Comprehensive Guide to Extract Mailbox Data from Offline EDB File
In this post, we will focus on a secure guide to extract mailbox from Exchange EDB files in various versions of the Exchange Server. There are two ways in which the users can export their crucial data from offline EDB files i.e., free manual way and a reliable software solution. Moreover, the freeway requires some additional steps and technicalities to carry out the complete process.
Table of Contents
We have discussed and explained both the steps in this article. So you can look through both the procedures and choose the best one as per your requirement.
But before directly hopping to the procedures to extract mailbox from offline EDB file in Exchange, let us have a look at how EDB files are important and why users want to perform the extraction process.
In order to keep the Exchange Server working properly, the EDB files are very important. But there are situations when the Exchange database does not behave properly because of numerous reasons like system failures, virus infections, hard drive failures, etc.
Even though it is not so common, once the Exchange database file gets damaged, one must fix the corruption issues and extract data from EDB file.
Reasons Why Users Want to Extract Mailbox Offline EDB
Some of the common causes of extraction are:
- When users want to access their data stored in disconnected or orphaned EDB files.
- In scenarios where users want to keep an archive, shared or public folder separated from the primary mailbox.
- Where the users need to access the Exchange DB file without connecting / mounting it on some other mailbox.
- When there is a need to access Exchange EDB data on some other platform / application.
- Scenarios where users are facing issues while mounting the EDB file on Exchange Server.
These are some of the widespread reasons for the extraction of mailbox data from Exchange EDB files. Now, let us now jump to the methods to do the same.
Overview of Mailbox Extraction Methods
Luckily there is more than one way with which admins can pull out mailboxes present inside the exchange database. Here is a comparison matrix for selecting the most optimal method for your situation.
| Approach | Ease of Use | Data Integrity | Speed | Technical Expertise | Environment |
| ExMerge | Moderate | Moderate | Slow | Medium | Exchange 2003 and earlier |
| Exchange Management Shell (EMS) / PowerShell | High | High | Moderate | High | Exchange 2010 and later |
| Exchange Admin Center (EAC) | High | High | Variable | Medium | Exchange 2013 and later |
Free Way to Extract Mailbox from EDB File
As many of us know that we cannot extract our data from Exchange EDB files directly. Therefore, we first have to connect / mount the file with the existing or new temporary mailbox to get the data out of it. If you don’t want to perform all these steps, then you can skip this method and opt for the automated utility.
One of the easiest ways to connect a disconnected mailbox with a mailbox is by using Exchange Admin Center. Let’s see how you can do it:
- Login to the Exchange Admin Center as an Administrator.
- Then, Navigate to Recipients >> Mailboxes >> … (More) >> Connect a mailbox option as shown in the image below.
- Following that, you will see a list of all the disconnected mailboxes. Select the desired mailbox and hit the Connect icon.
- Then you will receive a pop-up window to confirm your action. Select “Yes, connect to the user account above” to proceed.
- Then, click on the Browse button to choose the desired mailbox and hit the Finish button.
- The mailbox will be finally connected to the user mailbox and ready for extraction.
After completing the above process successfully, you can now take out your crucial data.
Steps to Extract Mailbox from EDB File via EAC
You can use the Exchange Admin Center to extract data from Exchange versions like 2013, 2016, and 2019. The steps to perform the same are discussed below:
- Open Exchange Admin Center and go to the mailbox tab available in the Recipients option.
- Choose the mailbox and right-click on it. Then select Export to a PST option.
- Now browse the mailbox from which you want to extract the data and hit Next button.
- Specify the system path on which you want to save the data.
- You can also choose the option to send a notification mail when the export process is over.
- You can enable / disable the option as per your choice and click on the Finish button.
These are the steps that you need to follow when you want to extract mailbox data from Exchange EDB files for free. It requires a lot of time and effort to carry out the process completely.
