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Applies to: Exchange Server 2007 SP3, Exchange Server 2007 SP2, Exchange Server 2007 SP1
Topic Last Modified: 2006-09-22

Use the Connect Mailbox wizard to connect a disconnected mailbox to an Active Directory directory service user account.

If you disable or remove a mailbox by using either the Exchange Management Console or the Exchange Management Shell, the Exchange mailbox object will no longer be associated with the Active Directory user account and will be marked for deletion.

Disconnected mailboxes remain in the Exchange database for the duration specified in the deleted mailbox retention settings for the mailbox database. By default, disconnected mailboxes are retained for 30 days. During this retention period, a mailbox can be recovered by connecting it to a new or existing Active Directory user account. To learn more about deleted mailbox retention, see Configuring Deleted Mailbox and Deleted Item Retention.

Use the Introduction page to select the type of mailbox that you want to connect.

User Mailbox
  • Click User Mailbox to connect the mailbox as a mailbox that is owned by a user to send and receive e-mail messages. User mailboxes cannot be used for resource scheduling.

  • The Active Directory account that is associated with a user mailbox must reside in the same forest as the Exchange server. To use an account in a trusted forest, select Linked Mailbox.

Room Mailbox
  • Click Room Mailbox to connect the mailbox as a mailbox that will be used as a location resource for scheduling meetings. Room mailboxes can be included in meeting requests as resources and can be configured to automatically process incoming requests.

  • You can connect a room mailbox only to a disabled user account. Therefore, the Select Recipient dialog box that you use to select a user account in the Mailbox Settings page of this wizard will only display a list of disabled user accounts in the Active Directory forest.

Equipment Mailbox
  • Click Equipment Mailbox to connect the mailbox as a mailbox that will be used as a non-location specific shared resource. Equipment mailboxes can be included in meeting requests as resources and can be configured to automatically process incoming requests.

  • You can connect an equipment mailbox only to a disabled user account. Therefore, the Select Recipient dialog box that you use to select a user account in the Mailbox Settings page of this wizard will only display a list of disabled user accounts in the Active Directory forest.

Linked Mailbox
  • Click Linked Mailbox to connect this mailbox as a user mailbox that is accessed by a user in a separate, trusted forest. To store the mailbox information, you must select a user account in the forest in which the Exchange server resides.

  • Linked mailboxes may be necessary for organizations that choose to deploy Exchange in a resource forest. The resource forest scenario allows an organization to centralize Exchange in a single forest, while allowing access to the Exchange organization with user accounts in one or more trusted forests.

  • To learn more about the resource forest scenario and other complex Exchange deployments, see Planning for a Complex Exchange Organization.

For More Information

You can also use the Connect-Mailbox cmdlet to connect a mailbox. To learn more about connecting a mailbox by using the Exchange Management Shell, see Connect-Mailbox.