Recover public folder deleted items with EWS Managed API and Exchange Online PowerShell

As we all know, when you want to recover public folder deleted items, you use the Outlook client - Recover deleted items option . However, this option is visible only if the public folder is hosting email items ("IPF.Note").

For scenarios where you plan to recover calendar, note, journal, task or contact items, you can use either a client, like MFCMAPI (more information, here: https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/exovoice/2016/11/23/public-folders-data-recovery-scenarios/) or use another protocol, like EWS, to achieve the same thing, in a programmatic way. This is mostly helpful when you don't use Outlook at all (thus, MFCMAPI is not an option) or when you have to recover a large number of deleted items. Enjoy!

 

 

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# The script requires EWS Managed API 2.2, which can be downloaded here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=42951 
# Make sure the Import-Module command matches the Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.dll location of EWS Managed API, chosen during the installation



$PF = Read-Host -Prompt "Public Folder identity (e.g. \PF1, \PF1\SubPF1)"

Import-Module -Name "C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange\Web Services\2.2\Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.dll"

$service = New-Object Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.ExchangeService -ArgumentList Exchange2013_SP1

#Provide the credentials 
$credential = Get-Credential -Message "Type the credentials of the mailbox that you intend to use to connect to the public folder"

$service.Credentials = new-object Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.WebCredentials -ArgumentList $credential.UserName, $credential.GetNetworkCredential().Password

#Exchange Online URL
$service.Url= new-object Uri("https://outlook.office365.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx")


function Convert($c)

{

$aiItem = New-Object Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.AlternatePublicFolderId 

$aiItem.FolderId = $c

$aiItem.Format = [Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.IdFormat]::HexEntryId       

$convertedId = $service.ConvertId($aiItem, [Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.IdFormat]::EwsId)  

$folderid = new-object Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.FolderId($convertedId.FolderId)

return $folderid;

}

$a = Get-PublicFolder $PF

$SourcePF = Convert($a.EntryId)

$PFDumpster = Convert($a.DumpsterEntryId)

$ItemView = new-object Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.ItemView(1000)


if(($service.FindItems($PFDumpster,$ItemView)).TotalCount)
{

do
{

$FindItemResults = $service.FindItems($PFDumpster,$ItemView)

write-host "$($FindItemResults.TotalCount) item(s) has/have been found in the Dumpster folder" -ForegroundColor White


foreach($Item in $FindItemResults.Items)
{

if ($Item.ItemClass -match "IPM.Note" -or $Item.ItemClass -match "IPM.StickyNote" -or $Item.ItemClass -match "IPM.Activity")
{ $Message = [Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.EmailMessage]::Bind($service,$Item.Id); $Message.Move($SourcePF); continue; }

if ($Item.ItemClass -match "IPM.Appointment")
{ $Message = [Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.Appointment]::Bind($service,$Item.Id); $Message.Move($SourcePF); continue; }

if ($Item.ItemClass -match "IPM.Contact")
{ $Message = [Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.Contact]::Bind($service,$Item.Id); $Message.Move($SourcePF); continue; }

if ($Item.ItemClass -match "IPM.Task")
{ $Message = [Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.Task]::Bind($service,$Item.Id); $Message.Move($SourcePF); continue; }

}

$ItemView.offset += $FindItemResults.Items.Count

} while($FindItemResults.MoreAvailable -eq $true)

}
      else   { 
               Write-Host "The Dumpster folder is empty!" -ForegroundColor Yellow 
             }

 

Note: In order to run the script above, you have to copy paste it into a Notepad file and save it with the extension ".ps1". Then, you have to connect to Exchange Online with PowerShell and run it: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj984289(v=exchg.160).aspx.