Getting a 20 year old email from an EDB file

[chazzy2501]

I have a need to access an email from eons ago. I know the staff member left before we migrated in 2017 to office365 (so was not migrated). I have the last backup of the exchange database from 2017 but it is just a large EDB file...

 

How would I go about accessing, sorting searching this thing... 131GB of it.

[pete]

If recovery is linked to any legal proceedings (actual or potential), I'd get a third party recovery firm to do the work. "I need a 20 year old email" usually means something's being disputed.

 

Look for edb > pst converters such as https://www.systoolsgroup.com/convert-edb-to-pst.html

 

Work from a copy on a decent spec computer and be patient.

 

(I'm assuming you don't have a backup of the exchange server config - if you do, then Veeam B&R may also be an option).

[Arthur]

How would I go about accessing, sorting searching this thing... 131GB of it.

Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange will do it...

 

https://www.veeam.com/blog/how-to-free-exchange-discovery-tool-helps-admin.html

 

It's free too. You only need the .edb file and a copy of the Exchange ese.dll file.

Edited September 7, 2023 by Arthur

[chazzy2501]

Dang, it took a while but after getting Veeam it has declared that the EDB is not a valid exchange database file... So that ends that.

[dmj]

Dang, it took a while but after getting Veeam it has declared that the EDB is not a valid exchange database file... So that ends that.

 

Unsurprising that a file that large has been corrupted, but probably for the best - as soon as anyone found out you had 20yr old emails you'd be hit with GDPR violations.