Exchange 2000 Install gone nuts, please help me remove

[cpuphantom]

Hi Group,
Alright, I've gone and done it. I am working with Exchange 2000 in my company. I installed the trial version from the Microsoft Website. On this I created only two mailboxes. When I bought Exchange 2000, I opted to get the Standard Edition. But since the trial is the Enterprise Ed, I needed to uninstall it. Of course I had massive problems. I got the usual error about not being able to uninstall while their were mailboxes. I found other messages in this group about manually uninstalling. I followed those directions, and it seemed to work.
I went to install the edition I had bought and it told me that "Myserver" was already in the "First Admin Group." I found another message about how to remove this. By going into services under AD's Sites and Services.
Then I installed the Standard Version. Now it has gone completely haywire. The tabs for Exchange are available in properties under AD, but I can't do anything. The addresses are there, and they are the same addresses as before the uninstall, but I can't edit them. When I go to Exchange Tasks in AD, my only option is to enable instant messaging. I can't add or delete any mailboxes.
So I went to uninstall the freshly installed version of Exchange 2000. Again it is telling me that it can't uninstall because of mailboxes that exist. But I can't remove any mailboxes because AD doesn't even acknowlege that there are any. Something, somewhere is terribly screwed up. I need everything taken out of Active Directory and this server so I can start from scratch. How do I do this? And what is the safest way. I don't want to corrupt the Active Directory.
Thanks in advance for your help.

Reagan

 

[werbfred]

I'm interested too !

 

[ajmartinez]

Hi there! I am in a similar situation. I uninstall Exchange Server 2000 (used the Q260378 document in ms support site and seems to work). After a fresh installation it again I have the console, the tabs in the Active Directory for the users but the only action available is instant messanging. I noticed that none of the MSExchange services are installed. Any ideas on how to register the services?

Alberto

 

[cpuphantom]

Well guys, I got that fixed months ago, but I don't think any of you will like the way I had to do it. I never did find a solution to an easy way to get rid of every trace of Exchange 2000 in AD, so I just got rid of AD. The Windows 2000 network was kind of new, so removing the whole thing and reinstalling the whole thing wasn't a major deal.

I took an entire weekend and then completely reformated the Exchange Server machine and reinstalled Win 2000 Server on it. Then I demoted the main Win 2000 Server machine to a stand alone, thus deleting everything in AD. Then I again promoted it making a fresh copy of AD. I just set all the options I had before in Group Settings, but didn't add any users yet. I then made the Exchange machine a secondary controller and installed Exchange 2000. It ran with no problems. After that I reinstalled all the users with mailboxes.

This was extreamely drastic I know, but I was desperate to make it work and it worked.

 

[Guest_imported]

I downloaded the eval and had loads of grief installing the licensed copy on top...for an easy life, I just binned the whole installation and started from sctratch!!!...afterall it was only a test machine with a few connectors etc

 

[ajmartinez]

Your right cpuphantom is not a nice way to do it.But I am afraid that it will be faster that trying to find the real cause. I am going to try with out reformating the server and just leave it as an stand alone server.I have applications using SQL on that server so I do not want to re-install all. I will let you know what happened just for fun. I do not what do you think but if AD is going to be like the windows registry....oh my god!... there are tons of problems ahead.

 

[sheel]

I am quite expreieced thourgh this process unistalling Exchange 2000.. You have to goo Administrative TOols -> Activery directory SITES then choose Service Mode (from second menu option, i can't remember) then delete Exchange Organization.. Then go head pop Exchange CD IN.. then Choose REMOVE option.. it should take care.... removing cleanily. including all the services...