EDB File Viewer Tool to Open EDB File without Exchange

Use of Exchange server and its relation to EDB file

In today’s digital age, the world has come closer due to revolution in technology and communication. We have access to emails, messages and information with the click of a button and it is easier to respond back to contacts, friends and acquaintances than ever before. Email communication typically works on the concept of data transfer through a mail server and one such service is Exchange server. Microsoft Exchange is an enterprise-level email and calendaring service used by organizations, corporations and other industrial sectors worldwide for sending and receiving emails, storing data, contact information, files, folders, tasks, events and so on. Exchange server works on Windows server environments and different versions of it have been released over the years starting from v5 to the latest Exchange 2019. The transaction logs files and the database file (EDB) are required for the proper functioning of the server.

What is an EDB file?

An .EDB file format is a database file created by Microsoft Exchange server and is also known as Extensible Storage Engine (ESE) that stores emails and public folders in the form of a B-tree structure. In Exchange server 2000 and 2003 the database files are commonly referred to as priv1.edb and pub1.edb. In Exchange server 2007 and 2010, the priv1.edb was replaced with the mailbox database.edb and from Exchange server 2013 onwards, all the mail data is stored in a single database file (.edb).

EdbMails Exchange EDB viewer

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Recovery for Exchange Server Steps to extract data from edb file How to Recover Exchange Data Without Log Files Restoring mailboxes directly from Exchange database files Repair Corrupt Exchange Database Recover deleted folders from Offline EDB

Where is the Exchange EDB file located?

Depending on the Exchange server version you’re using, an EDB file is commonly located under C:\Program Files\ in the directory where your Exchange server is installed.

In Exchange server 2010, for instance, the EDB file is located in the following file path as shown below. Remember, that in Exchange 2010 there are two types of edb files i.e the Mailbox Database file and the Public folder Database file (pub1.edb) which have specific paths.

C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V14\Mailbox Database\Mailbox Database.edb

C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V14\Public Folder Database\Public Folder Database.edb

In Exchange server 2019 for instance, the EDB is located under the following folder

C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\Mailbox\Database_name.edb

Common reasons to open an EDB file

In normal circumstances, an Exchange server keeps writing data to the transaction log files before they are finally committed to the database. This state of the Exchange database when the log files are completely committed to it is known as Clean Shutdown. However, when an Exchange server crashes or when the log files are no longer available before they are committed, the EDB is said to be in the Dirty Shutdown state. When it is in the Dirty Shutdown, the database fails to mount to the server and renders the user mailboxes inaccessible, necessitating the need to open and convert the EDB to PST or other formats. Failure to repair the database file in a timely manner may result in permanent corruption and data loss. The following points are some of the most common reasons for opening and converting an EDB file.

An EDB file can become corrupted due to a virus infection.
Abrupt shutdown of Exchange server making the mailboxes inaccessible.
When the Exchange server undergoes an extended maintenance.
To export Exchange emails to PST by specific date for legal requirements.
To recover and restore deleted Exchange mailboxes.
To create a backup by extracting and converting the EDB.
When the EDB file is in Dirty Shutdown and fails to mount to the server.
When the log files go missing before they are committed to the database.

How to open and view an EDB file on Windows?

To open and access an EDB file on an Exchange server, you can use Microsoft’s command-line utility Eseutil to mount the database to the server. If the EDB file is corrupted or fails to mount due to Dirty Shutdown error, use EdbMails EDB to PST software to open and easily convert the mailboxes from the Exchange database file to Outlook PST.

Steps to open Exchange EDB file using free EDB file viewer

EdbMails EDB to PST converter can repair corrupted EDB files from Exchange 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007 and 2003 and convert corrupted, inaccessible Exchange database files to PST. It allows you to migrate mailboxes to another Exchange or Office 365 and also provides the facility to export mail items from the EDB to HTML, MHT and EML formats.

