Can you export your data from Microsoft Exchange Server to PST?
Yes. Exchange Server 2016, 2019 and Subscription Edition can export mailbox contents to .pst files through mailbox export requests, which the Mailbox Replication service runs after you create them in the Exchange admin center or with New-MailboxExportRequest. If you face a renewal, a licensing change or an exit decision on any of these versions, this is the built-in route to a portable copy of your mail, calendar and contact data before you move anywhere else. The method works on primary mailboxes and archive mailboxes, and it lets you include or exclude folders and apply content filters so that only the items you need are written to each file. It does not cover server configuration, permission models, transport rules, connectors, public folders as a service, or anything outside mailbox contents, so those must be documented and rebuilt separately. The export is a copy of mailbox data. It is not a migration of the Exchange service, and it does not move users, routing or client settings to a new platform.
Before you rely on the export, confirm three things in your own environment. First, check which accounts hold the Mailbox Import Export role, because it is not assigned to any role group by default and must be granted deliberately to the people who will run the requests. Second, confirm that the target UNC network share grants the Exchange Trusted Subsystem group Read/Write permission, since a mailbox export to PST will fail without it. Third, decide where the PST files will sit and who can read them, because each file contains personal data from the mailbox and should be handled under your retention and data protection rules. Also plan how you will track requests and clean them up: completed export requests are removed after 30 days by default, so record the results and any failures before that window closes. The full procedure is in Microsoft Learn's guide to mailbox exports to PST.
What Exchange Server exports and in which format
This table maps each part of an Exchange mailbox export to its method, output format and documented limits, so you can see what a PST export covers before you run it. Read the limits column first, because retention and version differences decide how much time you have to copy files. Confirm item-level coverage for calendar, contacts, tasks and notes against the Microsoft procedure for your server version before you commit to a migration plan.
| Data type or setting | Export method | Output format | Documented limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary mailbox contents | Mailbox export request run by the Mailbox Replication service, created in the Exchange admin center or with New-MailboxExportRequest | PST file written to a UNC share | Requires the Mailbox Import Export role, which no role group holds by default; completed requests are removed after 30 days by default |
| Archive mailbox contents | Export request that targets the archive instead of the primary mailbox | PST file written to a UNC share | Targets the archive explicitly, so confirm the archive is enabled and export it as a separate request |
| Folder inclusion and exclusion | Include or exclude specific folders in the export request | PST file with the selected folder tree | Folders not selected are left out of the PST, so verify the folder list before you start |
| Content filters | Apply a filter to the export request to limit which items are copied | PST file containing only matching items | Filter behavior must be tested on a sample mailbox because it limits what leaves the server |
| Calendar, contacts, tasks and notes | Mailbox export request, with item-level coverage set by the server version | PST file, item types as documented for your version | Confirm item-level coverage against the Microsoft export procedure for your version before relying on it |
| Exchange Server 2016 | Mailbox export requests to PST | PST | Supported for PST export; check the Microsoft procedure for version-specific steps |
| Exchange Server 2019 | Mailbox export requests to PST | PST | Extended support ended in October 2025, so plan the export as part of an upgrade or migration |
| Exchange Server Subscription Edition | Mailbox export requests to PST, created in the Exchange admin center or with New-MailboxExportRequest | PST | Supported for PST export as documented for Exchange 2016, 2019 and Subscription Edition |
Which role and share permissions must exist before the first export
The Mailbox Import Export role is not assigned to any role group by default, so nothing in a standard Exchange installation lets an administrator run a PST export until someone grants it deliberately. Assign the role only to the named export operator, for the duration of the export work, and remove it afterward. A role that stays assigned after the migration is a standing ability to copy every mailbox in the organization into a file, which is exactly the kind of access a regulated environment must be able to show it has withdrawn. Record who received the role, when, and who removed it, and keep that record with the change ticket. Confirm the exact role assignment commands and the role group behavior in the Microsoft documentation for your own Exchange version, since the procedure differs between Exchange Server 2016, 2019 and Subscription Edition.
