Re: Recover mailbox from old Backup...

From: Ben Winzenz [Exchange MVP] (ben_winzenz_at_NOSPAMdotmessageonedotcom)
Date: 12/13/04 

Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2004 11:31:51 -0600

It sounds like the database is corrupted (which is why eseutil /p is
whacking so much of it). You might also look at a tool called OST2PST. It
will, in essence, allow you to convert the ost file to a pst file, which can
then be imported. If the price of that is too high, it looks like there are
a couple of online services that you can send the files to and they will
convert it for you. Google ost to pst and it will pull up results for a
couple of those services. 

-- 
Ben Winzenz
Exchange MVP
"Vagabond Software" <carlfenley-X-@-X-san.rr.com> wrote in message 
news:%23NvwBPT4EHA.824@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
Yes, I was actually following the steps for "Copying files" to the RSG. 
However, using the standard System Tools-Backup to restore the files, the 
Advanced button has some options to "Restore Security" and preserve "Mount 
points", both of which I unchecked for the Restore operation.
Should those options have any impact on what I am doing?
Again, I never want to use these database files as a production mailstore. 
The new mailstore is working fine, but I have some client computers with 
orphaned ost files that need to recover that data.
My thought was that I could just:
  1) restore the edb and stm files to a temp folder,
  2) run the eseutil check, create a Recovery Store Group,
  3) copy the files to the RSG location,
  4) mount the mailstore database,
  5) and use exmerge to select the data I wanted to move to the production 
mailstore.
However, the first attempt at that resulted in 'eseutil  /p' slashing my edb 
file down to a quarter of its original size.  I was able to mount that 
database, but there were no mailboxes left.
I still have all the files (incl log, chk) from the old Exchange 2003 folder 
and the orphaned ost files from the client.  Those ost files have never been 
loaded by the profile that was using them on the old server.
Your help is greatly appreciated.
carl
"Ben Winzenz [Exchange MVP]" <ben_winzenz@NOSPAMdotmessageonedotcom> wrote 
in message news:u30ixIS4EHA.4008@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> You might look at OnTrack's PowerControls - it reads the actual database
> files (or files from a backup) and is able to (usually) get information 
> from
> them.
>
> As far as the backup, did you try copying the backed up database files to
> the Recovery Storage Group location?
>
> -- 
> Ben Winzenz
> Exchange MVP
>
>
> "Vagabond Software" <carlfenley-X-@-X-san.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:uHE6L5O4EHA.2016@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> I am running Exchange Server 2003 and the database files are from Exchange
> Server 2003.
>
> Unfortunately, because "eseutil /mh" reported "Dirty Shutdown", I 
> eventually
> had to use 'eseutil /p' option.  I was able to mount the mailstore, but
> there were no mailboxes present.
>
> I don't care about the old mailstore or whether or not it ever runs on an
> exchange server again.  I just need to get some data out of it.  I'll keep
> trying and probably attempt at least one more recovery.
>
> Thanks for the reply.  Any more suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
>
> carl
>
> "Bharat Suneja" <bharat@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:esw7aRO4EHA.936@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> > Exchange 2000:
> > ) Set up a recovery forest with a domain controller and exchange
> > 2) Recover store
> > 3) Create a user account, connect to mailbox in recovered store
> > 4) Backup mailbox content to PST
> > 5) Copy PST content to mailbox on production server
> > Check out "Mailbox Recovery for Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server" -
> > http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/exchange/2000/library/mrfme2ks.mspx
> > - or -
> > http://snipurl.com/MbxRecExchange2000
> >
> > Exchange Server 2003:
> > Restore to Recovery Storage Group.
> > Documentation:
> > http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;%5Bln%5D;824126   - 
> > or -
> > http://snipurl.com/RecoverySGHowTo
> >
> > Bharat Suneja
> >
> >
> > "Vagabond Software" <carlfenley-X-@-X-san.rr.com> wrote in message
> > news:%23WGRO9L4EHA.3336@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> > I need to recover a mailbox (two actually) that now only exist in a 
> > server
> > backup that included all the Exchange directories.
> >
> > Is there a way to recover this mailbox or from the backup and
> > integrate/merge it with an existing mailbox on the new server?
> >
> > Thanks in advance,
> >
> > carl
> >
> >
>
>