Question : Emergancy!  Cannot mount mailbox store!

Running Exchange 2003 and Windows Server 2003 SBS,  with NO backup available.

Due to a power failure our Exchange mailbox store and public folder store cannot be mounted.  

We are receiving the error:

"An internal processing error has occurred.  Try restarting the Exchange System Manager or the Microsoft Exchange Information Store, or both.

ID no: c1041724
Exchange System Manager"

I have tried using eseutil but no luck.

We have been recommended to backup all the .edb, .pub and .stm files to a different location,  UNINSTALL exchange,  
then re-install exchange,   and copy back the files.   Is this going to work?   Is this going to kill Active Directory?

It would be a massive problem if something went wrong, unimaginable infact!

Could anyone suggest a list of things I can try instead of this?   And if it is the only way of getting Exchange running again,  what are the risks?   This question is worth way more than 500, if its possible to give more I will.

Answer : Emergancy!  Cannot mount mailbox store!

For this error there is no need to reinstall exchange or anything like that.

In the Mdbdata directory verify that e00.chk e00.log exist. If they do you should first attemp a soft recovery.

Go into the mdbdata directory at a command prompt and type Eseutil /r e00

If you receive a message saying "the command completed succesfully" check the database header of the priv1.edb using the eseutil /mh switch.

If your file is now in a "clean shutdown state" you can mount your databases.

If your file is in a "dirty shutdown state", and you have no backups then you will have to run a repair on the file to get it back to a clean shutdown state.

To run a repair  first remove all the log files in the mdbdata directory, including the e00.chk file.

Then run eseutil /p against the priv1.edb and then the pub1.edb file.

You must also in Exchange System manager, click onto the properties of the Mailbox store, and public store and then under database tab, check the box that says " allow overwrite by restore".

After the repairs complete go into Exchange System manager and mount your database. Also your Exchange Information Store service maybe stopped, this is caused from corrupt log files, so you may first have to start this service then mount the database if not already mounted.

PS::::::: If during the eseutil /r command you get an "invalid API error" message then you need to skip to removing the log files and then running the repair option.  

Also you should run eseutil /D after the repair to remove any unuseable Pages that may come up from running the repair.  

ITCEXCHANGE