Prevent users from deleting mail

[boden1]

Hi,

Is there any way to prevent users from deleting mail from their mailboxes. Or even a way exchange can keep a copy of the mail even if they do delete it?

We are using Exchange 5.5 and have an account that we dont want mail to be deleted from. We don't want to buy any thrid party software as 5.5 is going to be removed but need a 'quick fix' for now.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[zbnet]

Stopping people deleteing mail in a mailbox they are the owner of is pretty hard.

Read up on Deleted Item Retention, particulalry on the "don't permanently delete itms until the store has been backed up" option.

Or give them delegate rights to the mailbox, and limit the access to just Read and Create.

Or alternatively use a public folder, this allow a similar control over the rights the users have.

 

[Zelandakh]

GFi do a mail archiving app. So do KVS. Or use the Exchange alternative recipient and have a user called "Archive". Use that as the alternate recipient for all. Caution - that mailbox is gonna grow!

 

[WanderingSailor]

There are a couple of things that you can do:

1. For your Private Information Store (under your server name), set the retention time of deleted items to 30 days. Using Echange Administrator, highlight PIS under your server name, go up to 'File', the click on 'Properties' (it is the same location where you would set mailbox limits). This should be set anyway, to help avoid the inevitability of users deleting mail when they exectue an ID10T error. When they delete an item, the will be able to recover it from the Deleted Items folder (under 'Tools' in their Outlook client). Even if they empty the Deleted Items folder, they will still be able to get them back for whatever period you choose to set. Remember though, once you have recovered something from the Deleted Items folder, you must delete another email in order to see everything again, otherwise it will apear to be blank.

2. You can also create a Personal Folder (.pst file) under your mailbox, and then add a folder for that mail. Then, create a rule that forwards that mail to the newly created folder. You must also set yourself as an alternate recipient in the original mailbox (can either have it go directly to you or have it retain and forward). That way, the mail is secure.

 

[boden1]

Hi,

Thanks for all the replies. with the setup we have I think we are going to go the route of Public folders.

 

[Zelandakh]

2 options:
Mail enabled public folder with permissions so they cannot delete.

Mailbox on its own with send as permissions granted to relevant accounts. Set perms for all except delete.