Export Exchange Server Mailbox to PST 2019/2016/2013/2010 & SE

Mark Regan
Published: August 13th, 2026 • 8 Min Read

It’s a common task for an admin to export Exchange Server (Hosted/On-Premise server) Mailbox to PST. With the Exchange Server 2019/2016/2013/2010 reaching the end of “End of Support in 2025” business with these older servers are saving all mailboxes from to PST for backup, upgrading to Exchange Server Subscription Edition (SE) or in order to meet their e-Discovery needs.

Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Replication service (MRS) is responsible for Exchange On-Premises mailbox export to PST to a shared network UNC path – using the Exchange Management Shell command New-MailboxExportRequest or the Exchange Admin Center with required permission to the admin account.

Alternatively, administrators can use Outlook to export an individual Exchange Server user mailbox to PST, or use a dedicated Exchange Server to PST export tool to export multiple mailboxes in bulk faster and less technical issues like – “New-MailboxExportRequest is not recognized.” The appropriate method depends on the number of mailboxes and the specific export requirements based on selective exports such as date range, sender, recipient, or subject.

Note: Hosted/On-Premise/Dedicated Exchange Server is distinct from Exchange Online or Office 365. This guide is specifically for Hosted Exchange Server where user mailboxes are stored in the EDB database on the server. Read Here: In case you want to export Exchange Online/Office 365 Mailbox to PST.

Method 1: Single User Exchange Mailbox Export to PST Using Outlook

An Exchange Server Mailbox can be exported to PST File when as the signed-in user, or via delegated/Full Access permission. Simple way for end-users to export in PST without necessarily needing admin permissions via Outlook’s Import/Export Wizard.

Open Outlook with configured Exchange Server Mailbox. (If not already configured go to File >> Add Account and Sign In)
Go to File >> Open & Export >> Import/Export.
Choose Export a File >> Select Outlook Data File (.PST).
Select Exchange mail folder & mailbox data i.e. Calendar or Contacts to be downloaded as PST.
Select destination and press Finish.

Pros	Limitations
Selectively extract emails from Exchange Server Mailbox to PST based on Keywords, Subject, From, Sent To, To-line criteria, Date/Time, Categories, Flags, Advanced field criteria.	Outlook PST files have a 50 GB maximum size and can only export one Exchange Server Mailbox at a time.
Work without needing any admin permissions and with Exchange Server 2019/2016/2013/2010.	Time required is significantly longer depending on mailbox size.

Method 2: Export using Exchange Management Shell (PowerShell)

New-MailboxExportRequest cmdlet in the Exchange Management Shell (EMS) is specifically designed for hosted Exchange Server admins with assigned Import Export role to request export of multiple mailboxes simultaneously. Using this method you can export User, Shared, Room, Equipment, Linked & Archive Mailboxes hosted on Exchange Server to PST format.

Prerequisites to Save Exchange Server Data to PST Format

By default these permission are not granted and are required to be enabled separately:

Mailbox Import Export Management Role: It is not assigned to any admin role by default:
1. Sign in to Exchange Admin Center (EAC).
2. Go to Permissions >> Admin Roles.
3. Choose the Role Group of the Admin Group that requires Mailbox Import Export Management Role permission.
4. Click Edit >> Roles.
5. Add Mailbox Import Export & press Save.
Make Network Folder for Exchange Server to PST Export
1. Create a dedicated folder for Exchange to PST on your computer.
2. Right Click & open “Properties”,
3. Go to the Sharing Tab >> Advanced Sharing.
4. Turn on Share this folder. Click on Permissions.
5. Add the Exchange Trusted Subsystem group with Change or Read permissions.
6. Add the SYSTEM account with Full Control permissions. Click OK.

Clarification: To export Exchange Server mailbox to PST you are not required to be logged into the Exchange Server. You can run EMS directly on the Exchange Server, or from another Windows machine by downloading Exchange management tools/remote PowerShell session.

Basic syntax to run a single mailbox export from Exchange Server to PST:
New-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox <MailboxIdentity> -FilePath "\\\Server\Share\filename.pst"

For Archive Mailbox simply add the -IsArchive switch
New-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox "j.mathews" -FilePath "\\\EX01\PSTExports\jmathews\_archive.pst" -IsArchive

How to Export Multiple Exchange Mailboxes to PST Using EMS?

The cmdlet does not let you directly export all or multiple Exchange Server mailboxes. To export more than a couple of mailboxes, you loop the same cmdlet, either by manual repeated execution or by creating a custom script that pulls a mailbox list and issues one export request per mailbox.

foreach ($mbx in Get-Mailbox -ResultSize Unlimited) { New-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox $mbx.Alias -FilePath "\\\EX01\PSTExports\\$($mbx.Alias).pst" }

The PowerShell script to export multiple mailboxes – only automate the export request creation in EMS there is no way to allow multiple exports to run concurrently.

