XGEN: Exchange SP3 May Install on Non-SP2 Servers

• Microsoft Exchange Server, version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

Microsoft Exchange Server 4.0 Service Pack 3 (SP3) may not correctly detect whether or not the computer it is being applied to has already had Microsoft Exchange Server 4.0 Service Pack 2 (SP2) applied to it.

MORE INFORMATION

If an Exchange Server that was running SP2 is removed by selecting "Remove All" from within the Exchange Server Setup program, not all registry keys associated with this installation are removed. Specifically, the key that stores the currently installed server and SP version information remains.

If a fresh copy of Microsoft Exchange Server is installed onto this computer running Windows NT Server, the SP3 Update.exe will not detect that this server has not had SP2 correctly applied to it. As a result, Update.exe proceeds without warning.

WORKAROUND

Ensure that you do apply SP2 to a computer running Microsoft Exchange Server prior to applying SP3 if a previous SP2 installation was removed from the computer.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in version 4.0 of Microsoft Exchange Server. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.