The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Exchange Server, versions 4.0, 5.0, and 5.5
SUMMARY
This article explains how to recover mail from the store when the Microsoft
Exchange directory service is corrupt beyond repair and there is no backup
available.
MORE INFORMATION
When a directory problem occurs, you should always assume that the store
(Priv.edb and Pub.edb) is in good condition. If the directory (Dir.edb) is
corrupt beyond repair, all troubleshooting options have been exhausted, and
there is no backup available, you can set up a new installation of Exchange
Server and use the Priv.edb and Pub.edb files to repopulate the directory
with the most critical objects, such as mailboxes and public folders. The
procedure is as follows:
- Make a backup copy of the entire contents of the MDBDATA and DSADATA
directories from the original production machine.
- Take note of the exact Organization, Site, and service account
names.
- On the recovery machine, install Exchange Server using the same
Organization, Site, and service account names you noted in step 2. You
must also apply any service packs that were in place on the original
server.
NOTE: If the machine previously belonged to a site, it is recommended that
you do not add it back. If it must be done, then remove it from the site
first. You should then wait for the deletion to be replicated throughout
the entire organization, and then re-join the site through setup. This is
not the case if there is a backup of the directory and setup /r is used.
For additional information on this topic consult the Disaster Recovery
document available on the Microsoft Web.
- When setup is finished, replace the entire contents of the MDBADTA and
DSADATA directories with the backup data made in step 1.
- From a command prompt, go to the \Exchsrvr\Bin directory and run:
ISINTEG -PATCH
- Go to the Control Panel Services icon and start all Microsoft Exchange
services in the following order: System Attendant, Directory,
Information Store, Message Transfer Agent.
- Start the Exchange Administrator program and display the properties for
the server object.
- On the Advanced tab, select the "DS/IS consistency adjustment."
- Select "All inconsistencies" and click the Adjust button. This procedure
creates directory entries for mailboxes and public folders that might
exist on the store.
WARNING: There can be other consequences from adjusting the DS/IS
consistency. For example, this procedure should never be done if
replication between sites has been broken and you plan to re- establish it
again. For more information, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article
Q156705, “XADM: Site Tear-Down Causes Public Folders to be Re-homed.”
- To allow users mailbox access, you must reassign the users' Windows NT
accounts to the mailbox permissions.
In some cases, the DS/IS consistency checker may not recreate mailboxes in
the directory. Please refer to the following articles for more information:
ARTICLE-ID: Q154491
TITLE : XADM: DS/IS Fails to Re-create Mailboxes in Subcontainers
ARTICLE-ID: Q161499
TITLE : XADM: Event 7024 During DS/IS Consistency Check
Keywords : XADM
Version : WINDOWS:4.0,5.0,5.5
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto
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