The export writes PST files to a UNC network share, and the Exchange Trusted Subsystem group must hold Read/Write permission on that share. This group is powerful on the Exchange side, so granting it access to a file share is a decision to document, not a formality. Create a dedicated share used only for exports, not an existing departmental folder, and confirm the NTFS and share-level permissions both allow only what the export requires. Restrict access to the export operator and the export account, and remove broader groups such as Domain Users or file server administrators unless they have a named need. Plan where the PST files will sit after the export, because they contain full mailbox content and inherit whatever protection the share has.
Treat the export share as a sensitive data store from the moment it is created. Before the first run, check that encryption at rest and backup policies on the file server match the classification of the mailboxes being exported, and that audit logging captures file access on the share. Decide who may read the PST files once they exist, how long they are kept, and how they are deleted and verified as deleted. Run a small test export against a non-production or consenting mailbox first to confirm the permissions work end to end. Your security, legal and records teams should sign off on these settings, because the controls around the share are what an auditor or a litigation hold reviewer will ask about first.
How to run a complete mailbox export to PST, step by step
This sequence takes you from a complete list of mailboxes and archives to verified PST files in controlled storage, with each request removed and the export role revoked afterward. Each step names the record you keep as evidence for the migration file.
Inventory mailboxes and archives before exporting
The Exchange administrator lists every mailbox in scope, including shared and resource mailboxes, and notes whether each has an archive mailbox that needs its own request. Use the Exchange Management Shell to export the list, for example with
Get-MailboxandGet-Mailbox -Archive, and record the primary and archive mailbox counts, sizes and owners. The inventory is complete when every in-scope user appears once in a spreadsheet with a confirmed owner and a decision on whether the archive is included.Assign the Mailbox Import Export role
Because the Mailbox Import Export role is not assigned to any role group by default, the administrator adds it to a dedicated export role group or to a specific admin account for the duration of the project. Confirm the assignment with
Get-ManagementRoleAssignmentand keep the output as proof of who could start exports. Record the assignment date and the account name, since you will revoke it in the final step.Prepare and permission the UNC network share
Create a dedicated UNC share on a server with enough free space for the combined PST output, and confirm that the Exchange Trusted Subsystem group has Read/Write permission on it at both share and NTFS levels. Restrict access to the export administrators and the storage team, and turn on auditing for the folder if your security policy requires it. Test the share by writing and reading a small file as the Exchange server computer account. The evidence is a permissions report and a successful test file.
Create the export requests with New-MailboxExportRequest
Start one request per mailbox with
New-MailboxExportRequest, pointing-FilePathat the UNC path and using-IsArchivefor archive mailboxes. Where the scope needs narrowing, add-IncludeFoldersor-ExcludeFoldersand content filters such as-ContentFilterwith a date range, and test the filter on one mailbox first. The step is complete when each mailbox has a request with a recorded name, filter and target file path.Track request status until each export completes
Monitor progress with
Get-MailboxExportRequestandGet-MailboxExportRequestStatistics, checking the Status, PercentComplete and any failure or bad item counts for each request. Investigate requests that stall or report failures before retrying, and record the final status and item count per mailbox. Do not treat a request as finished until its status is Completed and the matching PST file exists on the share.Verify each PST before accepting it
Open each PST in Outlook or a PST reader and compare item counts with the request statistics, then check the date range, the folder structure and a sample of messages with attachments. Open a few items from each mailbox to confirm content is readable, and note any mailbox that differs from the statistics. Keep a verification log with the mailbox, file name, item count, checker and result, because this log is the main evidence that the data left Exchange intact.
Copy PST files to controlled storage
Move the verified PST files from the export share to encrypted storage that only the migration team can access, and record a checksum for each file so later copies can be compared. Confirm the copy completed for every file in the verification log before you delete anything from the export share. The evidence is a manifest listing each PST, its size, its checksum and its storage location.
Remove completed requests and revoke the export role
Remove completed requests with
Remove-MailboxExportRequestso they do not linger, noting that completed requests are removed after 30 days by default. Delete the exported PST files from the temporary share once the copies are verified, then remove the Mailbox Import Export role assignment and confirm it withGet-ManagementRoleAssignment. The closing evidence is a clean request list, a deletion record for the share and a signed-off role revocation.
