Question

How do I reduce Microsoft exchange mailbox size ?

Asked by: gblais01

Hi,

I recentlydid an offline compact on my exchange database and gain some space on it.

My problem is when I list the mailboxes by size on exchange manager, Few users'mailbox size are still huge and I need to reduce it.

On my top 5 user list 4 are Mac users using entourage but when I connect with outlook web access with their users, there is nothing on it, which mean everything is locally on their macs.

I also have couple of outlook users, same thing, I cannot see anything on their mailbox using outlook web access but still a HUGE mailbox on exchange manager.

Is their a way to reduce their mailbox size on the server?

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Asked On
2009-09-01 at 08:48:27ID24698384
Topic

Server Applications

Participating Experts
3
Points
250
Comments
9

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Answers

 

by: NeilsrPosted on 2009-09-01 at 08:58:44ID: 25232912

Just a guess but did you check both Sent Items and Deleted Items? Quite a common oversight when looking at whats in a users mailbox.

 

by: gblais01Posted on 2009-09-01 at 09:05:13ID: 25232990

Thanks,

I had a look and nothing in the sent items folder neither in the deleted items!

 

by: duffman76Posted on 2009-09-01 at 09:06:46ID: 25233004

To get a more accurate look at the size of the mailbox you should right click the mailbox - user name in outlook and choose properties, folder size.  When you look on the server it is only showing you the space used by the priv.edb file.  The extra space is nothing to be concerned about unless you are running low on the server.  The offiline defrag will get a portion of whitespace back but it is probably not that much.  

Also check your deleted item retension policy.  Is it set higher then you need?  That will keep the space higher as well.

http://www.msexchange.org/tutorials/MF022.html

 

by: gblais01Posted on 2009-09-01 at 10:59:46ID: 25234112

I set the retention to 0 days last week but nothing changed.

It is hard to look into the folder properties as the users in problem are mainly macs users and as I dont work often with these computer I have no idea where to look.

 

by: duffman76Posted on 2009-09-01 at 12:36:01ID: 25235120

Did you restart the information store after you made the change.

 

by: gblais01Posted on 2009-09-01 at 13:36:02ID: 25235729

Yes, I did 2 days after when I did the offline compact.

I really dont know how to reduce the db size and I know nothing on these mailboxes on the server...

 

by: gblais01Posted on 2009-09-03 at 08:48:00ID: 25251899

any Idea on what could cause that space to stay on the database even if the mails are stored locally on computers?

 

by: diggisaurPosted on 2009-09-06 at 07:43:35ID: 25270110

By default Exchange retains all deleted messages for like 7-14 days I believe. If you go into one of those Outlook users go to "Tools ==> Recover Deleted Items" and see what you still see in there.

Also, there is another folder which is invisible to Outlook called "Top of the Information Store". Every mailbox secretly has it. I've seen that populated before.

Take a look at this as well.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/289949

 

by: gblais01Posted on 2009-10-09 at 07:10:17ID: 31623089

I finally changes the hard drives to get some space

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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