Tips to Recover Mailboxes Database in Exchange Server 2016

Sunil Sharma
Sunil Sharma

Updated On - October 19, 2022

Corruption in an Exchange database is bad news for your business. It stops you from doing email communication with your employees and clients and affects business productivity. It can also turn a simple task of repairing corrupt EDB file into a tricky one. That’s why an Exchange administrator uses different tactics to protect the data from corruption and also to retrieve the data in case of corruption. In the present write up, we will go through some necessary recovery procedure useful for Exchange Server 2016.

Recover mailbox database using Exchange backup

Exchange administrators usually use Windows Server Backup to take the backup of Exchange data, and you can retrieve the data up to the last successful backup.
In this situation, you should be aware that the lost data which was created after taking the backup will not be recovered, but you can use the transaction log files to rollback the committed transaction and get the complete data. But if the transaction log files are also missing, then you can only recover the data up to the last backup. It means you will bear some data loss.

Recommended Solution
For quick recovery of corrupted or inaccessible EDB files, Recoveryfix for Exchange Server Recovery tool is the key. It conducts a smooth EDB recovery without wasting any time.

Before starting the recovery, the first check when did the Windows Server Backup utility took the last backup.

Run the cmdlet –

Get-MailboxDatabase -Server NPP2016V3 -Status | f1 Name, LastFullBackup

It will bring the name of the database and its last backup timing details. For example,

Name : DB432432

Last Full Backup : 2/3/2017 3:52:22 PM

Now you can start the recovery procedure by following the steps:

  1. Start the Windows Server Backup and go to the Actions tab. Here, you click the option ‘Recover.’
  2. Choose the source of the backup. If the backup is present in the same volume, then select This Server (ServerName).
  3. Choose the backup which you want to restore.
  4. There will be multiple restore types which you can choose, like File and Folders, Volumes, Hyper-V, System State, and applications. Choose ‘Applications’ and go ahead.
  5. In the next page, select ‘Exchange.’
  6. In the Recovery options, there are two options; choose ‘Recover to the original location.’
  7. The tool will provide a summary of your choice. Confirm it.
  8. The recovery begins. After completing the successful recovery, the database will be automatically mounted and available to use. You can check the missing data in the Outlook.

Recover Exchange database using the Recovery database

A seasoned Exchange Administrator is aware of the importance of the Recovery Database. It is a special kind of mailbox database that lets you extract data from a restored database in the recovery operation. The Recovery Database recovers the data from the backup or a copy of the database. This way, you are not obliged to repair a corrupt Exchange EDB file but restore data from a duplicate database.

After you have created a recovery database, you can use a backup application to restore the data in the restored mailbox or copy the database and its log files directly to the recovery database. After that, you can use the New-MailboxRestoreRequest to run the restore procedure.

Here is the step-by-step process to recover the data using a recovery database

  1. Copy a recovery database and its log files or restore a database and its log files to a location that is suitable for the recovery database.
  2. You need to bring the database to a clean shutdown state and that is possible through the ESEUTIL tool. Run the command;
  3. Eseutil /R Database32932 /l F:\Databases\Database59343 /d F:\Databases\ Database59343

  4. Now, create a recovery database, provide it a name, but get the name and path of the database file for the EdbFilePath parameter, and the location of the recovered log files.
  5. New-MailboxDatabase -Recovery -Name RecoveryDatabaseName -Server Matt -EdbFilePath “E:\Databases\Database59343\Database59343.EDB” -LogFolderPath “E:\Databases\RecoveryDatabase”

  6. Restart Microsoft Exchange Information Store Service.
  7. Restart-Service MSExchangeIS

  8. Mount the Recovery database to Exchange Server.
  9. Mount-database RecoveryDatabaseName

  10. Verify that the recovery database has the mailboxes that you need to restore.
  11. Get-MailboxStatistics -Database RecoveryDatabaseName | Format-Table Name,MailboxGUID –AutoSizeCreate a new mailbox restore request.

