I have a server running windows 2000 and Exchange 5.5 Standard edition with SP4. I have deleted users who are still occupying mailbox resources in the private information store. When I run exchange administrator and select mailbox resources the delete tab is grayed out. When I go into tools, the clean mailbox tab is grayed out. How do I delete these mail messages. I need to delete them before I run the defrag utility. I am getting close to the 16GB limit for my information store.
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Mailbox cleaner 1
- Thread starter Dfig
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Exchange uses single instance storage in the database. Deleting mailboxes won't make any difference to the amount of mail stored in the db unless the mailboxes you delete are the only mailboxes that are storing those messages. Example: user 1 sends a message to user 2 and 3. User 1 has a pojnter to the message in his send items, and users 2 and 3 each have a pointer to the message in their inboxes. The server stores 1 copy of the message in the db. What happens when you delete mailbox 1? Nothing - the message is still stored on the server, because users 2 and 3 still have pointers to it. In this example you would have to delete all three mailboxes before Exchange would remove the message from the db. (Or have all 3 users 'delete' the message from their mailboxes, and then the message will eventually be deleted.)
Even if you have some messsages in your db that are ready for deletion, the deleted item retention period (if you have it set) will stop them being deleted immediately.
You can check how much 'white space' (empty space that can store new messages) in your db by checking the application event log for 1221 events - one each for the priv and the pub, written by the overnight maintenance. The edb file will only be extended when the white space is all used up, otherwise new mail just goes into the white space and the file doesn't get any bigger.
Even if you have some messsages in your db that are ready for deletion, the deleted item retention period (if you have it set) will stop them being deleted immediately.
You can check how much 'white space' (empty space that can store new messages) in your db by checking the application event log for 1221 events - one each for the priv and the pub, written by the overnight maintenance. The edb file will only be extended when the white space is all used up, otherwise new mail just goes into the white space and the file doesn't get any bigger.
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How recently was the mailbox deleted? It might take some time for the mailbox to disappear from the store after the directory object has been deleted, because of tombstoning - the directory entry for the mailbox isn't actually removed immediately, it's marked as deleted (so that this deleted status can be replicated around the entire organization).
There could I suppose be an inconsistency between the Directory and the Priv store if the mailbox has been deleted a long time (> 60 days) and is still showing in the list of mailboxes. In this case the consistence adjuster could be used to bring the two back into line, and the mailbox then deleted again.
There could I suppose be an inconsistency between the Directory and the Priv store if the mailbox has been deleted a long time (> 60 days) and is still showing in the list of mailboxes. In this case the consistence adjuster could be used to bring the two back into line, and the mailbox then deleted again.
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Mailbox Cleaner does clean mailboxes (removes email from them depending on the criteria you specify). But it doesn't work from the Mailbox Resources screen - this is an info only screen (which is why the delete button is also disabled). Mailbox Cleaner works on mailboxes from the Recipients container. If your store and directory have got out of sync and you have a mailbox in the store that is missing from the directory, you won't see the mailbox in the Recipient container, which is what the IS/DS consistency check will sort out for you (basically it will create a stub mailbox entry in the directory for every mailbox in the store that doesn't have a directory entry - and vice versa as well). This will then allow you to delete the mailbox correctly, or run a Mailbox Clean on it if you really want.
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