Microsoft documents how administrators recover purged email in Exchange Server 2016, 2019 and Subscription Edition. Deleted items remain recoverable for 14 days by default. Get-RecoverableItems finds the items and Restore-RecoverableItems puts them back. Single item recovery must be on before the item is deleted. Shared mailboxes and Exchange 2013 are outside the article.
Someone empties Deleted Items in a shared mailbox and the messages are gone. Administrators ask which steps still work. Microsoft documents a general procedure for user mailboxes.
Facts follow the Microsoft Learn article Recover deleted messages in a user mailbox in Exchange Server. Microsoft lists Exchange Server 2016, 2019 and Subscription Edition. Shared mailboxes and Exchange 2013 do not appear in it.
How Long are Deleted Items Recoverable?
- Default period. Mailbox databases retain deleted items for 14 days. Administrators can set a different period per mailbox or per database.
- Single item recovery. It is off when you create a mailbox. Enable it before the deletion or the purged item is not recoverable.
- After the period ends. Users cannot recover purged items on their own. Administrators recover them only while the retention period lasts.
Can Users Recover Items Themselves?
Yes for items that are not purged and are still inside the retention period. Users open the Recoverable Items folder from Outlook for Windows or Outlook on the web. Microsoft points to its own support guides for both.
How do Administrators Recover Purged Items?
- Search with Get-RecoverableItems using criteria like subject, item type and date range.
- Check the results in the discovery mailbox. Narrow them by last modified date or item type.
- Restore with Restore-RecoverableItems. You can restore across several mailboxes from a CSV file.
- Ask the user to confirm the items in the restored folder.
Source mailbox and discovery mailbox must differ. Exchange setup creates a default discovery mailbox and you can create more.
How to Export Recovered Items to a PST File?
On-premises administrators can use New-MailboxExportRequest to export items to a PST file. New-MailboxImportRequest imports a PST file into a mailbox. Microsoft states that mailbox import and export is not available in Exchange Online.
What are the Limits of the Admin Center?
- In-Place eDiscovery in the Exchange admin center cannot limit results to Recoverable Items. It can return messages that are not deleted.
- You cannot restore recovered items with the Exchange admin center.
- Search-Mailbox searches one mailbox at a time. Microsoft recommends In-Place eDiscovery or New-ComplianceSearch for several mailboxes.
Microsoft names Search-Mailbox in its restore text and uses Restore-RecoverableItems in its example. Check the cmdlet reference before you use either in production.
What does Microsoft Not Say?
- Anything about shared mailboxes. Treat a shared mailbox as an untested case.
- Anything about Exchange 2013. Microsoft lists 2016, 2019 and Subscription Edition.
- Which cmdlet the restore text intends. Two cmdlets appear there.
Related reading: how to restore an Office 365 mailbox from backup and how to export Exchange contacts to PST with PowerShell.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I Recover Deleted Items From an Exchange Shared Mailbox?
Microsoft does not describe shared mailboxes. Its general procedure uses Get-RecoverableItems and Restore-RecoverableItems on a user mailbox.
How Long does Exchange Retain Deleted Items?
Microsoft states 14 days by default. Administrators can set the period per mailbox or per database.
Does Single Item Recovery Work After Deletion?
No. Microsoft states that you must enable it before the item is deleted.
Can Users Recover Purged Items?
No. Microsoft states that only administrators recover purged items and only within the retention period.
Does This Apply to Exchange 2013?
Microsoft does not say. Exchange 2016, 2019 and Subscription Edition are the listed versions.
Key Takeaways
- Deleted items remain recoverable for 14 days by default.
- Single item recovery must be on before the deletion.
- Get-RecoverableItems searches and Restore-RecoverableItems restores.
- Shared mailboxes and Exchange 2013 do not appear in the Microsoft article.
- Check the cmdlet reference first because the article names two restore cmdlets.
Sources and References
Facts follow Microsoft Learn.
- Recover deleted messages in a user mailbox in Exchange Server (Microsoft Learn) learn.microsoft.com