Question : Import EDB files off a hard drive

Hi group,

I have a test server setup with Exchange 5.5.  As this is just a test server and it doesn't really matter what happens to it, it is not backed up.  The thing had some hardware failure (motherboard problem of some sort), and I  can't boot it.  I pulled the hard drive out of it that has the Exchange data and stuck it in a new test machine.  I installed W2K Server on that test machine and Exchange 5.5.  The old Exchange server that failed was also an  AD domain controller.  It was the only one, as this test domain consisted only of this server and my test workstation.  I installed Active Directory  on my new test server and gave that its own domain, but a different name. Now, is there a way that I can import the Exchange data from the hard drive from my bad server into the Exchange data on my new test server?  When  looking through Exchange Admin, I see an option to import files, but that is just for csv or text files with some sort of delimitation.  I have my EDB  files from my old Exchange server, and I'd like to import all the mail data from one of the mailboxes.  This isn't real important, as it was all test stuff, but I'd like to get it if it's possible.

Can anyone tell me if I can do this?

Thank you,

Ray at home

Answer : Import EDB files off a hard drive

It's possible.

Look on the old hard drive. Find a folder called MDBDATA. As long as this folder contains the priv.edb and pub.edb, along with all of the log files, you can try it.

Assuming the information store logs and databases are all on one drive and one mdbdata folder:

1. On the newly built server, stop the information store service.
2. Rename the new mdbdata directory from the new Exchange install
3. Copy in the old mdbdata directory from the recovered hard drive
4. Try to start the information store service
- If you get error -1011, then open a command prompt and run "ISinteg -patch"

If you get any other errors, it could be different things wrong. Either you installed with the wrong org and site name, the logs and the databases aren't in the right place on the new install, or the same place as the old install.

If it doesn't start, with like a 4294966746 error, events 1120 and 5000, you can just run a repair on the databases, then fix them.

Eseutil /p /ispriv
Eseutil / /ispub

Then remove all the log files from the mdbdata directory and run:

ISInteg -fix -pri -test alltests
Run this until you get all 0's in the summary at the end, or none of the numbers lower any more

ISinteg -fix -pub -test alltests
Run this until you get all 0's in the summary at the end, or none of the numbers lower any more

Then start the information store


Once you have gotten the information store started with one of the above methods, you will have to rebuild the directory on the new install, since you can't use the old directory (dir.edb/dsadata) because you lost the SID's/or A.D.

5. Open the Exchange administrator with the information store started, then go to the properties of the Exchange server object. Click on the "Advanced" tab, then select "Consistency Adjuster".

6. Choose to "Synchronize with the directory" for "private information store" and "public information store", also filtering "All inconsistencies".

This will rebuild the mailbox and public folder objects in the directory.

You will have to rebuild the custom recipients and distribution lists if you had any. Or just import them from the production machine.

Any questions?