EDB File Public Folders: How to Export Them to PST Files

A public folder on the Exchange Server acts as a shared place and gives users a simple way to gather and arrange data.  Additionally, these folders let users share data with other members of the business or a workgroup, including contacts, calendars, documents, and messages.  Because not all users need to share a document or other piece of content, this also helps the Exchange Server preserve storage space.  All users have access to the document or other item stored in the public folder.

For a variety of reasons, including backup, archiving, or migration, you may occasionally need to export the public folders from the EDB file, just like you would with user mailboxes or other data.  There is no natural or direct way to export public folders from an EDB file, even though you can export user mailboxes using the Exchange Admin Center (EAC) or PowerShell commands.  We'll outline a few methods in this post for exporting public folders from EDB files to PST.

Techniques for Exporting Public Folders to PST from EDB Files

You can export public folders from EDB to PST using the following techniques.

Method 1: Export Public Folders to PST Using Outlook

- Open Outlook, then select "File."

• - Choose the "Open & Export" choice.
• - Select "Import/Export."
• - Click "Export to a file" and then "Next" in the Import and Export Wizard that appears.
• - Click "Next" after choosing "Outlook data file (.pst)" in the Export to a file window.

- A window displaying the entire mailbox item structure will appear.  Click "Next" after selecting the public folder you wish to export.

Note: Click "Filter" if you wish to export particular data from the public folder.

Select one of the alternatives for the duplicate items and decide where to save the generated PST file in the ensuing dialog.  After that, press the "Finish" button.

 A request to create a "password" to encrypt the PST file will appear.  This is not required.  You can click "OK" and leave the password box blank.

 Depending on the size of the public folder, the export operation could take a while.

 Although the procedure described above for exporting a public folder to a PST file is effective, it has certain drawbacks, including:

An enormous public folder could cause Outlook to crash.

 There is no way to continue the export process if it is paused.  The export procedure must be restarted.

 The export process's state cannot be determined.

Method 2: Make Use of an EDB to PST Conversion Utility

You can use specialized GainTools EDB to PST Converter Software, to swiftly and efficiently export public folders from EDB files.  This program has the ability to open EDB files both offline and online and display every file item—including public folders—on the screen.  Because it resembles Outlook, the software interface is very easy to use.  You can export the public folders to PST and other formats after choosing them from the list of things.  Additionally, the public folders and other files can be exported straight to a Microsoft 365 (Office) or Exchange Server account.  The following are some noteworthy aspects of this software:

- Any size EDB file and any version of Exchange Server can be opened by it.

- It has no trouble exporting public folders of any size.

- Even data from dismounted EDB databases can be extracted and saved in PST and other formats (such as HTML, PDF, MSG, RTF, and EML).

- It permits mailboxes and individual items to be converted selectively.

- The option to automatically divide the converted PST file into smaller files is another feature it provides.

Conclusion

You may need to export the public folders from an EDB file in a number of different situations.  Exchange Server does not, however, have a built-in tool for exporting public folders straight to PST.  The detailed procedure for exporting a public folder to PST using Outlook's Import/Export feature was covered above.  Nevertheless, there are some restrictions and the procedure takes a long time.  Thus, using dedicated EDB to PST conversion software, like GainTools for EDB, is the best choice.  This program may selectively export the file data to PST and other formats while maintaining full integrity, and it can access EDB files of any size, both online and offline.  With a few clicks, you may choose which public folders you wish to export and export them in PST format.