Stop users permanently deleting message. Possible? 1

[Scotta98]

Hi Guys,

I want to allow exchange users to send and receive mail but I want to be able to control what is permanently deleted.

I just had a situation where a guy claims we said we would do something and I know we didn't but all of the emails are gone. The user has permanently deleted all of her mail. Sent, received and deleted.

The ideal situation would be to place a rule where sent items and deleted items cannot be deleted permanently and that would allow me to archive and delete as I see fit.

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[ntinlin]

You can use the DumpsterAlwaysOn reg hack to recover 'hard deleted' mails as long as you do it within the retention period. They are still stored by the server during that period although not visible to the user.

Do a google on it and good luck with proving the user wrong.


Neill

 

[MikeBatters]

If you are running Exchange Std beware that using this option can mean that you run in to the 16GB datastore limit very quickly.

There are products to do exactly what you want to do with full legal compliance for such situations. Veritas EV is one.

Mike

*************************************

Remember - There is always another way..........

 

[Scotta98]

Thanks Guys,

So this big sophisticated piece of M$ can't even allow for a rule to stop users permanently deleting? I'm surprised at that. Thanks for your posts. Much appreciated.

 

[jkupski]

I'm not exactly an MS fan, but bashing like the above annoys me. "What?! $PRODUCT doesn't have some odd niche function that really isn't all that useful outside of my specific need, even after I spent all this money on it?!?! $COMPANY is teh sux0r!!"

If you really must have access to every piece of email that crosses your system, turn on message journaling. See, this "big sophisticated piece of M$" can do what you want (as opposed to what you're asking for) quite easily.

 

[Scotta98]

Hey jkupski,

Calm down mate! What part of my message was bashing Microsoft? Was it the use of $ in MS? I suggest you re-read.

I am told by others here and elsewhere that there is no simple way of creating a rule that prevents users from permanently deleting sent and received items. I can do a million things but I can't do a simple thing like that? You call that an odd niche? To protect an organization from potential harm by having the ability to stop it's users from permanently deleting a record? I think not!

Pointing out the shotcomings of software generally makes for a better product in the future. If it were not for people wanting something better and pointing out the need for an "odd niche", we would still be looking at a black screen with a C:\ flshing in front of us.

So, thanks for the advice about journaling. I'll try to read up on it, but before you flame me again I suggest you READ the post more carefully!

 

[jkupski]

I am told by others here and elsewhere that there is no simple way of creating a rule that prevents users from permanently deleting sent and received items.

As far as I know, that's correct.

I can do a million things but I can't do a simple thing like that?

Why does that strike you as a particularly simple task to accomplish? Heck, why does this even strike you as being desireable behavior? The idea that this would be present as an option that a novice could shoot themselves in the foot with is a pretty scary one.

Scenario: private store has mailbox size limit of 50MB. Prohibit send at 55MB, prohibit receive at 60MB. User receives a bunch of messages from a customer with 3MB attachments (say you're a manufacturing firm and these are customer drawings of parts you need to build.) The user, being as well trained a user as any sysadmin can ask for, saves the attachments to an appropriate location, then deletes the messages because they're taking up lots of room in his mailbox. But wait! Because someone has made it so he cannot empty his deleted items folder, he has not reduced the size of his mailbox. More attachments come in and quite soon the user can no longer receive email. Huzzah! The customer is now receiving "mailbox full" messages, instead of responses from your user indicatating his firm wants the work.

In short: use the right tool for the job. You want to archive email, turn on message journaling, or go with a 3rd party product like MikeBatters is suggesting (particularly good idea if you are using Exchange Standard and have alot of mail flowing through the system.)

 

[Scotta98]

Jkupski,

Of course there are millions of scenarios to quote of which many may or may not apply. In my case, my company does not get hundreds of 3MB attachments so this scenario would not apply. It is easy for someone to question another based on their use of an exchange server. What works for you does not work for me. There are hundreds of options in exchange that I will never use. You may, but I would never question if that is "desireable behavior".

I came here to ask a question. I did not need to be flamed. Part of your post I find constructive;

"In short: use the right tool for the job. You want to archive email, turn on message journaling, or go with a 3rd party product like MikeBatters is suggesting (particularly good idea if you are using Exchange Standard and have alot of mail flowing through the system.)"

Thank you for that.

Why didn't you answer my post like that to begin with? I don't know why you had to make this a personal thing. If in future I post and you dont like my question, please don't answer. That way, we'll keep the forum a place to ask questions and get answers. It should not be a place for someone to judge what is their acceptable use of exchange features.

 

[jkupski]

Why didn't you answer my post like that to begin with? I don't know why you had to make this a personal thing.

You know what? I'm honestly sorry. I was having a bad day yesterday and you set off one of my pet peeves.

I work with too many people who complain that $SOFTWARE_PRODUCT doesn't do what they want it to do, and think the developers are idiots for not including some special feature that 99% of users would never even think of, much less use. FWIW, my colleague had the same reaction to your post.

If you look at my post history, you'll see that I'm (normally not a flamer. Again, sorry about that.

 

[Scotta98]

Jkupski,

I did look at your previous posts and you really seem to be clued up and helpful to this community. I'm very thankful for your constructive comments.