XCLN: Understanding Deleted Item Recovery

This article describes how Deleted Item Recovery functions. Deleted Item recovery is a way to recover items after they have been removed from the Deleted Items container on the Outlook client. For this to work, the Exchange Server computer must be configured to allow Deleted Item Recovery. The actual recovery of items is done from the client while logged onto the Exchange Server computer.

NOTE: This information only applies to Exchange Server version 5.5 and later, and Outlook 8.03 and later clients.

Configuring Deleted Item Recovery

Server Configuration

1. In the Exchange Server Administrator program, open the properties of the Private Information Store, and select the General tab.
2. Set the number of days that you want messages saved after they have been deleted.
   
   NOTE: You can also set the messages not to be deleted until a backup has been done. You can override this by setting the retention time on individual mailboxes in the Properties for the mailbox by changing the Deleted Items Retention time on the Limits tab.
3. To recover deleted items on the client, select the Deleted Items folder, and on the Tools menu, click Recover Deleted Items, and select the items from the list presented. Click Recover selected items to have the items restored to your Deleted Items folder.

How does this work?

There are two deletion types, logical and physical. The logical deletion is when the item is deleted from the client. The item is marked in the store, and hidden from the client. This item is also marked for the number of days that it is to be retained before the Information Store Maintenance Agent does the physical deletion. The physical deletion is the actual removal from the store.

The Deletion Process

1. The message is deleted from Outlook.
2. If Deleted Items Recovery is not enabled, the message is physically deleted from the store.
   
   If Deleted Items Recovery is enabled, the PR_DELETED_ON property of the message is set, hiding the message from the client.

Recovery Process for Private Items

1. On the Tools menu, click Recover Deleted Items, and a listing of items will be displayed.
2. Select the item you want to restore, and click Recover Deleted Items. The item will then be restored to the Deleted Items folder on the client.
3. Move the item to the proper folder.
   
   NOTE: Private Folders that are recovered will have "(Recovered)" appended to their name.

Recovery Process for Public Items

1. If the item is not a Public Folder, select the Public Folder that the item was deleted from, and on the Tools menu, click Recover Deleted Items. A list of deleted items will be displayed.
2. Select the item you want to restore, and click Recover Deleted Items. The item will be recovered to its original location.
3. If the item is a Public Folder, select the parent Public Folder where the Public Folder resided.
4. On the Tools menu, click Recover Deleted Items. A list of deleted items will be displayed.
5. Select the item you want to restore, and click Recover Deleted Items. The item will be recovered to its original location, and the folder will have "(Restore)" appended to its name.

For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: