How to Start and Stop a Mailbox Export Request in Exchange

In Exchange, a Mailbox Export Request refers to exporting mailbox items, such as emails, contacts, calendars, and notes, into a PST file. This export aims to create a backup of the mailbox for use in case the existing mailbox becomes corrupted. Besides, admins also perform the export task for mailbox migration, archiving, or eDiscovery.

To start or stop a mailbox export request, the experts use Exchange Admin Center (EAC) or PowerShell commands. 

However, start and stop are just the actions carried out on a mailbox export request. Admins execute these tasks by using several crucial commands, such as: 

• New-MailboxExportRequest
• Suspend-MailboxExportRequest
• Resume-MailboxExportRequest  
• Remove-MailboxExportRequest

What is the need to start a mailbox export request?

As already mentioned in the introduction, a mailbox export request copies the mailbox items to a PST file. This process becomes crucial in several instances that require 

• Exporting a mailbox to another server environment or Office 365
• Exporting an obsolete mailbox for future reference use before deleting it 
• Meeting the regulatory compliances
• Carrying out offline storage

How to start the mailbox Export request in Exchange?

You can initiate a Mailbox Export request with the help of Exchange Admin Center (EAC) or by using PowerShell cmdlets. 

How to start a mailbox export request using EAC?

Before proceeding with this task, make sure you have all the requisite admin permissions to perform the mailbox export. The steps to perform this task using EAC are as follows:

1. Log in to your EAC account with your credentials
2. In the resulting EAC screen, navigate to Recipients > Mailboxes
3. Click More Options (three dots …)
4. Click Export to a PST file
5. As the Export to a PST file wizard opens, select the source mailbox
6. Next, choose any of the following options:

• Export only the contents of this mailbox
• Export only the contents of this mailbox’s archive

• 7. Click Next to navigate to the next page
• 8. Mention the UNC path and the name of the target PST file
• 9. Click Next to reach the last page of the wizard

• You will see the option: Send email to the mailbox below when the .pst file has been exported 
• Leave the option checked if you wish to send the email. Click Browse to add or remove notification recipients.

Uncheck the checkbox if you do not want to send an email to the mailbox when the PST file has been exported

6. Click Finish 

How to start a mailbox export request using PowerShell command?

Admins also use PowerShell commands New-Mailbox Export Request in the Exchange Management Shell to start a mailbox export request in the Exchange. Here is an example:

New-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox "X Databases" -FilePath \\SERVER01\PSTFiles\Xbarrios.pst

This example will create a new mailbox export request with the following:

• Mailbox export request name:
• Source mailbox: Xdatabases.pst
• Target .pst file: \SERVER01\PSTFiles\Xbarrios.pst
• Content and folders 
• Priority: Normal

What is the need to stop a mailbox export request?

When working with the Exchange server, specifically while exporting a mailbox to PST or some Office 365, you may encounter several errors:  

• Excess server load or an export request initiated by mistake
• An Export request is stuck in a queue or in-progress state
• Selection of the wrong mailbox or export path
• Mailbox consists of corrupt items that lead to the failure of the export request

In any such event, you have to stop the export request instantly to avert further losses. For this, you need to use.

How to stop the mailbox export request in Exchange?

To stop the mailbox export in the Exchange server, you will have to use the EMS environment, as it is not possible to do so in EAC. Admins use Remove-MailboxExportRequest to serve this purpose for an on-premises Exchange.

Before removing the request, you need to pause it by using Suspend-MailboxExportRequest. Like the remove request, this one also works only in on-premises Exchange. Here is a detailed explanation of both these two cmdlets:

Suspend-MailboxExportRequest

As the name suggests, this cmdlet suspends an export request after its creation but before it attains the ‘completed’ status. To resume the request from the suspended mode, you can use the Resume-MailboxExportRequest cmdlet.

You will find the suspend request only in the Mailbox Import Export role. To use it, you have to add the Mailbox Import Export role to a role group first. By default, it is not assigned to any role groups.

Here are two examples:

Suspend-MailboxExportRequest -Identity "kylie\MailboxExport1"

This command will suspend the second export request for Kylie’s mailbox with the identity: kylie\MailboxExport1

Get-MailboxExportRequest -Status InProgress | Suspend-MailboxExportRequest -SuspendComment "Resume after 22:00 (10 P.M)"

This command will suspend all the in-progress export requests with the help of the Get-MailboxExportRequest cmdlet. It will also retrieve the status of all the In Progress requests. It will then pipeline the output to the Suspend-MailboxExportRequest cmdlet with the Suspend comment.

Remove-MailboxExportRequest

To stop a mailbox export request in the Exchange Management Shell, you will have to use Remove-MailboxExportRequest, as there is no specific stop command.

The remove request will delete the completely or partially completed export request. Here, it is crucial to note that a completed export request will not clear automatically. Instead, you will have to remove it.

Just like the suspend cmdlet, the remove cmdlet is also available only in the Mailbox Import Export role by default, and the role is not assigned to any role groups. Therefore, you will need to add the Mailbox Import Export role to a role group before using it.

Please note that when removing a partially completed export request, the mailbox content already exported to the PST file remains there unless removed. Therefore, when starting a new export request to the same file name, delete the previous PST file or rename it.

 Here are a few examples to understand the working of the command: 

Remove-MailboxExportRequest -Identity "kylie\MailboxExport1"

This command will remove the second export request, kylie\MailboxExport1

Get-MailboxExportRequest -Status Completed | Remove-MailboxExportRequest

This command will find all the mailbox export requests with ‘Completed’ status and remove them.

Remove-MailboxExportRequest -RequestQueue MBXDB01 -RequestGuid 25e0eaf2-6cc2-4353-b83e-5cb7b72d441f

This example will cancel the export request with the help of the RequestGuid parameter

Resume-MailboxExportRequest

Here is a bonus tip. To restart a failed or previously suspended request, you can use Resume-MailboxExportRequest. Here is an example:

Resume-MailboxExportRequest -Identity xserver\export

This command will resume the export request xserver\export

What are the limitations of these manual methods?

All these manual ways to start and stop mailbox export requests in Exchange have certain drawbacks:

• Stringent Permission model, with the explicit assignment of the Mailbox Import Export role
• The need for a working and healthy Exchange server
• An accessible network share is essential for the export
• Commands may not work properly in case of a corrupt mailbox or the contained items
• Soft-deleted or purged mailboxes are impossible to export
• Need deep technical acumen to run PowerShell commands
• Any stuck-up command may take too long to execute 
• Despite taking considerable time, the command may fail due to Exchange server issues

To avert such types of hassles, it is better to confide in professional EDB to PST converter software. Notably, Stellar Converter for EDB is an ideal tool in this context.

Using Stellar Converter for EDB for mailbox export

The professional EDB to PST converter software averts all the usual issues that compel the Exchange server admin to remove, suspend, or resume the mailbox export requests. It features an interactive GUI-based interface that performs the export without requiring cmdlets or the on-premises Exchange server. 

With no issues arising during the export, there is no need to start or stop the request. The tool works best when the PowerShell cmdlets fail, an old EDB file becomes inaccessible, or you cannot export a public folder to PST. Using the software is easy and self-explanatory.

Conclusion

Admins carry out mailbox export requests for various reasons, such as for offline storage, eDiscovery, migration, etc. To start or stop the request in Exchange Server, you will have to use various PowerShell cmdlets in the Exchange Management Shell (EMS) environment.

For example, to start the mailbox export request, you can use New-MailboxExportRequest, or you may do it directly through Exchange Admin Centre as well. 

To stop the use, you will have to use Remove-MailboxExportRequest. Before removing it, it is better to suspend the request by using Suspend-MailboxExportRequest. If you wish to resume the request anytime, you can use Resume-MailboxExportRequest.

All these commands can help to perform your desired action, but they come with certain restrictions. You need to have in-depth technical knowledge to run the commands. 

Despite applying all the knowledge, the command may fail to run after taking considerable time. Moreover, you need to have permissions to perform the operations, and add the Mailbox Import Export role to a role group.

To avoid all these hassles, organizations prefer using professional EDB to PST converter software. Notably, Stellar EDB to PST Converter is a widely recommended tool in this regard.

It is available online based on the edition you wish to use for your Exchange server operations.