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How to Change the Root Path Used for Import/Export of Hosted Exchange Mailboxes

Overview​

This guide explains how to change the default FTP root path used for importing and exporting Hosted Exchange mailboxes. By default, the system uses the customer's short name to generate a folder path. However, you can override this on a per-customer, reseller, or location level to avoid issues such as Windows reserved names or to match a specific file structure.

Changing the Root Path for Import/Export of Hosted Exchange Mailboxes​

You can override the Root Path Pattern for an individual customer to change the folder used for mailbox import/export. By default, this uses the {CustomerShortName} property to generate a folder name.

To override this:

  1. Locate the customer
  2. Expand the Hosted Exchange service
  3. Select Advanced Settings
  4. Scroll down and select Service Settings
  5. Expand the Mailbox Import/Export settings section
  6. Find the Root Path Pattern field
  7. Check the Property Override box
  8. Replace the default pattern
info

To prevent the path from being generated dynamically, replace {CustomerShortName} with an explicit path.

Example​

\\servername\webhosting2\AlphaMBX

This change applies only to the selected customer.

To apply this change globally or to multiple customers under a reseller, you can make the change at the Reseller or Location level instead.

Troubleshooting: Windows Reserved Names​

If provisioning Hosted Exchange fails due to a Windows reserved folder name being used in the generated FTP path, you'll see an error message.

Windows reserved names cannot be used as folder or file names. Common examples include: CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM1 to COM9, LPT1 to LPT9.

Solution​

Update the Root Path Pattern for the customer as described above. Avoid using {CustomerShortName} if it matches a reserved name — instead, provide a custom path.

Microsoft Docs – Naming Files, Paths, and Namespaces