eDiscovery & Mailbox Export
Create and Run Mailbox Search
Create New Mailbox Search
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 Mailbox Search
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:
- Open Outlook with administrator account
- Add "Discovery Search Mailbox" as additional mailbox
- Navigate to the search results folder
- 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>"