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Exchange not working without AD, Trying to restore stored emails... 2

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CinciTech1

CinciTech1

Programmer
May 25, 2006
20
Okay, I've got myself into a bit of a bind... I've posted a couple threads asking about how to decommission an existing server acting as PDC with Exchange Server, and replace it with a new server, (new hardware, fresh install of Win2k3R2). I eventually became unable to use DCPROMO to do anything with active directory on either computer, and I was unable to do any reinstalling of Exchange on either computer. Nothing was working, and I finally gave up and formatted and reinstalled the new server, and set the domain up new on it, because it wouldn't join (or leave) my existing domain.

I now have a working server with Win2k3R2 and Exchange2k3. The email is working (IMAP4 protocol) and we're using it for current mail server. All of our stored emails, (just under 3gb!) are still on the old server, but Exchange is not functioning. The old server also doesn't seem to recignize itself as being a DC anymore, but I can't run dcpromo. I also have an ntbackup file of the stored email, taken just before I wrecked everything. If I could just get Exchange on this server working, I could log onto everyone's account and copy the emails to the new server... But I can't figure out any way to get into the saved emails on the old server.

Any suggestions on how to clean this up before I get in big trouble for losing 3gb of email?
 
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Didi you try copying the EDB and STM files to the new server and running ISINTEG against them and mounting them on the new system?

Have you read up on Storage Recovery Groups at all? Did you learn your lesson and NOT install Exchange on a DC?

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

Check out my scripting solutions at
 
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If I copy the EDB and STM files and run ISINTEG will that cause any loss of new emails on the new server, or is that safe to just import the old into the new? (Nope, didn't know to do that... Thanks!)

Unfortunately, I don't have the option of running Exchange on a seperate computer from the DC. We only have the one primary server, as the old one will likely be cannibalized for parts... So either I ditch Exchange and run another mail server on the DC, or I ditch active directory, and that's probably not an option because we're using roaming profiles.
 
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You have to have AD to use Exchange.

And you can never promote or demote a server once Exchange is on it. Doing so permanently breaks Exchange.

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP
Want to know how email works? Read for yourself -
 
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Save the current (new) email database for safe keeping. Also export all of the new mail since it is small compared to the other data using ExMerge.

When you get the old database to mount on the new server, import the new emails using ExMerge again.

Talk with your management about getting a lower end server jsut to act as a DC. You are only setting yourself up for more trouble down the road.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

Check out my scripting solutions at
 
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If Exchange isn't working, he's not getting the mail out via Exmerge.
Click to expand...

Hi Pat, I am suggesting he export on the NEW server that has just a few days of email in the database. Then import that into the old database once it is working on the new system.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

Check out my scripting solutions at
 
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I'm trying to use ExMerge on the new server. I've got it extracted to the "C:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\bin" folder. I run exmerge.exe. I click through all the options, tell it to use the two step method so I'm just creating files to import later, and it tells me none of the mailboxes were successfully extracted. The thread0 logfile gives me the following error:

[20:22:06] Logging Level: None
[20:22:06] Initializing worker thread (Thread0)
[20:22:06] (Thread0) processing the range of mailboxes from 'mailbox1' to 'mailbox2' (index 0 to 1)
[20:22:06] Copying data from mailbox 'mailbox1' ('mail1') on Server 'server' to file 'C:\DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS\ADMINISTRATOR\DESKTOP\E-MAIL BACKUP\mail1.PST'.
[20:22:06] Error opening message store (MSEMS). Verify that the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service is running and that you have the correct permissions to log on. (0x8004011d)
[20:22:06] Errors encountered. Copy process aborted for mailbox 'mailbox1' ('mail1').

So I've googled the 0x8004011d error against ExMerge, and the only info I seem to find is to make sure the account you're using has full access to the mailbox store in Exchange System Manager.
I'm still getting the 0x8004011d error with ExMerge. Any guesses what I'm doing wrong now?
 
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I have gone through the steps listed in the link 58Sniper posted, and everything looked to be in order. I also noticed, this time, that Administrator has already had full permissions for the Mailbox store in my First Storage Group. This is in addition to a group I created and gave these permissions to, which includes the Administrator user. As far as I could tell, this should have enabled ExMerge to work if it was indeed a rights issue. Unfortunately, I still got the same error. So, even tho a previous MS article said you might have to wait 15 minutes for the change to take effect, (it's been longer than that), I decided to try a reboot. Bingo. *smacks forehead* Now to see if I can do the rest of what I've been told...
 