Traditional Alternatives to EAC
The Same EAC tasks can be carried out with the PowerShell cmdlet New-MailboxExportRequest to get all mailboxes in PST moreover since the modern EAC is available for Exchange server 2013 and later PowerShell is the only option for Exchange 2007 and 2010 versions.
If you still operate the legacy 2003 version then you have to rely on the ExMerge utility. After installing it follow the steps given below:
- Step 1. Choose “Extract or Import (Two Step Procedure)” option and hit Next.
- Step 2. Pick “Extract data from an Exchange Server Mailbox” and press Next.
- Step 3. Type the Exchnage Server name in the empty space.
- Step 4. Choose one from the list of “Available Databases” drop-down menu, then hit “Next.”
- Step 5. Then, select source Mailboxes for extraction.
- Step 6. Use the “Change Folder” to select the save location for the PST file. Then click “Next.”
- Step 7. Finally when “Process Status” window displays “Operation completed successfully,” you can click on “Finish.” to end the extraction.
However, you can speed up the export process by opting for an automated tool to export Exchange mailboxes into PST format.
If you don’t have the Live Exchange Server environment and only have the EDB file to extract the data, then the following solution is suitable for you.
Simplest Way to Extract Mailbox from Exchange EDB File
Most of the time, there are scenarios where users don’t have the Live Exchange Server environment and want to extract their crucial data. Additionally, they don’t have much time to carry out the entire process to get their data back. Thus, we understood their problem and got a trusted and reliable EDB File Converter Software. It is one of the advanced utilities that help users to extract their data in 5+ file formats.
Users can then access their important mailbox data in any of the applications supported by the respective file formats. Moreover, the tool provides an option to extract data from damaged EDB files as well. It is completely free to download and try the free demo version of it.
You can use this utility to extract your mailbox data from EDB file created in Exchange 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, and other previous versions.
Steps to Extract Mailbox from EDB File Exchange 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003
Step 1. Download the automated software in your local system, Install and Run it.
Step 2. Then, select Add File button > Load offline Exchange EDB file > Click on the Add button.
Step 3. Then preview offline Exchange database file and mailboxes > Click Export.
Step 4. Finally, select the Exchange Mailboxes > Click on PST export option > Select browse button to set target file location > Click on the Export button.
Conclusion
Exchange mailbox extraction is not a cakewalk if you don’t know the complete procedure of it. Moreover, you should have detailed knowledge of how things work in Exchange to safely extract your data. So, we have provided you with both the available solutions that will help you to extract mailbox from EDB file in Exchange. You can choose any of these procedures depending on your feasibility.
Frequently Asked Questions on EDB Mailbox Extraction
What Data is Present in a typical EDB?
Mailboxes are just a tiny fraction of the overall EDB data. They include the metadata and the in-process/non-SMTP messages. All this data is arranged in a B-tree format. Due to the proprietary nature of EDB, we only have partial specifications that came out of voluntary reverse engineering. This revealed 2 distinct partitions within the file a Header and its corresponding Size Pages.
Source: https://github.com/libyal/libesedb/tree/main/documentation
Where Will I Find the Offline EDB file?
Admins might think that they have to manually search through their server to find EDB files. However, this can’t be further from the truth As a single EDB can consist of multiple mailboxes from various users in the organization so most data is located together.
How does EDB file size affect the Extraction Time?
EDB file size is among the most important parameters to calculate the total time of the operation. As there is no fixed size of edb the calculation varies from case to case. The general trend is larger the file more extraction time. However, white space inside big Exchange EDB files may lead to false assumptions.
Why it is considered Risky to Keep mailboxes in EDB format?
EDB files tend to swell up which can trigger a dirty shutdown inside the Exchange server. Not to mention, the bigger the file, the greater the risk it can go corrupt. So, it is better to extract all the useful conversations that are present inside the EDB.
When should I schedule Mailbox extraction from EDB files?
Do it at a time when user activity is minimal, i.e., during off hours or holidays. As the data pullout can cause server downtime, you must pre-inform all the users.
