Restore of individual E-Mails to PST results in empty PST file

[tjosuweit]

Hi all,

we are using Backup Exec 2012 on a Windows Server 2008 R2 and back up an Exchange Server 2010 with Agent and GRT feature. The backup jobs run successfully and so do the restore jobs.

Here's what I do:

Restore a single folder from a user's mailbox (the backup is on tape!). I can see the folder and the individual mails and select them for restore. Backup Exec restores the whole database to the GRT folder (E:\grt in my case). Then it creates the PST file (E:\restore).

When I open the PST file with my outlook (that's right, Outlook and Exchange Management Tools are installed on the backup server) I can see the folder and the subfolders but no mails!!

Is there something I missed?

Someone running into the same problem? Then please forgive me for opening a new thread, but I couldn't find an entry covering this topic.

Best regards

Thomas

[VJware]

Is 32-bit version of Outlook installed on the media server ? Does this user's mailbox contain non-english emails ?

Lastly, as a test, can you try duplicating the backup sets from tape to disk & then re-run the restore to .pst.

[tjosuweit]

@VJware Thanks for your reply! Yes, it is the 32-bit version of Outlook in German because the customer is German and therefore there are a lot of non-english e-mails in the user's mailbox. I did rerun the restore from the B2D storage with the same - disappointing - results. Now I also did a restore to another user's mailbox. The job finished "successful" but the mailbox contained only the folders, no mails! Same result as when restoring to a pst file. Anything else that might help?

[tjosuweit]

Update: I noticed that another user's mailbox can be easily restored. Same steps, redirected to PST file and the PST file is filled with e-mails! So what can be wrong with the user's mailbox? I see individual mails, I can see the amount of space required to the mails and folders but after the restore all is empty. Thanks for your help!

[VJware]

Have a look @ this KB -

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH8909

[tjosuweit]

Hi VJware,

sorry, doesn't help. The language is and always was German. I know because all of the folders including the "top of information store" is in german ("Oberste Ebene des Informationsspeichers").

Also the KB suggests as possible solution the export to PST file (last paragraph). That's what I have been trying all the time.

Thanks

[tjosuweit]

Another Update:

I am sorry, that I have not been testing this more deeply prior to post this topic, but anyway:

Error symptom: restore resulting in an empty mailbox with just the folders and no e-mails. The restore job however sais it was successful!

old backup with be 2010, redirected to pst --> empty mailbox

old backup with be 2010, redirected to exchange mailbox --> empty mailbox

newer backup with be 2012, redirected to pst --> mailbox is full with e-mails

newer backup with be 2012, redirected to exchange mailbox --> mailbox is full with e-mails

So the issue seems to be related to exchange backups made with be 2010 that I try to restore with be 2012. The backup is looking fine and all the mails seem to be there, but the restore fails anyway.

One difference I noticed is displayed in the screen shots. The "Top of information store" or "Oberste Ebene.." in German is missing in BE2012 backups. I can see the inbox (Posteingang) directly.

[tjosuweit]

OK, I'll post my own solution now. Well it's more of a workaround but anyway: If you restore a mailboxes' content with backup exec 2012 where the backup has been made with backup exec 2010 (or earlier, I guess), you cannot select individual mails or folders from the user's mailbox. What you can do however, is select the whole mailbox. I suggest you redirect it to a pst file which works great for me. Cheers Thomas