Restore Deleted Items from Exchange Server 2016/2013/2010

• Applies To: Recover deleted items within 14 days or beyond in Exchange Server mailboxes.
• Supported: Exchange 2019/2016/2013/2010.
• 3 Methods: Exchange Recovery Software, PowerShell Commands, OWA.

How to recover deleted mail items in Exchange 2016?

Does anyone know how to recover permanently deleted items in Exchange Server 2016?

I moved some items from my Inbox, Notes, and Drafts to the Deleted Items folder and later purged them in Exchange. Is there any way I can recover those items from the Exchange server?

The following picture shows where deleted items go, and why you might still be able to find them even after you empty the Deleted Items folder:

As shown in the figure, Exchange Server has a feature that keeps deleted items in the dumpster for 14 days, preventing e-mail and other items from being permanently deleted even if the user has emptied the Deleted Items folder.

Is it possible to recover Exchange Server deleted items after the deletion from the 'Deleted Items' folder for 14 days? Don't worry. Go through the solutions provided below and opt for an easy way to restore deleted or permanently deleted items from Exchange 2016/2013/2010.

Part 1: Recovery of Deleted Items from Exchange Server using Software

Applies to: Exchange users of all levels, from beginners to experienced Exchange Server administrators.

Pros: Simple and practical.

This method helps Exchange administrators at all levels recover deleted items that were removed within the last 14 days or more.

Reliable Exchange Recovery software supports unlimited retrieval of lost mailboxes. Here, you can effectively retrieve all contents including Exchange EDB database, individual mailboxes, and even effortlessly recover deleted items.

Download and install this software on your Exchange Server computer, and then recover the “Deleted Items” immediately by following these steps:

Step 1: Launch the Exchange Recovery tool on your system. On the main screen, click the three dots to browse and select the EDB file of your Exchange Server. Then, click “Analyze.”

After the scan, you will see all mailboxes from the database. Expand the mailbox that you want to recover and you will see its contents. (You can preview items by double-clicking on them.)

Step 3. Select the mailboxes you want to recover, then click "Restore" to restore the deleted mailboxes to the current Exchange Server. Enter your account details and click "Log In."

Step 4: Wait for the process to complete.

Part 2: Manually Recovering Deleted Items in Exchange Server

If you prefer a manual approach, you can use PowerShell commands and OWA to recover deleted items from an Exchange server.

Note that these methods will only work for recovering deleted items within the 14 day period. If it has been longer than 14 days, proceed to Part 1 and use Exchange recovery software for assistance.

# 1. Recovering Deleted Items in PowerShell Recovering deleted items in PowerShell typically involves operations with Exchange Online or the Windows file system. Here are some basic examples: ## Exchange Online If you're in an Exchange Online environment, you can use the `Get-MailboxFolderContent` and `New-MailboxRestoreRequest` commands to restore deleted emails. ```powershell # Connect to Exchange Online Connect-ExchangeOnline -UserPrincipalName user@domain.com -Credential (Get-Credential) # Get the deleted items from the mailbox $deletedItems = Get-MailboxFolderContent -Identity user@domain.com -FolderScope RecoverableItemsDeletions # Select the specific item you want to restore $restoreItem = $deletedItems | Where-Object { $_.Subject -eq "Your Subject" } # Create a new restore request New-MailboxRestoreRequest -Mailbox user@domain.com -SourceStoreMailbox user@domain.com -TargetMailbox user@domain.com -IncludeDeletedItems -ItemRestore $restoreItem ``` ## Windows File System For file recovery in the Windows file system, you can use the `Restore-Item` command, but first, ensure that the File History feature is enabled. ```powershell # Enable the File History if it's not already on Enable-FileHistory # Connect to the File History drive $FHDrive = (Get-FileHistory).SessionId # Restore a deleted file Restore-Item -Path 'C:\Path\To\Deleted\File.txt' -TargetPath 'C:\Path\To\Restore\Location' -FileHistorySession $FHDrive ``` Please note that these examples may require appropriate permissions and might need adjustments based on your specific environment.

Applies to: Experienced Exchange Server administrators who are familiar with PowerShell commands.

Advantage: Free

You can configure the recovery of all deleted items from Exchange by running the following command in PowerShell:

Run PowerShell on the Exchange server computer.

Step 2: Type the following script parameters, pressing Enter after each one:

Recover Deleted Items[-Mailbox]

【-RestoreStart】

【-RestoreEnd-】

【[-RestoreFromFolder]】

[Credentials]

【Simulation】

The Chinese translation for "[-EwsUrl]" is "[-ExchangeWebServicesUrl]".

The Chinese translation for "[-EWSManagedApiPath]" is "[-EWS Managed API Path]".

[Ignore SSL certificate]

[-Allow unsafe redirects]

Step 3. Check the items after the restore is complete.

Note that, depending on the item type, deleted items are restored to their regular folders. For example, email is restored to the Inbox, appointments are restored to the Calendar, and so on.

# 2. Recovering Deleted Items from OWA

Applies to: Users who are recovering deleted items from Outlook Web App in Exchange Server.

Advantage: Free

Here are the steps to recover deleted items and emails for an Exchange Server user in Outlook Web App: 1. Log in to Outlook Web App and access your mailbox. 2. In the left navigation pane, locate and click on the "Deleted Items" folder. 3. Within the "Deleted Items" folder, search for the email or item you wish to recover. 4. Once you find the email you want to restore, hover your cursor over it, and click the checkbox that appears to select the email. 5. If you need to restore multiple emails, repeat this step, or use the checkboxes next to each email for bulk selection. 6. After selecting the emails you want to recover, click the "Recover Deleted Items" or "Restore Selected Items" button located in the top toolbar. This is typically found at the upper-right corner of the page. 7. A confirmation dialog will appear, asking if you're sure you want to restore the selected emails. Click "Yes" or the corresponding confirm button. 8. The recovered emails will be moved back to the "Inbox" folder. Note that in some versions of Outlook Web App, they might be restored to a different location, such as the "Recoverable Items" folder. 9. Check your "Inbox" to confirm that the recovered email has appeared. Please note that the recovery time limit allowed by Exchange Server may vary depending on administrator settings, and expired emails might not be recoverable.

Step 1: Open Outlook Web App online and log in with your Exchange server account.

Step 2. Right-click on the "Deleted Items" folder and select "Restore deleted items."

Step 3. Select the item you found, right-click on it, and choose "Restore."

Click "OK" to confirm.

Later, you can check your Deleted Items folder to see the item that was restored.