    New-MaiboxRestoreRequest -SourceDatabase Database59343 -SourceStoreMailbox “Matt Goodman” -TargetMailbox Matt@contoso.com –TargetIsArchive

  12. At a routine interval check the progress of restore request.
  13. Get-MailboxRestoreRequest

  14. After successful completion of restore job, you can remove it
  15. Get-MailboxRestoreRequest -Status Completed | Remove-MailboxRestoreRequest

If you do not want to go for the lengthy process of creating a recovery database and then running a restore request, then you should opt for the Recoveryfix for Exchange Server recovery tool and save you time and energy for the recovery process. It can also help you to export EDB files to Office 365.

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Recoveryfix for Exchange Server Recovery

Here is the process for recovering data using Recoveryfix for Exchange Server Recovery.

  1. Run the software and click the Add Source icon.
  2. Add Source icon

  3. Select the first option of Offline EDB file. Click Next.
  4. Select the source type and click Next

  5. Browse the EDB file and click Next.
  6. Browse the EDB file and click Next

  7. Choose the scan mode among standard and deep scan. Click Next.
  8. scan mode among standard and deep scan. Click Next

  9. The tool has scanned and recovered the data. Click Finish.
  10. Click Finish

  11. Choose the version of Exchange Server. Click OK.
  12. Choose the version of Exchange Server. Click OK

  13. The EDB file content is present in the source list. You can check its folders and see the preview of each material. Finally, click the Add Destination icon.
  14. click the Add Destination icon

  15. Select the option of ‘Create new PST file’ and click Next.
  16. Create new PST file’ and click Next

  17. Browse the saving location of PST file and provide a name to the PST file also. Click Next.
  18. Click Next

  19. The tool adds the PST file and clicks the Finish button.
  20. adds the PST file and clicks the Finish button

  21. Select the messages from the source mailbox, right-click it, and select Copy message(s).
  22. right-click it, and select Copy message(s)

  23. Go to destination PST file, right-click it and select the Paste Message option.
  24. right-click it and select the Paste Message option

  25. After migrating the messages, the tool gives the migration report. Click Cancel.
  26. Click Cancel

  27. The message is now present in the PST file.
  28. The message is now present in the PST file

After transferring the files, you can access the PST file in Outlook.

Conclusion

In the case of corruption in Exchange Server database, the manual methods do not provide any guarantee to recover the complete data, but Recoveryfix for Exchange Server Recovery removes every issue and bring the data back to you completely. The software will also recover exchange server 2019 database file without the help of any duplicate database or log entry.

13 thoughts on “Tips to Recover Mailboxes Database in Exchange Server 2016”

  1. I think the best way to recover mailbox database is to use third-party software like Recoveryfix for exchange server recovery. It saves a lot of time and efforts at the user-end.

  2. I am using the manual approach to restore the database using the backups. But after restoration, there are some discrepancies in the data and it requires backup logs to check the tables. What should I do?

  3. Hello Yaretzi,
    If the manual approach does not restore the database completely, then it can corrupt the other databases also. So, you should use a professional too to restore the data without the need of any backup logs.

  4. Thank you for giving step-wise instructions for the recovery process! Not every article provides this kind of information in such detailed manner.

  5. Out of all the methods you have mentioned, what is the most reliable way to recover Exchange Server database?

  6. Hello Birch,
    If you want to go for the manual approach, you can proceed with the manual instructions given in this write up. However, if you don’t want to indulge yourself in long manual methods, we have highlighted an efficient third-party tool “Recoveryfix for Exchange Server Recovery”. We have also stated the step-wise instructions to operate the tool.

  7. How many exchange database files can I actually recover in a single repair cycle using the Recoveryfix for Exchange Recovery tool?

  8. Hello Leilani,
    You can repair only one exchange database file in a single repair cycle using the software.

  9. The tool Recoveryfix for Exchange Server works amazing! I have recovered at least 10 corrupt .EDB files. All credit goes to the development team of this amazing software.

  10. I want to recover the emails from last year only. I dont want the older emails. Can I recover them?

  11. Hello Alberto,
    You can apply the Date range filter and save only the emails the last year. The remaining emails will not be saved in the output file.

  12. Coincidentally, the number of recovery database in the Exchange Server is much larger as we created it continuously. Now, when the corruption has occurred, then the time required to access the right recovery database and scanning is too much. what solution should i use?

  13. Hello james
    If you are unable in opening the right recovery database, then you can use a professional tool to repair the original corrupt database and recover the items.

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