XADM: How to Recover Items That Do Not Touch the Deleted Items Folder

ID: Q178630

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Exchange Server, version 5.5
  • Microsoft Outlook Windows 95/98 client, versions 8.03, 8.04
  • Microsoft Outlook Windows NT client, version 8.03
  • Microsoft Outlook, versions 2000, 98
IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe.

SUMMARY

When items are deleted from a folder in a mailbox, they first get transferred to the Deleted Items folder of that mailbox. They can then be deleted from the Deleted Items folder. This is to give a measure of protection in case of accidental deletion. After the items are deleted from the Deleted Items folder, they can still be recovered if the Exchange Server 5.5 computer has been configured to retain deleted items. For additional information about configuring a computer to retain deleted items, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q246283 XADM: Set Deleted Mail Message Retention Time in Exchange Server 5.5
You can also permanently delete items without first moving them to the Deleted Items folder. This procedure is called a "hard delete." The following are two examples of a hard delete:
  • A Microsoft Outlook user uses the SHIFT+DELETE key combination to delete a message.


  • You use an IMAP4 client or another type of client that does not first move the message to the Deleted Items folder.


By default, the ability to recover deleted items is only enabled on the Deleted Items folder in a user's private folders, so items that are "hard deleted" cannot be recovered.


MORE INFORMATION

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys and Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it. If you are running Windows NT, you should also update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD).

In order to enable Deleted Item Recovery on mail folders other than Deleted Items (such as Sent Items, Drafts, Outbox, and Inbox), the following registry entry needs to be made:

  1. Add the DWORD value DumpsterAlwaysOn=1 to the following registry key of the administrator's Outlook client:


    2. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Exchange\Client\Options
This can be done either at the administrator's computer or the user's computer. After this value is added, the Recover Deleted Items option becomes available for all the other mail folders mentioned earlier. The user can recover deleted items from these folders. This procedure can become tedious if it is done on all user workstations. An easier solution is to make this registry modification on the administrator's computer and then have the administrator open the affected user's mailbox as an additional mailbox. The administrator can then recover deleted items from the user's mailbox mail folders.

NOTE: For an administrator to open another user's mailbox and recover items in the user's private folders, the administrator's Windows NT account must be granted the permission of User for that user's mailbox object. Next, the administrator must create a profile for that user's mailbox or add that user's mailbox to their own profile as follows:
  1. In Control Panel, double-click Mail.


  2. Click the Services tab, and then double-click Microsoft Exchange Server.


  3. Click the Advanced tab, and then click Add to add the mailbox to your profile.


Differences for Outlook 98 and Outlook 2000

In Outlook 98, this option is available only for mail folders (Deleted Items, Drafts, Inbox, Outbox, and Sent Items). Therefore, items that are "hard deleted" from non-mail folders like Contacts, Notes, and so on, cannot be recovered. In Outlook 2000, however, this option is available for all folders, and so recovery from non-mail folders is also possible, provided that the DumpsterAlwaysOn=1 DWORD registry value has been added to the registry as explained earlier. For additional information, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q228934 XCLN: Understanding Deleted Item Recovery
Q180117 XADM: Recovering Deleted Items from a Public Folder
Q175263 XADM: Clients Cannot Recover Items After Item Recovery Is Enabled
Q188637 XADM: How to Determine the Size of Recoverable Items in the IS

Additional query words: Retention Recovery dumpster

Keywords : XADM exc55
Version : WINDOWS:2000,8.03,8.04,98; winnt:5.5
Platform : WINDOWS winnt
Issue type : kbhowto


Last Reviewed: January 13, 2000
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