error handling (pause, resume, modify) | Built-in error recovery mechanisms( Delta, Retry failed, Redo) |
| Ease of Use | Very easy, user-friendly for non-tech users | Moderate, requires technical skills | Extremely easy with a user-friendly interface |
| Best For | Small exports or quick, single-mailbox tasks | Advanced users needing flexibility for specific exports | Administrators looking for bulk, fast exports with filters |
| Usability Score | 6/10 | 7/10 | 9/10 |
Conclusion
Now the task of completing an Exchange export mailbox to PST is quite easy for any admin. Here we described three distinct methods to get the source data in the required format. This included the EAC, PowerShell commands, and the professional tool.
Moreover, readers are given a comparison chart to evaluate the strong points of each method and choose the one that works best.