How to Restore Data to Another Mailbox in Microsoft 365

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Restoring data from one mailbox to another is a common administrative task in Microsoft 365. This is often required when an employee leaves, and you need to transfer their data to another mailbox, or during compliance tasks where specific information must be moved. In this post, we will walk through various ways to restore data to another mailbox using PowerShell and third-party tools.

Use Cases

1. Employee Offboarding:
When an employee leaves the company, you might want to restore their mailbox data to their manager’s mailbox or an archive mailbox.

2. Legal or Compliance Requests:
During legal investigations, you may need to copy or transfer mailbox data to another mailbox for review and analysis.

3. Merging Departments or Roles:
In cases where departments are consolidated or roles change, it’s helpful to restore data from one mailbox to another for continuity.

Method 1: Restore Data Using PowerShell and eDiscovery Export

One of the most efficient ways to restore mailbox data is by using eDiscovery in the Microsoft Purview Compliance Center. Here, you can search for content in one mailbox and export that data to another mailbox.

Step 1: Create an eDiscovery Case

  1. Navigate to the Microsoft Purview Compliance Center.
  2. In the left-hand pane, select eDiscovery > Core.
  3. Create a new case by clicking Create Case, and provide a name for the case (e.g., “Mailbox Data Transfer”).
  4. Once the case is created, open the case and go to Searches.
  5. Click New Search to define the content you want to search and restore.

Step 2: Define Search Criteria

  1. Define the mailbox you want to search. Under Locations, select the original mailbox where the data resides.
  2. In the Conditions section, you can filter by date range, subject, or specific content if needed.
  3. Once your search parameters are set, click Search.

Step 3: Export Search Results

  1. Once the search is complete, you will see the results under Searches. Review the results to ensure they include the data you want to restore.
  2. Select Export to export the search results to your local machine.

Step 4: Import Data into the Target Mailbox

You can now use the New-MailboxImportRequest cmdlet in PowerShell to restore the exported data into the target mailbox.

  1. Make sure the exported PST file is saved in a location accessible to Exchange Online.
  2. Run the following command to import the data to the new mailbox:
New-MailboxImportRequest -Mailbox targetmailbox@domain.com -FilePath \\path\to\exporteddata.pst

This command initiates the import of the PST file to the target mailbox.

Method 2: Use PowerShell to Copy Mailbox Data Directly Between Mailboxes

PowerShell can also be used to move or copy mailbox data directly from one mailbox to another.

Step 1: Connect to Exchange Online

Before proceeding, ensure you are connected to Exchange Online using PowerShell. If you need assistance with this, refer to our guide: How to Install and Connect Exchange Online Using PowerShell.

Step 2: Use the New-MailboxExportRequest Cmdlet

If you want to export the contents of one mailbox and import it into another, you can use the following approach:

  1. Export the data from the original mailbox:
New-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox originalmailbox@domain.com -FilePath \\path\to\backup.pst
  1. Once the export is complete, import the data into the target mailbox:
New-MailboxImportRequest -Mailbox targetmailbox@domain.com -FilePath \\path\to\backup.pst

This will copy the mailbox data from the original mailbox to the new mailbox.

Example: Moving Specific Folders

You can also choose to restore specific folders from one mailbox to another, such as only restoring Inbox or Sent Items.

New-MailboxImportRequest -Mailbox targetmailbox@domain.com -FilePath \\path\to\backup.pst -IncludeFolders "#Inbox#"

Method 3: Using Third-Party Backup Solutions

For more advanced scenarios, or if you’re dealing with large volumes of data, you can use third-party tools to restore mailbox data. Solutions such as Veeam or SkyKick provide granular mailbox and item-level restore options directly into a different mailbox.

Steps Involved in Third-Party Backup Solutions

  1. Backup the Source Mailbox:
    Use the backup tool to create a full or incremental backup of the source mailbox.
  2. Select the Target Mailbox:
    When restoring, select the target mailbox where the data needs to be restored.
  3. Restore Process:
    The tool will provide options to restore specific emails, folders, or the entire mailbox to the target mailbox.

Method 4: Using Outlook Import/Export Feature

Another way to restore data to another mailbox is by using Outlook’s built-in import/export feature. This method is more manual but can be effective for smaller tasks.

Step 1: Export Mailbox Data from the Original Mailbox

  1. Open Outlook and connect to the original mailbox.
  2. Go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
  3. Select Export to a file and choose Outlook Data File (.pst).
  4. Choose the folders you want to export and save the PST file locally.

Step 2: Import Data into the Target Mailbox

  1. Now connect Outlook to the target mailbox.
  2. Repeat the process by selecting File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
  3. Select Import from another program or file and choose the PST file you exported earlier.
  4. Complete the import process to restore the mailbox data to the new mailbox.

Conclusion

Restoring data from one mailbox to another in Microsoft 365 is essential for handling user transitions, legal requests, and compliance tasks. Whether you use PowerShell, eDiscovery, or Outlook’s manual import/export, each method provides flexible options for transferring mailbox data between users. By understanding these methods, you can ensure your organization efficiently manages mailbox data in any scenario.

This blog post covers the different methods available to restore data from one mailbox to another, offering flexibility depending on the size of the data and administrative needs.