Restoring a Microsoft Exchange email message

Last published : Apr 02, 2026
You can use the Granular Restore Option to restore individual email messages. You can save individual messages in an .msg file format on the disk, or you can forward them directly to a user. Use Microsoft Outlook to open and view the contents of a saved message file.
To restore an email message
  1. On the View menu, click Tools.
  2. Click Run Granular Restore Option.
  3. In the Open Recovery Points dialog box, open the recovery point for the last known time that the mail was present on the Exchange server.
    Use latest recovery points for this computer Opens a recovery point using the latest recovery points from the computer on which you work.
    Use alternate system index (.sv2i) file Opens a recovery point using its system index file.
    System index file name Lets you specify a path and a file name of a system index file that you want to use for recovery.
    Browse Lets you browse to a path that contains a system index file.
    For example, you can browse to an external (USB) drive, a network location, or to removable media to select a system index file.
    Use recovery points for another computer . Opens a recovery point that resides on another computer.
    Browse Lets you browse to a path that contains recovery points.
    For example, you can browse to an external (USB) drive, a network location, or to removable media to select recovery points.
    Computer Name Identifies the names of recovery point files and virtual disk files in the specified path of another computer.
  4. Click OK.
  5. Click the Exchange Mail tab, select the mailbox for the user who requested the restore.
  6. Select the folder that contains the message you want to restore.
  7. Select the message to restore.
    Note: You can sort the list by clicking the column headers. You can also search the subject lines of the messages by entering a search term in the search field (near the message list). When you add or delete characters in the search box, it automatically changes the results.
  8. To return the email message to the user, do one of the following:
    • If you have Microsoft Outlook installed, double-click the message to open it in Outlook. You can use Outlook to send the message back to its owner.
    • To forward the message in Outlook, right-click the message, and then click Forward.
Outlook opens a new message. The message that you want to forward is included as an attachment. You can then forward the message to the original owner.
  • To save the message to a disk, right-click the message, and then click Recover Message. Type the file name, and then clickSave.
The email message is saved on the disk. You can use Outlook to open the message.
See Restoring a Microsoft Exchange mailbox.
See Restoring a Microsoft Exchange email folder.