Summary: While creating a mailbox export request using the New-MailboxExportRequest cmdlet, you may encounter an error, “The server or share name specified is path may be invalid, or the folder could be locked.” As a result, the mailbox could not be exported to a PST file. In this article, you will learn solutions to resolve the error and export the mailboxes from the Exchange database to PST format using the New-MailboxExportRequest cmdlet. You may also avoid the error and quickly export all mailboxes to PST, Office 365, or Live Exchange Server by using an EDB to PST Converter software, such as Stellar Converter for EDB.
Contents
In Exchange Server 2010 onwards, we have the facility to export and import PST files to and from our Exchange infrastructure. The PowerShell cmdlet we should use is the New-MailboxExportRequest and New-MailboxImportRequest to export and import a PST file into a mailbox. The cmdlet comes in a different flavours of features and triggers with date ranges, location, and mailbox and data store. This of course in an ideal scenarios works fine, but with it you can encounter various issues or errors.
A common error while exporting/importing is the file could be locked as seen in the error below.
The server or share name specified in the path may be invalid, or the file could be locked. +CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (0:Int32) [New-MailboxExportRequest], RemotePermanentException +FullyQualifiedErrorId : 914C862C,Microsoft.Exchange.Management.RecipientTasks.NewMailboxExortRequest
Reasons for New-MailboxExportRequest file could be locked Error
There could be several reasons to this error message. Some of them are discussed below along with solutions to fix the problem. To save time and avoid troubleshooting error, you can use an EDB to PST converter software, such as Stellar Converter for EDB to export mailboxes from an online or offline Exchange EDB to PST format. Unlike New-MailboxExportRequest cmdlet, the software features a graphical user interface and doesn’t requires additional roles, permissions, or access to folder paths. Thus, it can help you quickly export mailboxes to PST without encountering such issues.
First Reason: The first one that we must check is that you have the correct permissions in the Exchange Server Infrastructure as to export to a PST, you must have the Import/Export role assigned. To do this open the Exchange Management Shell as Administrator and run the following cmdlet
New-ManagementRoleAssignment ?Role "Mailbox Import Export" ?User DOMAIN\ExportUser
Next to restart the Exchange services for the change to be complete.
Second Reason: That is the first step in troubleshooting the issue with the export. Another thing we should check is that the share is accessible and has the right permissions set on the folder/subfolders. This should not be effected if the share is on a PC/ server or even a NAS box as if the computer/ service has the permission it will be able to write. Thou there is no direct issue with NAS devices, I would still suggest to use a share on a PC or server rather than a NAS as in some cases you had issues with the error message above still persisting although you were using the correct permissions on the share and having the right roles assigned and using the domain administrator to export the mailboxes.
After a lot of investigation and troubleshooting, You are able to export the files to a local share on the server or on another computer putting aside the NAS device & exported the PST files successfully.
So, to check the permissions open the folder that you shared and you must have the required permissions as below. The important thing that although the user making the export has full access on the folder, you must have the Exchange Trusted Subsystem user with the same rights.
Domain\Adminstrator Full Access
Exchange Trusted Subsystem Full Access
Some points to take in consideration when using the PowerShell cmdlet:
First Point: When using New-MailboxExportRequest command to export the PST, that PST is fragile and easily corruptible. When using a PST, it has limited search capability and it has no item preview. If you run a number of export jobs at once it will hinder the hard disk usage and at the end it will deteriorate the Exchange server performance and if the server is live and in use by the users, prepare for some complaints.
Second Point: A big headache for the IT administrator is to monitor such exports especially when they are exporting in bulk. Since it?s a PowerShell cmdlet, you can use the Get-MailboxExportRequest to view the status, but it will only show error, completed or in progress. There is no direct report showing where it went wrong and exporting 50 mailboxes you have run the cmdlet every time to check the status and going through the list of mailboxes.
Third Point: To completed exports will remain there and you would need to use the Remove-MailboxExportRequest cmdlet to remove the old or unwanted export reports from the list which is not ideal to go through especially if you in the middle of a migration to Office 365 or another Exchange Server setup.
Better Alternative of New-MailboxExportRequest cmdlet:
This will make sure that you export the PST files with no issues, but on the other hand you will need to see the purpose of exporting to PST files. Are you exporting for backup,migration to Office 365 or migrating to a new Exchange Server? The reason being that you might use an alternate and reliable third party tool that facilitates the process and off loads the work and headaches from the IT Engineers. Stellar Converter for EDB exports mailboxes to PST without any issues and with a simple click.
The application has a lot of features and criteria to convert EDB files to PST files, it can schedule and limit the performance so that the server is not overloaded. Apart from being efficient and reliable you will have a full report of what has been exported, the whole process with the errors, warnings and information it has produced during the export. So if something fails at least you would know exactly why and what.
Another good thing about this application is that it really comes handy when having migrations to other platforms such as Office 365 or exporting mailboxes from EDB files to another Exchange Server. During migrations you will have to export to PST and then import the PST files to Office 365 or another Exchange Server. With Stellar Converter for EDB, you cut off the middle process and import directly to the platform without the export to PST
