Getting all email out of an Exchange Server

[Gilbo]

Hey guys, I'm trying to get all the email out of an old exchange server.

Two questions:
1) I can't connect via IMAP. I get "Cannot connect to host."

I'm on the same network, including the same subnet. I'm using the IP address for the server. IMAP is enabled when I check in Active Directory. I'm using the DOMAIN/USERNAME/MAILBOX username format required.

I can login via Outlook Web Access, and I verified that the mailbox was correct.

Any tips?


2) I'd like to recover as many deleted emails as possible. I am not an experienced MS Exchange administrator.

What's the usual way to do that?



EDIT: Further info: telnetting (via Putty) to port 143 of the server results in the Putty window closing with a angry chime noise and no error message - at least not one that I can see in the flash of it appearing and then closing.

 

[ddrueding]

I would retreat all the way to exmerge. It is really easy to use, works on even mostly broken exchange servers, and gives you PST files to work with on whatever tool you like.

 

[Howell]

Is the server supposedly healthy? Will an Outlook client connect to it?
Otherwise you are down to exmerge or restoring from tape.

 

[Chewy509]

3rd vote for exmerge... just dump the mailbox to PST, laod it up in your favourite Outlook client, and you should be good to go.

Also you mentioned deleted emails? These can be restored via Outlook Web Access to the inbox on the mailbox, at which point exmerge will be able to grab them. (In OWA, go to Options and the last option allows you to view deleted mailbox items for recovery).

** This assumes that the emails have not passed the retension date.

Otherwise restore the mailbox from tape to get the deleted emails.

 

[Gilbo]

The server was deprecated, ran out of diskspace because backups were discontinued and was no longer used.

Now however, they want old emails off that server. Outlook web Access works, but because the server is completely out of space it behaves unpredictably and is crashy.


I'll check out exmerge, with the intent of dumping the users' folders into PSTs and dealing with them however is necessary after that.


Thanks guys.

 

[Stereodude]

Why not clone the HD to a larger one to fix the out of space issue?