Primary mailbox, archive or both: which export path fits each user group
Users who have no archive mailbox need one export request against the primary mailbox. Exchange creates the request with the -Mailbox parameter and writes the contents to a PST file on the UNC share you specify. Folder selection is the main decision here, because include and exclude filters decide what ends up in the file.
- Request target: Use the primary mailbox as the source. Exchange does not need a second request for this user group.
- Folder inclusion: Use the include filter when only specific folders, such as Inbox or Sent Items, must reach the target system.
- Folder exclusion: Use the exclude filter for folders you do not want in the PST, such as Deleted Items or Junk Email, if your retention rules allow it.
- Content filters: Apply content filters only when the policy names a date range or message type, and record the filter text in the export ticket.
- Retention of completed requests: Completed requests are removed after 30 days by default, so download or verify the PST inside that window.
Before running the export, confirm that the mailbox has no archive, that the owner's account is still active, and that the Mailbox Import Export role is assigned to the account that runs the request. Check the folder list against the migration scope agreed with the business owner.
Users with an archive mailbox hold data in two places, so the export plan must cover both. Exchange lets you target the archive directly, which means you create one request for the primary mailbox and a second request for the archive. Missing the second request is the most common reason an export looks complete but leaves older mail behind.
- Two requests: Create one request that targets the primary mailbox and one that targets the archive, each with its own name so you can track them separately.
- Matching filters: Keep folder filters consistent across both requests unless a documented retention rule requires a difference.
- Output location: Write both PST files to the same UNC share, or to clearly named subfolders, so the import step can find each file.
- Archive status: Confirm the archive is enabled and that its contents are not on hold for legal or regulatory reasons before you start.
- Tracking: Check the status of both requests with the request cmdlets and confirm each reaches a completed state before you mark the user as done.
Before running the export, confirm the archive exists and is accessible, and agree with the business owner whether the PST files should keep the primary and archive content separate or merged after import.
Shared mailboxes and mailboxes belonging to users who have left the organization often have no active sign-in. The export still runs against the mailbox, but the inventory has to answer who owns the data and under what authority it is exported. Treat these as a separate track from active user exports.
- Owner record: Confirm the mailbox owner, or the group that manages a shared mailbox, and record who approved the export in writing.
- Account state: Check whether the mailbox is disabled, on litigation hold, or linked to a retention policy, because these states can affect what you export and how you handle the output.
- Folder scope: For legacy mailboxes, decide whether to export all folders or only business-relevant ones, and document any exclusions the owner or legal team requests.
- Storage of output: Store the PST files in a restricted location with access logging, since these files often contain data from people who are no longer employed.
- Cleanup: Remove or archive the request records according to the retention policy once the owner confirms the files are complete.
Before running the export, confirm the mailbox type, the approving owner or legal contact, and any hold or retention settings that apply, because these answers decide whether the export can go ahead as planned.
What a PST export does not carry and how to handle each gap
A mailbox export to PST carries message items and folder content, but most of what makes an Exchange organization work sits outside the mailbox. The cards below list the common gaps and a practical way to capture each one before you decommission or migrate.
Server and organization configuration
Connectors, accepted domains, send and receive settings, certificates, and the rest of the organization configuration never enter a PST file. Before cutover, export the configuration with Exchange Management Shell commands and store the output with your change records. Use it as a checklist for the target platform. Confirm with Microsoft's documentation for your exact version which settings are exported by which cmdlets, because coverage differs between Exchange Server 2016, 2019 and Subscription Edition.
Mail flow and transport rules
Transport rules, message hygiene settings, journaling and routing logic determine how mail reaches and leaves the organization, and a PST has none of it. Document each rule with its conditions and actions, and map it to the equivalent filter or routing setting on the target. Ask the vendor or project team which rule types have a direct equivalent and which need manual rebuilding. Test inbound and outbound paths in a staging environment before you change MX records.
Mailbox permissions and delegate settings
Full Access, Send As and Send on Behalf grants, calendar delegates and folder permissions are stored as mailbox attributes, not as mail items. A PST import will not recreate them. Extract the permissions with Exchange Management Shell reports for every mailbox in scope and keep the output with the export log. Recreate delegate rights on the target after users are loaded, and verify shared calendars with the people who depend on them.
