How to Use Remove-MailboxExportRequest Cmdlet?

Remove-MailboxExportRequest is an Exchange Management Shell cmdlet, which is supported by MS Exchange 2010 SP1 and later versions. It is usually run after getting the detailed status of mailbox export requests by using Get-MailboxExportRequest cmdlet. By using Remove-MailboxExportRequest cmdlet, you can cancel or remove a fully completed or partially completed export request. The cmdlet also lets you remove and clear a request which is either stuck or requires additional actions.

Ways to Use Remove-MailboxExportRequest Cmdlet?

To use the Remove-MailboxExportRequest cmdlet, ensure following requirements,

Mailbox Import Export Role

Admin or the user account must have the Mailbox Import Export role assigned. By default, this role isn’t assigned to even administrator.

On-Premise Exchange

You can run the Remove-MailboxExportRequest cmdlet only in on-premise Exchange.

Following is the Remove-MailboxExportRequest syntax with various parameters,

Remove-MailboxExportRequest [-Identity] <MailboxExportRequestIdParameter> [-Force] [-Confirm] [-DomainController <Fqdn>] [-WhatIf] [<CommonParameters>]

Remove-MailboxExportRequest -RequestGuid <Guid> -RequestQueue <DatabaseIdParameter> [-Confirm] [-DomainController <Fqdn>] [-WhatIf] [<CommonParameters>]

You can use various parameters to remove a particular export request, all completed or InProgress requests, etc. Below are examples of parameters and switches you can use with Remove-MailboxExportRequest to remove export requests you created earlier.

1. -Identity

By specifying the identity, you can remove a particular mailbox export request. Following is an example of the cmdlet that removes an export request John/MailboxtoPST1.

Remove-MailboxExportRequest -Identity "John\MailboxToPST1”

2. -Status

-Status switch is used to specify whether you want to remove all ‘Completed’ or ‘InProgress’ export requests. The syntax is as follows,

Get-MailboxExportRequest -Status Completed | Remove-MailboxExportRequest

This command removes all the completed export requests. 

3. -Confirm

This parameter is used to specify whether you want to see the confirmation prompt or not. When you execute destructive cmdlets, a confirmation prompt appears to confirm if you want to perform the operation.

By using -confirm switch with $true or $false value, you can hide or display the confirmation prompt for the executed command. The syntax is as follows,

Remove-MailboxExportRequest -Identity “John\EDBtoPST” -Confirm:$false

The above command will not display the confirmation prompt as we used $false value with -confirm parameter.

4. -Force

This parameter is used to suppress the warning or confirmation messages. Unlike -Confirm, you don’t need to specify any value with -Force parameter. The syntax is as follows,

Remove-MailboxExportRequest -Identity “John\EDBtoPST” -Force

This parameter only works in MS Exchange 2016 and 2019.

5. -DomainController

This parameter is used to read or write data to or from Active Directory (AD). By using this parameter, you can specify and identify a specific domain controller by its Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN), such as d01.stellarinfo.com. The syntax is as follows,

Remove-MailboxExportRequest -Identity “John\EDBtoPST” -DomainController d01.stellarinfo.com

The above command displays the status of all mailbox export requests that are in progress, completed, or suspended in a table format.

6.  -RequestGuid

The -RequestGuid parameter is used to specify the unique identifier for the export request. You can find the GUID of an export request by using the Get-MailboxExportRequest cmdlet. However, to use this parameter, you must also specify the -RequestQueue parameter value. Also, this parameter can’t be used with the -Identity parameter.

Remove-MailboxExportRequest -RequestQueue DB01 -RequestGuid 1d40cab2-6vc4-5444-c38d-4cb75f2a4d1v

The above command returns the status of export requests created to export PST from Exchange database EDB01.

7. –RequestQueue

As mentioned above, -RequestGuid requires -RequestQueue parameter. However, -RequestQueue can be used without the -RequestGuid parameter. The parameter is used to specify the request based on the mailbox database where you want to execute the command. You can use the database name correctly, as value, with this parameter.

Remove-MailboxExportRequest -RequestQueue DB01

8. -WhatIf

The -WhatIf parameter is used to check or simulate the outcome of a command before you execute it. You don’t need to specify any value with this parameter. It works with Exchange 2010 SP1 and later versions.

The syntax is as follows,

Remove-MailboxExportRequest -Identity “John\EDBtoPST” -DomainController d01.stellarinfo.com -WhatIf

In case the Remove-MailboxExportRequest cmdlet can’t remove a stuck or InProgress export request, you can use the Set-MailboxExportRequest to modify the export request, if required. But if the export requests fail to save mailbox data to the PST file or stuck in progress status, there could be a problem with the mailbox or database.

In such a case, you can use an EDB to PST Converter software, such as Stellar Converter for EDB.

The software exports all mailbox items, such as emails, contacts, attachments, notes, etc. from an online or offline Exchange mailbox database file to PST. The software is GUI-based and hence, displays the export progress. Thus, you don’t require to use the Remove-MailboxExportRequest cmdlet or any Mailbox Import Export permission or role to export PST from the Exchange mailbox database files (EDB).

Moreover, you can export the mailboxes from EDB to various other formats, such as EML, MSG, RTF, PDF, and HTML in a few clicks. Besides, the software supports all Exchange versions, such as 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003, 2000, and 5.5 and lets you export the mailbox data directly to a Live Exchange server or Office 365 account.

By using this software, you speed up the PST export process without causing any downtime. It helps you avoid data loss and save time in exporting mailboxes from Exchange to PST.

Why use Stellar Converter for EDB?

Here is a quick comparison between the Mailbox export via Exchange Management Shell (EMS) vs. Stellar Converter for EDB.

Conclusion

In Exchange, you can use the New-MailboxExportRequest cmdlet to create export requests, Get-MailboxExportRequest to view the detailed status of the export request, and Remove-MailboxExportRequest to stop or remove the InProgress or completed export requests. Basically, to perform various operations, you need to use different cmdlets and parameters to create, edit or modify a mailbox to PST export requests.

Plus, you also need the permission and assigned roles to export mailbox in Exchange by using these cmdlets, which are supported by MS Exchange 2010 SP1 or later versions only. Thus, in case you need to export mailbox from older Exchange versions, these cmdlets will not work.

To ensure error-free mailbox export and save time, use Stellar Converter for EDB, a software that extracts the mailboxes from Exchange database files (EDB) and saves to PST files with 100% precision and integrity. It even recovers deleted mailboxes and lets you export the mailbox to a Live Exchange or Office 365 account in a few clicks and without any additional permissions.

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About The Author

Ravi Singh

Ravi Singh is a Senior Writer at Stellar®. He is an expert Tech Explainer, IoT enthusiast, and a passionate nerd with over 7 years of experience in technical writing. He writes about Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft 365, Email Migration, Linux, Windows, Mac, DIY Tech, and Smart Home. Ravi spends most of his weekends working with IoT (DIY Smart Home) devices and playing Overwatch. He is also a solo traveler who loves hiking and exploring new trails.