Read time: 5 minutes
Working with Microsoft 365 requires assigning users with the licenses and mailboxes to allow them to send and receive emails and other data. There are different types of mailboxes within Exchange Server, each designed to fulfill a different purpose. It includes the following:
- User mailboxes It is the basic type of mailbox that is assigned to Exchange users. So, it is called a user mailbox. It helps users in sending or receiving the message, creating/managing contacts, scheduling meetings, etc. Also, user mailboxes can choose to receive voicemails in it.
- Shared mailboxes An Exchange administrator can create a shared mailbox to provide access to multiple users. Shared mailboxes are not directly connected with any account, but after creating a shared mailbox, administrators can give permissions to multiple users to use the shared mailbox.
- Room mailboxes A Room mailbox is specifically created to utilize as a resource of the organization. A room is created for meeting locations like conference rooms, meetings rooms, training rooms, and auditoriums.
- Equipment mailboxes Equipment mailbox is a resource mailbox which can be associated to portable devices like microphones, projectors, laptops, cars, etc.
Converting a mailbox to another type is possible within Exchange environment, and you can complete the task with the help of Set-Mailbox command in the Exchange Management Shell. You can convert a:
- User mailbox to shared mailbox.
- Shared mailbox to user mailbox.
- Equipment mailbox to shared mailbox.
- Room mailbox to shared mailbox.
- Shared mailbox to room mailbox.
- Shared mailbox to equipment mailbox.
Why do you need to Convert Exchange Mailbox type?
Before we check out the Exchange management shell commands required for the mailbox transfer, here is why you should actually convert the mailbox type:
- Bulk migrations: Exchange users often convert the mailbox type to migrate bulk Exchange mailboxes and prevent unnecessary time consumption involved otherwise.
- Minimize license costs: Granting a user mailbox requires additional licensing, which is not the case with the shared mailboxes. Converting a user mailbox to shared mailbox helps to optimize license costs.
- Departed users: After an employee exits, moving their data to shared mailboxes helps in data retention without paying for the user’s license.
- Better collaboration: Allow multiple users to share emails or other information using a single mailbox, which makes converting a mailbox to shared an ideal choice.
- Easy scheduling: Convert user to room mailbox to simplify sending the room invites for a meeting. Moreover, it allows thew room the accept or reject an invite automatically as per the availability.
- No license needed: Using an equipment mailbox does not require any account login, thereby minimizing the security threats to an unused user account.
What do you need to know before migration?
- Shared, room, and equipment mailboxes are associated with user accounts within the Active Directory but are disabled.
- Conversion to user mailboxes requires a password matching the complexity and length requirements of your organization.
- Never delete the user account after converting the user mailbox to a shared mailbox.
- Shared mailboxes under 50 GB do not need any license. For mailbox size greater than 50 GB, delete older data or purchase a license.
- It is advised to reset the password or disable the user account after the mailbox conversion.
- Assign all the necessary recipient permissions in Exchange server before starting this Exchange server migration.
Convert the type of mailbox using Exchange Management Shell
Here are commands you need to run to convert the mailbox types. Make sure you’re cautious when performing these cmdlets to avoid making errors:
To convert the type of mailbox and its password, use the following cmdlet –
For example:
To change the type of the mailbox only –
To verify that the command has worked, and the mailbox type is changes, run the following cmdlet:
Challenges faced during Exchange Mailbox conversion
Here is a list of challenges that you might face during the process to convert Exchange mailbox types using the EMS commands:
- Not having the necessary permissions can often result in the process failure.
- For a user mailbox being converted to shared mailbox, must be under 50 GB, else the mailbox might get disconnected.
- Assigned permissions might get muddled up during the conversion, which creates the need to reassign permissions manually.
- Within a hybrid environment there are chances of converted shared mailbox to get disconnected after conversion.
- Manual conversion of bulk mailboxes involves the risk of inefficient conversion and errors, resulting in data loss.
Conclusion
Using Exchange Management Shell commands requires technical expertise because running wrong commands or missed steps can cause process failure. There is always a risk of data loss and corruption during Exchange server migration or mailbox conversion executed using these scripts. Therefore, using a reliable and convenient Exchange migration tool helps to simplify the process while delivering 100% accuracy. Kernel migrator for Exchange is the perfect solution to do the same. It offers multiple advanced features to make the process smoother and faster for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ans. To do this, go to Exchange admin center and sign in with admin credentials and follow the steps:
1. Go to Recipients and then click Mailboxes.
2. Select the desired shared mailbox.
3. Click Convert to regular mailbox.
Follow the instructions prompted on the screen to convert the mailbox.
Ans. Yes, once you convert shared mailbox to user mailbox, you’ll need Office 365 license to send or receive email messages. With a license only, you’ll be able to access other Microsoft services too.