Public folders and distribution groups
Public folder content and distribution group membership live in the organization, not in individual mailboxes. A mailbox export of a user does not include a shared public folder or the groups a user belongs to. List every public folder and export its content through a separate path, and export group membership to a file. Confirm with Microsoft's documentation for your version how public folder content and group objects are handled during any export or migration.
Content stored outside the mailbox
Archive mailboxes, OneDrive or file share links, attachments referenced rather than embedded, and data in journaling or compliance stores can sit outside the primary mailbox. An export request that targets only the primary mailbox leaves the archive behind unless you run a separate request for it. Inventory these locations per user, choose a separate export path for each, and confirm the treatment of archives against Microsoft's documentation for your version.
Common questions before exporting Exchange data in-house or with a partner
How much effort does a full Exchange export take?
The effort depends on how many mailboxes you export, how much of each mailbox sits in archives, how many folder filters and content filters you apply, and what the network and storage can absorb. Each mailbox is a separate export request, so the number of mailboxes drives the admin time to create, monitor and check requests. Archive mailboxes double the request count for users who have them, and large PST files need a share with enough free space and a network path that stays up for the whole run. Ask any partner to list the mailbox count, archive count and largest mailboxes in its written scope, along with the share location and the test target it will use.
How long does a mailbox export to PST take?
Duration is driven by mailbox size, the number of items, the throughput between the Exchange servers and the target share, and how much other load the Mailbox Replication service is handling. Export requests can run in parallel, but a busy production environment may need batching to avoid affecting users. Mailbox exports also fail or stall on corrupt items, so plan time for reruns. Do not plan around a fixed duration from a generic guide. Run a pilot on a representative set of mailboxes, measure the rate, and use that measurement to schedule the full run.
What must our internal team provide before an export starts?
Your team must provide the rights and infrastructure the export depends on:
- Exchange administrator rights sufficient to create and manage mailbox export requests.
- Assignment of the Mailbox Import Export role, which is not held by any role group by default.
- A UNC network share, with the Exchange Trusted Subsystem group granted Read/Write permission on it.
- Storage capacity on that share sized for the expected PST output, plus a test target where you can verify that files open correctly.
Also confirm who approves access to exported PST files, because they contain user mail that may fall under your data protection rules.
Can we run the Exchange export ourselves?
Yes, if you have administrators who know Exchange Server and can run the mailbox export procedure in the Exchange admin center or with New-MailboxExportRequest. The work itself is short per mailbox, but the surrounding tasks take skill: scoping which folders and items leave Exchange, tracking requests, handling failures, verifying output and cleaning up completed requests, which are removed after 30 days by default. Keep in mind that the export only produces PST files. Deciding where those files go and how they are used is a separate project. Teams that lack this capacity often ask a partner to take the export, verification and documentation.
What does a partner's scope for an Exchange export cover?
A partner's written scope should name every activity it will perform and every activity it leaves to you. Typical items include a mailbox inventory, the role and share setup, a pilot export, the full export run, request tracking and failure handling, PST verification, and a handover record. Ask whether primary mailboxes and archives are both in scope, which folders are included or excluded, how content filters are defined and approved, and where the PST files are stored and protected. Ask who holds the final decision on each filter. DeployOpen plans and implements engagements on a fixed scope agreed in writing before work starts, and provides a quote that follows from that scope.
What can the exported PST files be imported into?
PST is a container format that Microsoft Outlook reads natively, so the first target is usually an Outlook profile or a mailbox server that supports PST import. Whether a PST can be imported into a non-Microsoft platform depends on that platform's import tools and on the scope of the data you exported, so confirm the target before the export. Some migration tools read PST files directly and move their contents into another mail system, and the exchange2grommunio script described for grommunio is one example of a workflow built on this approach. Ask any target vendor or partner to show a test import of a sample PST, including calendars, contacts and folder structure, before you commit to a full run.
What should we check in a PST export before we rely on it?
Verify each export by opening sample PST files, confirming item counts and folder structure against the source, and checking that calendars, contacts and archives arrived intact. Review the export request report for failed or partially exported items, and record which mailboxes need a rerun. Keep a log that links each mailbox to its request, output file and verification result. This record supports audit and data protection reviews, but it does not replace an independent audit. Auditors and certification bodies, not the exporting team, decide whether your controls meet a given standard.
