What is an .EDB File in Exchange, and Where is it Located?

In Exchange Server, EDB files play an important role to store mailbox data such as contacts, emails, and calendars. Exchange Server stores a huge amount of mailbox data in a .edb extension or EDB files and is a highly used mailing platform. Sometimes there are some problems with the exchange server. In such cases, we need the location of the .edb file for a  backup or restore the data to the exchange server.

In this article, we will learn what a .edb file is, why we need to locate an .edb file, and where it is located in the Exchange server.

What is an .EDB file and its types ?

An EDB file stands for Exchange Databases and is a primary database file used to store mailbox data in Exchange Server. It includes all the mailboxes and folders that are hosted on the server. It can grow in size depending on the number of mailboxes hosted and the amount of data stored.

Exchange Server uses two main types of EDB files.

Private EDB : Private EDB file stores data for individual user mailboxes and helps them to manage their personal data. It stores all mailbox items such as emails, contacts, tasks, and attachments.

Public EDB: Public EDB file stores for shared or collaborative data such as public mailboxes, shared folders and organizational content that are accessible by groups.

Later Exchange 2010,  In modern Exchange Server, these are simply referred to as Mailbox Databases(.edb).

Where are .edb files located?

The default location of the .edb file depends on the versions of Exchange server, which versions are installed. In the below section all Exchange Server versions are displayed.

• For the Microsoft Exchange Server 2007

C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\Mailbox\<Storage Group Name>\<Database Name>.edb

• For the Microsoft Exchange Server 2010

C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V14\Mailbox\<Database Name>\<Database Name>.edb

• For the Microsoft Exchange Server 2013

C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\Mailbox\<Database Name>\<Database Name>.edb

• For the Microsoft Exchange Server 2016/19

C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\Mailbox\<Database Name>\<Database Name>.edb

How to locate an EDB file in Exchange?

You can find your .edb files using many methods such as Exchange Admin Center (EAC) or Exchange Management Shell (EMS).

Method 1: Using Exchange Admin Center 

1. Open the Exchange Admin Center (EAC)
2. Locate to Servers → Databases.
3. Select the mailbox database and view its properties
4. The database path will display the full path of the EDB file.

Method 2: Using Exchange Management Shell command

             Get-MailboxDatabase | Format-List Name,EdbFilePath

Why Is the .edb File Location Important?

The EDB file is the center of the Exchange Server environment. However, sometimes it is very important to know the location of the .edb file when the organization wants to migrate mailbox data, for manual backup, restore data or to resolve issues that arise in the Exchange server like server failures or corruption.

In such cases of corruption, administrators need to use third-party tools like MailsDaddy EDB to PST Converter to safely repair and quickly recover mailbox data into accessible PST format.

Conclusion

Through this article, we understand an exchange server database is a huge mailing platform that stores all mailbox data. An EDB file is the heart of the Exchange server database system and holds all user mailbox data. Its location depending on Exchange Server versions is installed. Sometimes, administrators use third-party tools when an organization wants mailbox data migrations, backup, restores and Exchange Server issues occurs.