Step 1: Download EdbMails free EDB viewer software setup
Download EdbMails and install the application on any computer. You can also view an EDB file and perform the recovery and conversion by installing EdbMails on a non-Exchange server computer. The application can recover offline and corrupted EDB files without Exchange server or Active directory dependency.
See EdbMails system requirements for Exchange recovery and migration. Ensure that you take a backup copy of the EDB file that you want to open and also install Microsoft Outlook on your computer.
Launch the application and click 'Login' or 'Start Your Free Trial'.

Select the migration method as EDB to PST. EDB to Office 365. EDB to Exchange.
Step 2: Select the offline EDB file that you want to view on your computer
Select the Exchange EDB file in EdbMails whose contents you want to view. EdbMails can recover the virus infected, orphaned and corrupted EDB files of all types. After the recovery it displays all your mailboxes where you can preview the individual mail items. The application can convert mailbox.edb, pub.edb, priv.edb and STM files.
Step 3: To open deleted mail items from the EDB, select the 'Recoverable Items' folder.
You can also open and view the deleted mail items from the EDB file in EdbMails. Click and navigate to Show All the folders > Recoverable Items > Deletions. .
Step 4: Preview the mail items and select the mailboxes for the export
EdbMails enables for an in-depth preview of your email items on the right pane. If you want to convert the EDB file to Outlook PST format, select the mailboxes and folders and click 'Export to Outlook PST'
As an optional step, you can use the advanced include and exclude filters to select specific mail items based on Date, Sender and Recipient Address, Subject and so forth. The application also provides the facility to exclude email and its attachments greater than a specified size and create separate PST files for every selected folder and subfolder.
Tip: EdbMails can also export Exchange Public folders to Outlook PST.
Step 5: Specify the save location for the output file and export EDB to PST format
Enter a name for the export job. Browse the location on your computer to save the PST file and start the EDB to PST export operation. During the export you can view the progress, pause and resume the activity. After EdbMails completes the operation, you can view all the details in the View Log. To restore all of your mailboxes and mail items from the EDB, import the PST file into Outlook.

Steps to transfer EDB file to another Exchange server

With EdbMails you can not only open an EDB file but also directly import the EDB to another on-premises Exchange, Hosted Exchange server or Office 365.

Step 1: Select the corrupted EDB file to open and migrate to Exchange server
Download EdbMails and select the EDB file to migrate to another Exchange server. Follow the same steps in the preceding section to recover your EDB file. After the recovery, select the mailboxes, folders and items you want to migrate and click 'Migrate to Live Exchange'.
Step 2: Connect to the target Exchange server 2019, 2016 or 2013
In the Connect to Exchange server window, select 'Connect using Global Admin User’. You can also connect to the mailboxes by loading a CSV file. Refer to the link for instructions on how to use the different Exchange server connection methods supported by EdbMails.
With EdbMails, you can migrate mailboxes, public folders, and archive mailboxes from the source Exchange to the target server.
Step 3: Enter the IP Address/ Exchange server name and the admin login credentials
You can use the Default Connection or Autodiscover Email to connect to your Exchange server. The Autodiscover Email resolves any IP address conflicts and enables you to perform a direct connection to the target.
Step 4: Map the mailboxes from the EDB with the target Exchange server
Apply filter and folder settings if you want to select specific emails and folders for the migration and map the folders and mailboxes from the EDB file to the Exchange server.
Step 5: Start the EDB to Exchange import
Start migrating your mailbox data and folders from the EDB file to Exchange and verify the list of imported items with the View Log after the operation is complete. EdbMails also provides the facility to pause and resume the migration.
Add the domain name and configure the MX records to point to the new server if you have migrated to an Exchange server.
Unlike the manual method from Eseutil, the migration and export operation with EdbMails does not result in downtime or data loss. EdbMails also does not require Exchange server log files for database recovery and includes built-in filter settings for exporting and migrating specific folders, emails, and mail items.