ediscovery pst export tool in PowerShell returns fatal error

Question

I'm trying to automate the download of pst exports by running the eDiscovery PST Export Tool with command line options, but within . Here's the command line:

C:\<path>\microsoft.office.client.discovery.unifiedexporttool.exe -Name $PstExportName -Source $PstSource -Key $PstKey -Dest $PstDestination -Trace true

This works fine if I am logged into Windows with the same admin credentials I use to launch Powershell. However, if I log into Windows with my regular user account and launch powershell with my admin account, it fails and the trace.log file contains this error:

[2022-08-18 21:41:26.7545][1][Error]: Fatal error happened. System.UnauthorizedAccessException: Access to the path '.\x86' is denied.
at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath)
at System.IO.Directory.InternalCreateDirectory(String fullPath, String path, Object dirSecurityObj, Boolean checkHost)
at System.IO.Directory.InternalCreateDirectoryHelper(String path, Boolean checkHost)
at Microsoft.Office.Client.Discovery.UnifiedExport.Engine.Lite.LiteExportEngine.LoadDBBinaries()
at Microsoft.Office.Client.Discovery.UnifiedExport.Engine.Lite.LiteExportEngine.<ServerJobMonitorLoop>d__7.MoveNext()

Any ideas what it is trying to access and why it doesn't work?

Update: The command also works if launched via scheduled task under my admin account credentials when no user is logged into Windows. The only time it doesn't work is if I'm logged into Windows as a standard user and PowerShell is running under admin credentials.

Answer 1

Hi @JayCarper-5747
Please make sure the administrator account you used is a member of Discovery Management role group.

Use the EAC to add a user to the Discovery Management role group:
Add-RoleGroupMember -Identity "Discovery Management" -Member < user name >

You can check that the requirements in the following documentation are met:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/security-and-compliance/in-place-ediscovery/export-search-results

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Answer 2

As shown in the message, you do not have enough permission to install this application.

Possible solutions:

• If this is your personal computer, run the executable file as Administrator.
• If this is an Active Directory (domain) member computer, your user account needs to be either a Power User or Administrator or you need to log in as a Local Administrator.

Also, check this article for help - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/troubleshoot/ediscovery/cannot-start-ediscovery-pst-export