Applies to: Exchange Server 2010 SP3, Exchange Server 2010 SP2

Topic Last Modified: 2012-07-23

Placing a mailbox on retention hold suspends the processing of a retention policy or managed folder mailbox policy for that mailbox. Retention hold is designed for scenarios such as a user being on vacation or away temporarily.

During retention hold, users can log on to their mailbox and change or delete items. When you perform a mailbox search, deleted items that are past the deleted item retention period aren't returned in search results. To make sure items changed or deleted by users are preserved in legal hold scenarios, you must place a mailbox on legal hold. For more information, see Place a Mailbox on Litigation Hold.

You can also include retention comments for mailboxes you place on retention hold. The comments are displayed in supported versions of Microsoft Outlook.

Looking for other management tasks related to messaging records management (MRM)? Check out Deploying Messaging Records Management.

Use the EMC to place a mailbox on retention hold

You need to be assigned permissions before you can perform this procedure. To see what permissions you need, see the "Messaging records management" entry in the Messaging Policy and Compliance Permissions topic.

Note:
You can use the EMC to place a mailbox on retention hold, regardless of whether the mailbox has a retention policy or a managed folder mailbox policy applied. Mailboxes that have a retention policy or a managed folder mailbox policy applied are processed by the Managed Folder Assistant.
  1. In the console tree, navigate to Recipient Configuration > Mailbox.

  2. In the result pane, select the mailbox you want to place on retention hold.

  3. In the action pane, click Properties.

  4. In <Mailbox> Properties, on the Mailbox Settings tab, click Messaging Records Management, and then click Properties.

  5. In Messaging Records Management, complete the following fields:

    • Halt Retention Policy during this period   Select this check box to place the mailbox on retention hold.

    • Start date   Select this check box and use the associated lists to specify when the retention hold should begin.

    • End date    Select this check box and use the associated lists to specify when the retention hold should end.

Use the Shell to place a mailbox on retention hold

You need to be assigned permissions before you can perform this procedure. To see what permissions you need, see the "Messaging records management" entry in the Messaging Policy and Compliance Permissions topic.

This example places Michael Allen's mailbox on retention hold.

Copy Code 
Set-Mailbox "Michael Allen" -RetentionHoldEnabled $true

For detailed syntax and parameter information, see Set-Mailbox.

Use the Shell to remove retention hold for a mailbox

You need to be assigned permissions before you can perform this procedure. To see what permissions you need, see the "Messaging records management" entry in the Messaging Policy and Compliance Permissions topic.

This example removes the retention hold from Michael Allen's mailbox.

Copy Code 
Set-Mailbox "Michael Allen" -RetentionHoldEnabled $false

For detailed syntax and parameter information, see Set-Mailbox.

Other Tasks

After you place a mailbox on retention hold, you may also want to: