Exchange Export EDB To PST Using Exmerge Utility: Advantages and Disadvantages!

Author: Grey Meredith

The aim with which Exmerge application was offered to users by Microsoft was to make it possible to extract Exchange private store data (the mailboxes) and then merging this data into another Exchange Server. Exmerge works even if the private information store is damaged. For this process, the tool first copies the data from source mailbox to Outlook Personal Storage Folder (PST file). After this, a user can import a PST file into destination Server, completing the cycle of Exchange database recovery. The quality of the utility to transfer mailbox database from Server to another via Exchange export EDB to PST makes it a helpful tool, especially at the time of Disaster Recovery.

To run this program, the Exmerge.exe and Exmerge.ini files should be included at the location: ExchSrvr\Bin folder on Server’s hard drive. There are two modes to perform the database migration operation with this application:

One Step Procedure (Extract and Export): Here, the data from the source mailbox is copied to PST and the PST is then imported to same mailbox of target Server.

Note: When this option is selected, the name of mailbox on destination Server and the container path must be same as that on source Server. The Distinguished name of Destination Server is availed by providing the organization and site name of Source Server.

Two Step Procedure (Extract or Export): Here, either of the following tasks can be performed:

  • Mailbox extraction and saving them to Personal Storage Folder (PST file)
  • Export the PST files into mailboxes of destination Server

    • What are the Drawbacks of Using Exmerge?

  • To run this mailbox merge utility, Exchange Server 2003 is must to be installed in the system along with administrative tools.
  • It supports Exchange export EDB to PST only on Exchange versions: 5.5, 2000, and 2003.
  • Supported OS includes Windows Server 2003, XP, and Windows 2000 SP3. This utility does not work smoothly with Exchange Server 2007.
  • A mailbox of size 2GB or less can be exported to PST or to another Server (Disappointing!)
  • For a GB of EDB file, the software takes around 45 minutes initial step which means the process is time consuming.
  • Only private Information Store can be exported from EDB to PST with Exmerge tool.

    • Alternate to Microsoft Exmerge Utility: To overcome the limitations of mailbox merge program for Exchange export EDB to PST, get a third party solution that will run on any of the Windows edition and will transfer EDB file of any Exchange versions to PST. For this, a third party tool can be trusted i.e. Exchange Recovery tool which allows exporting EDB to PST. Along with this, users are permitted to move mailboxes from Exchange Server to another.