Recovering Deleted Email

[jspur2003]

One of our users accidently deleted an email from their deleted folder and i have a couple of recovery programs that can recover files as well as i have a tape backup too however since M drive which i guess is default for exchange is a logical drive it wont allow me to scan that drive with my recovery software and for some reason my backup wont allow me to open folders from that drive as well Our backup system is Veritas Exec.... so is there a spot on the physical drive c: where the folders might exist as well or is there another way to recover the email?? Hopefully what i wrote is clear if not i can provide more info... Any help is greatly appreciated

 

[Zelandakh]

Your choices:
1. The M drive does not exist. Ignore it. Honestly.
2. Click on their deleted items folder. Tools, Recover delted items.
3. Restore from backup exec. Recovery by selecting deleted items in their mailbox in the mail store.

[santa2]
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[jspur2003]

I might be SOL because this user had problems in the past with email in the TOP of Information Store their deleted folder prevented the backup to complete successfully so i disabled the deleted folder only for this user....What im trying to retrieve it more important than the actual email its the attachments does it create a temporary file on the computers when you open the picture or does it stay with the email? If it creates a temp file i should be able to recover the file vs email correct by using a recovery program?

 

[Zelandakh]

no temp file usually. can't you recover them using their outlook?

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[jspur2003]

I tried that path I clicked on the Deleted Items folder then went to tools then Recover Deleted Items and the popup that came on the screen was blank and didnt have any emails listed... Is there an option that i have to turn on or am i basically SOL...?

 

[Tekmazter]

You need to enable the option on your Exchange server to retain deleted items for a particular amount of time. There is also an option there to retain deleted mailboxes as well in the event a user leaves, you delete the mailbox but then realize you need the mailbox again. just saves you from going to tape.

 

[Zelandakh]

aelita recovery manager can pull emails from ntbackup or backup exec.

But it isn't cheap.



[santa2]
Shop@

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[jspur2003]

Im not that familiar with exchange yet but how do you check the retention for deleted emails for how long to keep deleted emails? ive seen the area for deleted mailboxes but havent seen anything about deleted emails....

 

[buddafish]

From the Exchange Manager, Admin Group --> Site --> Servers --> select server name --> right click the "mailbox store" --> properties --> "Limits" tab --> at the bottom there are 2 retention settings. 1 for deleted boxes, 1 for deleted mail.

scottie

 

[jspur2003]

Now i know this might sound like a silly question but like i mentioned im not as familiar with exchange as i am with other features of Windows 2000 server but for the deleted Items on the setting that only has todo with when they delete the item from the deleted folder not inbox correct?... Because we have a few users here that delete the item from inbox but leave it in the deleted folder to keep it i just dont want it to delete the deleted folder after x amount of days...

 

[buddafish]

yep, users like to use the deleted folder as personal storage space. and it adds up fast with pics, spreadsheets ect.

so to answer the question, the deleted folder is just another folder (that you can set to empty on the closing of outlook...) but they have to delete the deleted to begin the clock ticking. during this retention period, you can recover deleted items from the outlook client. click on the deleted items folder, then choose tools --> recover deleted items. a box will pop up allowing you to choose what to recover (or delete). if you select someting to recover, it will go back to your deleted folder.

now... if a user deletes, then empties the deleted folder then goes to the tools-->recover deleted items then chooses to delete all from there... well... it is gone.

and...if the user bypasses the deleted folder with a hard delete, i believe it may be gone. well, maybe...

scottie

 

[jspur2003]

Yeah i know what you mean bout it being another personal storage space for emails... I just didnt know if the 30 days or whatever decide to set it at begins once they deleted from Inbox Folder or once they delete it from Deleted Item folder i dont want to get 30 upset people because their deleted items all of a sudden starts to disappear on them for no reason... I do think i will have people start to archive real old items to their computer so they have it on there computer to save space on the server does the server delete retension work for the archive as well or is that for folders actually on exchange??? Thank you everyone for all your help...

 

[buddafish]

we archive .pst's to file server, not the exchange box.
we also train (and assist) users on creation of personal folders to keep important stuff as well as every couple months approaching the "big" mailbox people about cleaning the box. with out people, it is usually the SENT items that are the killer. they never clean this folder and they always send everybody in the orginization cutsy pics and other non-business related junk... (now i got that off my chest ) anyway, keep tabs on those sent items folders too....


scottie

 

[jspur2003]

Yeah i know all about that sent item folder ive talked to a few about that and they had no idea the folder even existed... Well Thank you for all your help

 

[crobin1]

To answer your last question, the delete retension does not affect the archive folder (since that will be a PST). It is only for the "Deleted Items" folder in the Exchange mailbox.