Export Exchange Mailbox PST: Using the Management Shell

Exporting an Exchange mailbox to PST — with control over date ranges and which folders to include or exclude — is a common task, but the exact command depends heavily on which Exchange version you’re running.

Legacy Syntax (Exchange 2007/2010)

Export-Mailbox -Identity "alias" -PSTFolderPath "C:\MailArchives\alias.pst" -EndDate "01/01/2015" -ExcludeFolders "Contacts","Calendar"

Export-Mailbox was removed entirely in Exchange 2013 and later, so this syntax only works on Exchange 2007/2010.

Modern Syntax (Exchange 2013+ On-Premises)

New-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox "alias" -FilePath "\\server\share\alias.pst" -ContentFilter {Received -lt "01/01/2015"}

This requires a UNC network share path (not a local drive letter), and the Mailbox Import Export role assigned to your account, which isn’t granted by default — add it with New-ManagementRoleAssignment -Role "Mailbox Import Export" -User "youradmin" first if the export request fails with a permissions error.

Exchange Online

PST export isn’t available via PowerShell cmdlet in Exchange Online — instead, use an eDiscovery/Content Search case in the Microsoft Purview compliance portal, which supports exporting search results to PST for a given mailbox and date range.

Where On-Prem Stands in 2026 (Updated for 2026)

Worth noting if you’re still running the “Modern Syntax” section above: Exchange Server 2016 and 2019 both reached end of support in October 2025, and the only currently-supported on-premises release is Exchange Server Subscription Edition (SE), which reached general availability in July 2025 and carries the same New-MailboxExportRequest cmdlet and Mailbox Import Export role requirement unchanged from 2013+. If you’re planning a fresh export workflow rather than maintaining an existing one, it’s worth confirming you’re doing so against a supported SE install rather than an out-of-support 2016/2019 server.

Resources

• Exchange