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Now I'm having trouble with ISINTEG... I've moved the existing EDB and STM files from the MBDATA folder to a backup folder, and copied the ones from the old server. I shut down all Exchange services to be safe. Found that I had to run Microsoft Exchange Information Store service to run the ISINTEG tool. I've looked up the command line switches, and it seems that I should use:

isinteg -s servername -fix -test allfoldertests

Unfortunately, I run this and after it asks which storage group, it gives me this response:

Isinteg cannot initiate verification process.
Please review the log for more information.

I found that someone fixed an issue with this error message by changing to the c:\program files\exchsrvr\ folder and entering the command as bin\isinteg, and this did not change anything for me.

How ought I be using this tool?
 
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Hello again. Sorry for disppearing in the middle of this issue. Had some other fires to put out...

I've read through the stuff on UltraBac's website, and even signed up for a trial copy of their software to attempt to folow their instructions. No luck as yet.

I've read the FAQ, and it gives the format I should be using for Isinteg. Unfortunately, I'm not getting any further than I was before. Same error. Here's what I'm doing:

1. Services: STOP MS Exchange Information Store
2. Move PRIV1 and PUB1 STM and EDB files from c:\Program Files\EXCHSRVR\MBDATA to a backup folder on the desktop.
3. Services: START MS Exchange Information Store
4. CMD: CD\Program Files\EXCHSRVR
5. CMD: \bin\isinteg -s myservername -fix -test alltests
(Also tried this from in the bin folder. No difference)
6. Enter a number to select a database: 1 - Offline - Mailbox Store
7. You have selected First Storage Group / Mailbox Store, Continue?: (Y)
8. Isinteg cannot initiate verification process. Please review the log file for more information.

What am I doing wrong? Where can I find the log file it's instrcting me to consult? It appears to me that MS Exchange Info Store is unable to load when I start the service because it knows the data is not what was there moments before. I am using a different server with the same server name, and it is a Domain Controller, despite repeated warnings that I'm sealing my fate by doing so. The domain is cobracontrols.com (COBRA), where it was cobracontrols.com (COBRACONTROLS) on the old DC.

This is all the info I can think to post. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance, as always. Your help is very appreciated.
 
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When you were attempting to use Exmerge, you mentioned the admin account. You're not attempting to use that account, are you? You need to follow the KB article to the letter. Don't use an enterprise admin account.

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP
Want to know how email works? Read for yourself -
 
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By default Domain Admins have deny on “Send As” and “Receive As” permissions that’s why ExMerge can not open the mailbox. You can modify the permissions on the exchange server but a more suitable approach is to leave the Exchange permissions the way they are and create an account with the necessary permissions to run the ExMerge utility. Here is a video which demonstrates step-by-step how to create such an account and run ExMerge:





forum.gif
Dean
 
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As I (mis?)understood it, I'm supposed to use EXMerge to export all current email, dump in the old stored email files (STM and EDB files), and then once that is working (using isinteg?), use ExMerge once again to import the emails that were previously exported. Is this not what I need to do? If I shouldn't be moving the files, how do I get them to a point where some tool can incorporate the stored mail into my new server?

I log onto the terminal server using the 'Administrator' account. I created a group with all the permissions for EXMerge to work, and added Administrator to that group. After I did that, I noticed that on my install, Administrator had full permissions enabled by default, (which would include send-as and receive-as). Once I rebooted, EXMerge was working fine. That said, I am stilllogging on using Administrator, which is a member of Administrators, Domain Admins, Domain Users, Enterprise Admins, Exchange Recovery Administrators (the group I created with full permissions to the mail store), Group Policy Creator Owners, and Schema Admins.

I'm looking again at the KB artcle, . I don't see that it says not to use the administrator account, or a member of enterprise admin... Please advise?
 
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Been a couple days since my last post... Anyone have any further direction/tips/suggestions/guides for me to get the email restored?
 
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You would typically be importing those .pst files into an empty database - not something copied from the old server. Unless I've misread what you're doing.

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP
Want to know how email works? Read for yourself -
 
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