Extract Selective Exchange Server Mailbox Data to PST Format Using Switch

There are multiple switches in EMS that lets you selectively export emails from exchange server to PST

–IncludeFolders / -ExcludeFolders : To include or exclude specific mailbox folders like Inbox, Sent or custom sub-folders under them.
–ContentFilter: Filter Exchange Server emails from body text, sender, subject, or received date.
–BadItemLimit / -LargeItemLimit: After how many corrupted messages can the export request be marked as failed.
–Priority: Manages MRS processing priority of the export request.

Example Syntax
New-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox Tony -ContentFilter "(Body -like '\*company\*') -and (body -like '\*profit\*') -and (Received -lt '01/01/2018')" -FilePath "\\\SERVER01\PSTFileShare\Tony\_CompanyProfits.pst"

Understand & Troubleshoot Exchange Server to PST Export Failures

Understanding the reasons behind a failure is the first step proceeding to fix it. Let’s look at the symptoms of a failing export and implementation to stop this failure.

Symptom	Probable Cause	Implication
Export Status is “Queued” indefinitely.	The Mailbox Replication Service (MRS) may hang or become overloaded with other requests.	Data migration delays; potential hardware resource exhaustion.
Error: “The destination path could not be found.”	Incorrect UNC path or missing permissions for Exchange Trusted Subsystem.	Total failure to initiate export and zero data movement.
Resulting PST is 0KB.	Database is dismounted or the mailbox is empty.	Misleading results and possible data loss if the source is not good enough.

Method 3: Use EAC to Create Exchange Server Export Mailbox to PST Request

Using Exchange Admin Center lets admin with Mailbox Import Export permission download Exchange Server mailbox data as PST to setup UNC path. It is applicable to Exchange Server 2016, 2019, and Subscription Edition.

Sign in to EAC with required admin permission.
Go to Recipients >> Mailboxes.
Select the required mailboxes and click on the More options (…).
Select Export to a PST file
Choose:
- Export only the contents of this mailbox, or
- Export only the contents of this mailbox’s archive
Mention the UNC path where you need export & PST filename.
Click “Finish”.

Method 4: Export using BitRecover Exchange Server to PST Export Tool

BitRecover Email Backup Tool is a secure & simple way to backup multiple Exchange Server mailboxes to PST format without complex powershell scripts & switches, manual exports or mailbox size limitations while preserving complete emails, contacts & calendar. With advanced filters you can export the mailbox data based on a specific date range, From, To, and Subject rather than the entire mailbox for custom output.

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Download the Exchange Server to PST Export Tool.
Select Exchange Server from the panel.
Enter Exchange Server name, username/email address, and password.
Select the Exchange Server Mailbox item to export to PST.
Choose PST as the saving format.
Optional: Apply filter.
Select the saving destination and click on the backup button.

Note: The tool can export single Exchange Server Mailbox to PST without needing any admin permission. However to export multiple Exchange mailboxes to PST with “I am Admin” impersonation option you require an admin account with ApplicationImpersonation enabled.

Which Method Should You Use?

Factor	Outlook	EMS Powershell	EAC	BitRecover
Bulk Mailbox Export	Not possible	Possible with powershell automation	Possible	Possible with “I am Admin” option
Requires Admin Permission	No	Yes with UNC path setup and Mailbox Import Export permission	Yes with UNC path setup and Mailbox Import Export permission	Yes but only for bulk export with ApplicationImpersonation
Filter Option	Available	Available	Not available	Available
What you can export	Mailbox folders/data to PST	User, shared, archive and other supported mailbox data	Primary mailbox or archive	Single or multiple Exchange Server mailboxes to PST

FAQs: Export Exchange Server Mailbox to PST

Q: How long does it take to back up Exchange Server mailboxes to PST?

The time required to save an exchange server varies based on the method used, mailbox size, internet speed etc. Yet generally a standard 5 GB mailbox takes about 10 minutes.

Q: Can I export an Exchange Server shared mailbox to PST?

Yes, Exchange Server shared mailboxes can be exported to PST using all native solutions (Outlook method does require full access) and BitRecover tool.

Q: Can I download Exchange Server mailbox data as PST even without the server machine access?

Yes, you do not need to perform any action on the server machine. With required permission and credentials you can export Exchange Server emails to PST with any basic Windows computer.

Q: Can I schedule Exchange server backup to PST?

Yes it is possible to schedule Exchange server backup to PST however it does require using BitRecover professional solution.