How to Import Mailbox Data in Exchange Server 2007

A large number of users across the globe use MS Outlook with Microsoft Exchange Server which is one of the most popular, secure, and robust client & server, respectively, of a collaborative client server software platform from Microsoft.

One can easily create account on Outlook and connect with Exchange server for accessing their emails through personal or shared mailbox. But sometime, it is not possible to access mailbox items due to sudden network failure, server breakdown, viruses, malware attack, or data loss etc., so you may need to again import your mailbox from backup; and sometime it become necessary to import mailbox data into Exchange server. Below are also most common causes when you may need to import mailbox data into Exchange server- 

• During server migration. When you’re moving from one server to another, then you will need to import existing mailbox data into new Exchange server. 
•  Secondly, when Exchange server has been damaged or crashed. In this case, you’ll need to restore and import mailbox data in new Exchange Server from backup of edb file.

So in this blog, we are importing mailbox data in Exchange server 2007 by using Exchange PowerShell scripts.  But before discuss the solution of importing mailbox on Exchange; we should know what data we can import by using this method.

The cmdletImport-Mailbox can imports all empty folders, special folders and sub folders to the intend location. Moreover the cmdlet  Import-Mailbox the following functions:

1.  It imports all messages from the transport dumpster if they exist in the .pst file. 
2.  It imports all associated folder messages if they exist in the .pst file. Associated messages contain hidden data with information about rules, views, and forms. 
3.  It imports all message types, including messages, calendar items, contacts, distribution lists, journal entries, tasks, notes, and documents.

In addition, there are two parameters used through which can either include or exclude any type of folder. These are IncludeFoldersand ExcludeFolders.

So, considering a case where a user 'Admin01'want to import data from a .pst file to Peter'smailbox, first he will have to executethis command -

Add-MailboxPermission -Identity peter -User Admin01 -AccessRightsFullAccess

Now run following commands as required- 
                  

            1.   Run the below command, if you want to import mailbox data from a .pst file that is named peter.pst to peter Peoples' mailbox:

Import-Mailbox -Identity peter@contoso.com –PSTFolderPath C:\PSTFiles\peter.pst

      2. To import all the mailbox data from a .pst file that is named peter.pst and that was received between January 1, 2013 and May 1, 2013, run the  command:

Import-Mailbox -Identity peter@contoso.com -PSTFolderPath C:\PSTFiles\peter.pst -StartDate 01/01/2013 -EndDate 05/01/2013

       3. Run the following to import mailbox data from all .pst files that are located in C:\PSTFiles to the corresponding mailboxes:

Dir C:\PSTFiles\*.pst | Import-Mailbox -StartDate 01/01/2006 -EndDate 04/01/2006

       4. To import all the mailbox data from the peter.pst file for which christine@fabrikam.com is the sender:

Import-Mailbox -Identity peter@contoso.com -PSTFolderPath C:\PSTFiles\peter.pst -SenderKeywords christine@fabrikam.com

       5. To import only the mailbox data from the peter.pst file that is in the Sent Items folder:

Import-Mailbox -Identity peter -PSTFolderPath C:\PSTFiles\peter.pst -IncludeFolders '\Sent Items'

      6. Run the following command, if you want to exclude useless folders from the import:

Import-Mailbox -Identity peter -PSTFolderPath C:\PSTFiles\peter.pst ExcludeFolders "\Junk E-Mail","\Contacts"

      7. Run the following command, if you want to use filters to specify which items in the .pst file to include in the import:

Identity contoso\peter -PSTFolderPath C:\PSTFiles\peter.pst -ContentKeywords "merger" -AttachmentFilenames "*orgchart*" -StartDate "03/01/2013 12:01:00" -RecipientKeywords peter@fabrikam.com

However, there are many functions which cannot be resolved by built-in commands. So in these critical situations you need a reliable and secure third party tool.

Stellar Mailbox Extractor for Exchange Server is one such highly professional tool that converts Exchange EDB mailboxes to pst file, and you can also directly export offline edb file into live Exchange Server.

Try this tool. It is totally worth!