XADM: How to Remove a Message from Exchange by Using the ExMerge Utility (260037)

MORE INFORMATION

The steps in this article require the ExMerge disaster recovery utility version 3.62 or later. Please contact Microsoft Product Support Services (PSS) to obtain the latest version of ExMerge.

1. Log on to the Exchange service account.
2. Create a folder called "Exmerge" (without quotation marks) on the Exchange Server computer.
3. Copy the following files to the folder:

   Exmerge.exe
   Exmerge.ini
   Mfc42.dll

4. Double-click the Exmerge.exe file, read the Welcome message, and then click Next.
5. Click Two step merge, and then click Next.
6. Click Step 1: Copy data to Personal Folders, and then click Next.
7. Type your server name, and then click Options.
8. On the Data tab, click User messages.
9. On the Import Procedure tab, click Archive data to target store. This copies the data that you select to .pst files, and then deletes the data in the Exchange Server mailbox.
10. Click Yes when you receive the warning message.
11. On the Message Details tab, type the subject of the message or the attachment name that you want to remove, click Add, click Apply, and then click OK.NOTE: If the original message was forwarded with a different subject, the ExMerge utility cannot delete the message based on the original message subject line or MTS-ID.
    
    If the Item Retention option is turned on, the message may be available for recovery on the Outlook client. For additional information about deleted item recovery, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    228934 XCLN: Understanding Deleted Item Recovery

12. On the Dates tab you can select a specific date or range of dates or times to narrow your search.
    
    Note that all dates and times are selected by default.
13. Select all mailboxes or only the affected mailboxes, and then check Next.
14. If possible, leave the default folder as C:\Exmergedata, and then click Next
    
    NOTE: Microsoft does not recommend that you change the default folder, but it may be necessary to select a different location due to free space limitations.
    
    The ExMerge utility pulls the e-mail messages that you selected from the mailboxes to .pst files.
15. Open a few mailboxes to make sure that the message was removed.
    
    Note that the messages are not removed from the System Attendant Mailbox as a safety measure. You must manually delete these messages.
16. After you determine that the message is removed from all mailboxes, you can delete the .pst files in the C:\Exmergedata folder.