Master Exchange Online Deleted Item Recovery: A PowerShell Guide
Table of Contents
Prerequisites:
- Basic understanding of Microsoft Exchange Online
- Familiarity with PowerShell scripting
- Access to Exchange Online admin credentials
- Mailbox Import Export role assigned to your account
Understanding Shared Mailbox Item Recovery
Shared mailboxes are essential for collaboration within organizations using Microsoft Exchange Online. However, accidental deletion of emails or other items can lead to disruption and potential data loss. That’s why knowing how to quickly recover deleted items from shared mailboxes is a crucial skill for Exchange administrators.
The Power of PowerShell
PowerShell offers a robust set of commands that give you precise control over the recovery of deleted items in Exchange Online. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps involved.
Step 1: Connect to Exchange Online PowerShell
Open a PowerShell window on your computer.
Execute the following commands to connect:
$UserCredential = Get-Credential
Connect-ExchangeOnline -Credential $UserCredential
Step 2: Locate the Deleted Item
1: Run this command to view recoverable items, replacing <SharedMailbox>
with the actual name or email address of the shared mailbox:
Get-RecoverableItems -Identity <SharedMailbox> -Filter {ItemClass -eq "IPM.Note"} -ResultSize Unlimited
2: Pro Tip: Use filters like Subject
, ReceivedTime
, and From
to narrow down your results.
Step 3: Restore the Item
1: Once you find the deleted item, use the following command to recover it:
Restore-RecoverableItems -Identity <SharedMailbox> -Filter {Subject -eq "SpecificSubject"} -ResultSize Unlimited
Important Considerations
- Retention Policies: Check your organization’s Exchange Online retention settings. These determine how long deleted items are recoverable.
- Single Item Recovery: This feature must be enabled on the shared mailbox before items are deleted to ensure successful recovery. Find instructions in the Microsoft documentation.
Additional Tips
- Practice Regularly: Experiment in a test environment to build confidence.
- Document Your Process: Keep a record of successful recovery steps for future reference.
Congratulations! You’re now equipped to handle deleted item recovery in Exchange Online shared mailboxes using PowerShell. Let me know if you have any more questions.