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eDiscovery & Mailbox Export

New-MailboxSearch "lynn01" `
    -StartDate "06/25/2021" `
    -EndDate "07/28/2021" `
    -SourceMailboxes "lynn.lin@contoso.com" `
    -MessageTypes Email `
    -TargetMailbox "Discovery Search Mailbox" `
    -IncludeUnsearchableItems `
    -LogLevel Full
Start-MailboxSearch "lynn01"

Check Search Status​

Get-MailboxSearch

Status Values:

  • Succeeded - Search completed, data copied to discovery mailbox (can export PST)
  • EstimateSucceeded - Estimation only, no data copied (cannot export)

Export to PST​

Method 1: Using New-MailboxExportRequest​

New-MailboxExportRequest `
    -Mailbox "Discovery Search Mailbox" `
    -FilePath "\\server\share\lynn01.pst" `
    -SourceRootFolder "lynn01"

Check Export Request Status​

Get-MailboxExportRequest

Clean Up Completed Export Requests​

Get-MailboxExportRequest |
    Where-Object {$_.Status -eq "Completed"} |
    Remove-MailboxExportRequest

Method 2: Using Outlook​

Alternatively, you can:

  1. Open Outlook with administrator account
  2. Add "Discovery Search Mailbox" as additional mailbox
  3. Navigate to the search results folder
  4. Export to PST using Outlook's export function

Note: This method allows you to verify the search results before exporting.

Important Notes​

  • Succeeded status means data has been copied to the discovery mailbox and can be exported
  • EstimateSucceeded status means only an estimate was performed, no actual data was copied
  • Always verify the discovery mailbox contents before exporting
  • The export file path must be a UNC path (\\server\share\file.pst)
  • Ensure you have necessary RBAC permissions for mailbox import/export

Required Permissions​

To use mailbox export, you need to be a member of the "Mailbox Import Export" role:

# Add user to role
New-ManagementRoleAssignment -Role "Mailbox Import Export" `
    -User "<username>"