Major Exchange problems-Exchange Information Store service unavailable

[thabrock]

I tried to install POP3/SMTP protocols on our Exchange Server via the ADD SERVER ROLES under the SERVER MANAGEMENT interface. Ss soon as I did I began getting calls saying e-mails sent to us were being bounced back. I removed the POP3/SMTP protocols the same way I added them REMOVE SERVER ROLES under the SERVER MANAGEMENT interface. No luck.

I went to the Exchange System Manager -> SERVERS -> FIRST STORAGE GROUP and when I click it I get:

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The action could not be completed because the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service is unavailable. Be sure the service is running and you have connectivity to the Microsoft Exchange Server computer.

Operation: Retrieving mount information
ID no: c1041721


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I tried resatrting the server and I get many error messages in order:


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Event Type: Error
Event Source: MSExchangeIS
Event Category: General
Event ID: 5000
Date: 8/31/2006
Time: 3:51:21 PM
User: N/A
Computer: EYE1
Description:
Unable to initialize the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service. - Error 0x80040154.

For more information, click

http://www.microsoft.com/contentredirect.asp.

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Event Type: Error
Event Source: MSExchangeIS
Event Category: General
Event ID: 9538
Date: 8/31/2006
Time: 3:51:21 PM
User: N/A
Computer: EYE1
Description:
Error 0x80040154 calling StrInitialize in REAPI.DLL.

For more information, click

http://www.microsoft.com/contentredirect.asp.

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Event Type: Error
Event Source: MSExchangeMTA
Event Category: Directory Access
Event ID: 137
Date: 8/31/2006
Time: 3:51:20 PM
User: N/A
Computer: EYE1
Description:
A fatal directory error occurred. Change to the maximum logging level for more details. [MTA MAIN BASE 1 12] (16)

For more information, click

http://www.microsoft.com/contentredirect.asp.

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Event Type: Error
Event Source: MSExchangeMTA
Event Category: Field Engineering
Event ID: 9405
Date: 8/31/2006
Time: 3:51:20 PM
User: N/A
Computer: EYE1
Description:
An unexpected error has occurred which may cause the MTA to terminate. Error: Init Routing API returned error -2147221164. [BASE MAIN BASE 1] (16)

For more information, click

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I am VERY, VERY scared, can anyone offer any advice or tips into what I should do next?

Thanks.

 

[supportahm1980]

Try this:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=840469

CAUSE
This problem typically occurs when the SMTP protocol is corrupted or is missing.
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RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, remove and then reinstall the SMTP protocol on the computer that is running Exchange 2000 Server or Exchange Server 2003. To do this, follow these steps.
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Step 1: Remove the SMTP protocol
Note Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.
1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, double-click Add or Remove Programs.
3. In the Add or Remove Programs dialog box, click Add/Remove Windows Components.
4. In the Add/Remove Windows Components dialog box, click Internet Information Services (IIS), and then click Details.
5. In the Internet Information Services (IIS) details box, click to clear the SMTP Service check box, and then click OK.
6. Click Next two times.
7. Click Finish.
8. Restart the computer that is running Exchange 2000 Server or Exchange Server 2003.
Back to the top Back to the top
Step 2: Reinstall the SMTP protocol
Note Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps. When you reinstall the SMTP protocol, complete the steps under the sub-section "Exchange 2000 Server and Exchange Server 2003." Then, complete the steps under the "Exchange 2000 Server" sub-section or the "Exchange Server 2003" sub-section, as appropriate for the version of Exchange that you are running.
Exchange 2000 Server and Exchange Server 2003
1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, double-click Add or Remove Programs.
3. In the Add or Remove Programs dialog box, click Add/Remove Windows Components.
4. In the Add/Remove Windows Components dialog box, click Internet Information Services (IIS), and then click Details.
5. In the Internet Information Services (IIS) Details dialog box, click to select the Add the SMTP Service check box, and then click OK.
6. Click Next two times.
7. Click Finish.
8. Restart the computer.
Exchange 2000 Server
1. Copy the Smtpreinstall.exe file from the Support\utils\i386 folder that is on the Exchange 2000 Server Service Pack CD or the Exchange 2000 Server Service Pack share. Copy this file to the Exchsrvr\Bin folder on the computer that is running Exchange 2000 Server.
2. Run the Smtpreinstall.exe file from the Exchsrvr\Bin folder on the computer that is running Exchange 2000 Server.
3. Click OK. The Microsoft Exchange SMTP Reinstall message box indicates that SMTP was successfully configured on the computer that is running Exchange 2000 Server.
4. Manually restart the computer that is running Exchange 2000 Server.
Exchange Server 2003
After you reinstall the SMTP protocol, you might be unable to send or to receive e-mail by using the affected server. If this situation occurs, you must reinstall Exchange Server 2003. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Make sure that the SMTP service is installed.
2. Insert the Exchange Server 2003 CD in the CD drive or DVD drive, and then double-click Drive:\Setup\I386\Setup.exe.

Note Drive is the name of the drive that contains the Exchange Server 2003 CD.
3. In the installation wizard, click Next.
4. In the Action column, click reinstall for each installed component, click Next, and then follow the instructions to complete the installation wizard.
5. Reapply all Exchange Server 2003 service packs and hotfixes.
For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
290290 (

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290290/)

Cannot send mail after re-installing the IIS SMTP Service


Also do you have a good back up plan...another server you use?

 

[supportahm1980]

How did this turn out. Do you still work at the company?

 

[thabrock]

Yes, I still work at the company ;-)

Your post would have worked, except... the company that built our servers installed Exchange 2003 ENTERPRISE, but delivered software for Exchange 2003 STANDARD!!!! Which meant I had to do a complete uninstall including editing the registry keys and manually removing services, then reinstall Exchange Standard. :-(

After creating the new Database Store, I then went to ADUC and using Exchange Tasks removed Exchange Attributes from each user. I then moved the backed-up priv1 & pub1 to the newly created database and then in ESM reconnected each user to their Exchange account. Took about 8 hours, but I fixed it.

One odd thing though - I get an error when I restart the server saying that the instance of MAPI32.dll on my server is the wrong one - this appears to be an issue when an instance of Outlook and Exchange Server are on the same Windows Server, but that is not the case here, I do not have Outlook installed on our server. Any ideas on how to fix this?

There was more to it than this, I was on the phone with MS tech support the whole time - so please no one use this as the complete guide for this process!

Thanks.