How do I make a user's archive read-only but still fully accessible?

[BruGuy]

Hello,

As part of a migration project, we're exporting a few hundred EV archives to PST files in batches of about 20 users.

After we export, we want to freeze the archives by making them read-only, i.e., suspend archiving for  those users (only), prevent deletions of archived messages or moving archived messages to other folders by the users. However, the users must still be able to search the archives and use the Archive Explorer too.

Can anyone please suggest how to do this, preferably using the GUI in the Admin Console as well as using EVPM?

We're on EV8SP5 with Outlook 2003 clients.

Thanks,

- Alan.

[MichelZ]

Create a new Provisioning Group for this users, and disable archiving on the PG.
Set DENY permissions for the User for WRITE and DELETE (can be done trough EVPM)

[JesusWept3]

or you can just disable all the users, the extensions will still load, and shortcuts can still be opened and search can still be used, and then just uncheck "Allow users to delete" so that they can't delete via Archive Explorer or Search

[BruGuy]

... setting the DENY part is too much work. I'm looking for one step (like disabling mailboxes) that will do all I need. If that exists.

[BruGuy]

We're doing it in batches. Plus only half our users are affected. So uncheck "allow users to delete" for all users isn't an option.

Isn't a simple "legal hold" option a fairly common requirement in software these days? 

[JesusWept3 · Accepted solution]

the only legal hold you can do without DA is to change the retention category to "Prevent items from being deleted" or whatever its called
Your best bet then is to use EVPM to disable the mailboxes and set the DENY permissions on the archive if you dont want to do everyone