Public folders in the local Exchange Server are used for collecting, organizing, and sharing information with other members in a group or the organization. In simple words, the public folders are used to hold common emails and files which are shared with multiple users.
In this article, we will be discussing how to export public folders to PST by using native utilities and third-party tools. But before proceeding let’s look at some reasons why you would need to export public folders to PST.
Why you need to Export Public Folders to PST?
There are many reasons why you would need to export the public folders to PST. Here are some common reasons:
- Reduction of Load on the Server: You can export older or less-accessed public folders to PST for archiving. This will help you to maintain a healthy database.
- Long-term Archiving: You need to export public folders to PST for retaining data or backups externally due to legal hold, legal obligation, and regulatory compliance.
- Migrating to Microsoft 365: During transition to Microsoft 365 and moving towards Microsoft 365 Groups, you can export public folders to PST.
- Cross-Server Transfer of Data: Export public folder data to PST for transferring between different Exchange Servers or organizations.
Methods to Export Public Folders to PST
There are three methods you can use to export public folders to PST. Let’s discuss them in detail, along with their pros and cons.
Method 1 – Using Microsoft Outlook
This is one of the simplest methods. This involves using Microsoft Outlook with a profile configured, having full access to the public folder you want to export. Below is the stepwise process:
- Open Microsoft Outlook with the configured profile.
- Click on File.
- Click on Open & Export.
- Click on Export to a file and choose Outlook Data File (.PST).
- Expand the profile structure and select the public folder to export.
- Enable the Include subfolders option.
- Choose the destination path
- Set a PST password (optional).
- Start the export.
This is a simple way to export small public folders to PST. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of using Outlook.
Pros
- Easy-to-use.
- No additional software needed.
- A user can do it without admin’s intervention
Cons
- Cannot export multiple public folders at once.
- Outlook may crash with large folders.
- There is no option to resume if the process is interrupted.
- No reporting on export.
- Limited filtering options.
- If the public folder size is over 50 GB, it requires registry tweaks which would make the file unstable.
- If the database is offline or the Exchange Server is not functioning, this method cannot be used.
Method 2 – Using PowerShell Commands
Exchange Server doesn’t natively offer any scripts or commands to export public folders to PST. However, you can use PowerShell, along with Microsoft Outlook’s COM Objects. For this, you need the following:
- Microsoft Outlook application installed on the machine that will run the script.
- An Outlook profile configured with the user having access to the public folders.
- A script which will interact with the folders and create a PST file.
Now, let’s see how to use PowerShell to export public folder to PST.
First, you need to use the New-Object -ComObject Outlook.Application command to open Outlook and access it.
To access the public folder hierarchy, you need to use the following command and load the object.
$outlook = New-Object -ComObject Outlook.Application
$namespace = $outlook.GetNamespace("MAPI")
In the below command, you need to specify both the source public folder path and the destination PST file path.
$publicFolderPath = "\\Public Folders - YourDomain\\FolderName"
$pstFilePath = "C:\Exports\PublicFolderExport.pst"
Run the below command to get the access to the public folder.
$publicFolder = $namespace.Folders.Item("Public Folders - YourDomain").Folders.Item("FolderName")
Now, you need to run the below command to add the PST file to the Outlook profile.
$namespace.AddStore($pstFilePath)
You can use the below command to get the PST folder reference mentioned and copy the items from the public folder to the PST file specified.
$pstFolder = $namespace.Folders.Item("Public Folders - YourDomain").Folders.Item("FolderName")
foreach ($item in $publicFolder.Items) {$item.CopyTo($pstFolder)}
Now, remove the PST file from the Outlook Profile and cleanup by using the below commands.
$namespace.RemoveStore($pstFolder)
$outlook.Quit()
[System.Runtime.Interopservices.Marshal]::ReleaseComObject($outlook) | Out-Null
Remove-Variable -Name outlook While using this PowerShell process, there are a number of pros and cons to consider.
While using this PowerShell process, there are a number of pros and cons to consider.
Pros
- It can be used to export multiple public folders.
- Cost-effective as it involves only the Microsoft Outlook application.
Cons
- If the database is offline or the Exchange Server is not functioning, this method cannot be used.
- Basic filtering options.
- Cannot resume the process if interrupted.
- Scripting skills are needed.
- No reporting.
Common Issues with Above Methods and their Solutions
Issue: Outlook crashed during the export.
Solutions:
- Split large public folders into smaller parts.
- Ensure that there is sufficient space and memory.
- Monitor and check the performance of machine to ensure it is up to the requirements.
- Avoid using the machine during the export and disable any third-party tools or scans.
Issue: PowerShell script fails to run.
Solutions:
- Check the error message on the screen.
- Check the code for any syntax errors.
- Make sure you have the right permissions on disk and Exchange Server.
- Add logging to the script to identify failure points.
An Easy Way to Export Public Folders to PST
When exporting public folders to PST, native tools often fall short when it comes to scalability, reliability, and flexibility. While Microsoft Outlook is an easy tool to use, it can only be used for exporting small public folders and can export one public folder at a time. Although PowerShell is slightly more flexible than Microsoft Outlook, it still uses Microsoft Outlook COM Objects and is complex to perform.
To overcome such challenges, you can use an EDB to PST converter tool, such as Stellar Converter for EDB. The tool can export public folders and other items from Exchange database file (online or offline) to PST and other file formats. It can also export directly to a live Exchange Server database or Microsoft 365 tenant.
Stellar Converter for EDB offers the following features:
- Converts offline or hosted EDB files
- Supports various Exchange Server versions
- User-friendly solution with a very simple but powerful interface
- Supports conversion of archive mailboxes
- Saves EDB file data in multiple formats
- Offers advanced filter options to filter specific items
- Processes up to 8 mailboxes simultaneously using parallel processing technique
Conclusion
As discussed above, there are various reasons for exporting public folders to PST. We have explained how to export public folders to PST using native tools and a third-party tool. However, native tools have some limitations. To overcome the limitations, you can use specialized EDB converter tools, like Stellar Converter for EDB. This tool can export multiple public folders to PST without any hassle and ensuring complete data integrity.