What to plan before the Exchange contract or support window ends
Exchange export work is rarely blocked by the PST command itself. It is blocked by timing, licensing, storage and approvals that nobody owned in advance. The cards below cover the checks that connect your current Exchange version and contract to a verified export and a documented deletion decision.
Confirm your Exchange version and support status
Exchange Server 2019 reached the end of extended support in October 2025, and Microsoft points customers to Exchange Server Subscription Edition or Exchange Online. Subscription Edition follows the Modern Lifecycle Policy with no fixed end date, but only while the configuration stays current. Record your exact build, your license type and whether your servers are on a supported cumulative update before you schedule the export, because an unsupported environment changes which migration options are safe.
Plan the export window and verification time
Mailbox export requests run through the Mailbox Replication service, so their duration depends on mailbox size, item count and network throughput to the UNC share. Schedule requests outside business hours, check the status of each request, and reconcile item counts against the source mailbox before deleting anything. Ask your Exchange administrators to estimate run time from a pilot mailbox of typical size, since no generic duration applies to every environment.
Set PST storage and retention rules
PST files are unencrypted containers that often end up on file shares, laptops and backup tapes with no retention label. Decide where the PST files will be stored, who can read them, how long they are kept and how they are encrypted at rest before the first export runs. Confirm with legal and records management which retention obligations apply to mail that is exported, copied or archived, since those obligations follow the data rather than the server.
Compare Exchange Online eDiscovery options
If part of your data sits in Exchange Online, Microsoft Purview eDiscovery can export mailbox items as PST or .msg files and export SharePoint and OneDrive content with selectable version history. Exporting requires a Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 license, and search export packages expire 14 days after creation, so download and store the package within that window. Confirm the license tier for each account in scope before planning the export, because a missing license blocks the export outright.
Map identity and client dependencies
PST export captures mail items, but it does not carry the identity and client settings that make mailboxes usable after cutover. List the Active Directory accounts that own each mailbox, the Outlook profiles and OST files on user devices, delegate and shared mailbox permissions, and any mobile or ActiveSync policies. Each of these must have a named owner and a test case, or the post-export mailbox will look complete while users still lose access to the shared calendars and delegates they rely on.
Document who approves deletion
Deleting on-premises mailbox data is a separate decision from exporting it, and it needs a written approval chain. Name the owner who signs off that PST files are complete and readable, the records owner who accepts retention responsibility, and the security or compliance lead who approves removing the source mailboxes. Keep the approval, the request IDs and the verification results together so an auditor or a legal hold request can trace what was exported, where it went and who authorized its removal.
How DeployOpen works on this
DeployOpen plans and runs Exchange mailbox exports inside your own infrastructure as a fixed-scope engagement, with the scope agreed in writing before work starts. The work covers the export host, permissions, request batches, verification and the evidence your team keeps after the export.
How we scope
- Inventory which mailboxes, primary and archive, must leave Exchange and which can stay.
- Agree in writing which folders are included, excluded or filtered for each mailbox group.
- Confirm the Mailbox Import Export role assignment, the UNC share and the Exchange Trusted Subsystem permissions before any request runs.
- Define retention of the PST output, the storage location and who may access it.
How we build
- Prepare a dedicated UNC export share with the required Read/Write permission for the Exchange Trusted Subsystem group.
- Create and run test mailbox export requests with New-MailboxExportRequest on a pilot set of mailboxes.
- Track request status, failures and item counts, then rerun failed requests in controlled batches.
- Remove completed export requests on a schedule so they do not linger beyond the default 30-day retention.
How we hand over
- Deliver a runbook covering the export commands, the share layout and the request tracking steps.
- Document the export log, the mailbox list and the reconciliation results for your audit file.
- Walk your Exchange administrators through cleanup of export requests and secure deletion of temporary copies.
How we support
- Ongoing support, upgrades and continuous testing are available as a retainer after handover.
- Confirm with your team whether exported PST files will feed a later migration to OX App Suite or openDesk.
- Agree in the written scope who handles escalations and how long exported copies remain in place.
