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How is the default language/timezone is decided for Shared Mailboxes?

Said A 946 Reputation points
2025-02-12T13:45:17.5833333+00:00

Hello,

For User Mailboxes, the use is prompted when they sign in for the first time to OWA to decide their language and time zone. This decides the language they have for their Default folders (Inbox, Spam...)

When they use Outlook Desktop, I assume the installation language is used to decide this.

But for Shared mailboxes, how is the language and timezone are decided?

Given that the admin never setup or configured it using Set-MailboxRegionalConfiguration command.

I have looked up online and found that multiple varible could decide this but I need to understand the logic used to decide which language to use for the mailbox folders during when I used opens it for the first time.

I have found that the below could possible have an impact:

  • Outlook Desktop Client installation language
  • Browser settings when using OWA
  • Get-Mailbox Languages (Get-Mailbox –Identity TRedmond | Select Languages)
  • OWA Virtual Directory (Set-OWAVirtualDirectory “OWA (Default Web Site)” -DefaultClientLanguage 2057)
  • Exchange Server installation language

Any help could be appreciated.

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Accepted answer
  1. Anonymous
    2025-02-13T05:57:17.2533333+00:00

    Hello, @Said A,

    Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A platform!

    The default timezone for shared mailboxes seems to follow the current windows timezone.

    Here is what I have practiced to check the shared mailbox timezone and found it to be empty if not set:

    Get-MailboxRegionalConfiguration -Identity “<Shared_mailbox_name>”

    User's image

    Then I sent emails to my personal mailbox as well as the shared mailbox using the shared mailbox, then logged in to the shared mailbox from outlook and OWA respectively, and the same email viewed in the shared mailbox using OWA login does not match the timezone set, even though OWA has other timezones set.

    User's image

    User's image

    User's image

    The first is an OWA mailbox with a time zone set. The second and three are logging into the shared mailbox and windows time via that mailbox (screenshot delayed by a few minutes) For the factors you mention as possible influences, they seem to only affect personal mailboxes (outlook on the left, OWA on the right)

    User's image

    Should you need more help on this, please feel free to post back. 

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

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