Exchange 2k3 store dismounted

[toniak]

Hi Everyone -

I am having some MAJOR problems this morning. When i came in the Exchange store was dismounted. When remounted the store all of the mailboxes came back up but it is only showing the email generated today. Please help me recover this email. To top it off - There are not any backups. ( I just started here and the last person had not had a backup since august.) PLEASE HELP!

Tonia

 

[nickpark]

1) Take it back offline and Take a backup of the existing databases files before you do anything else.

There are some tools that can repair databases or extract messages. They are expensive.

ESEUTIL may help.
Also try exmerging stuff.

 

[toniak]

I have no backup AT ALL - that is what has me a little freaked out -

 

[nickpark]

I realise that. You are in a very bad position.
But, I was saying take a file copy of the MDB and STM files. ie before, for example, an online defrag or other process destroys all your missing mail.

 

[toniak]

The existing database files are small. I thought at first well - maybe it hit ist's limit and I have to go that route - but the strange thing is - it didn't give an error about being over limit or anything - and when i remounted the store - it remounted, it just didn't give any of the info- could it have overwritten the database? if so - does anyone know how to recover that inf? Please help - Thank you all in advance. Tonia

 

[nickpark]

If the database was unmounted, the files deleted and the database mounted again, a dial-tone database will be created with nothing in.

http://www.msexchange.org/tutorials/Exchange-Dial-tone-Restore-Method-Part1.html

Nothing in your recycle bin is there?

If no errors - It does strangely sound like the database was unmounted by someone.

 

[toniak]

I am concerned because this happened friday - there has been an almost 100% turnover in this department in the last two weeks. not everyone left happy campers. I can't find any info on how to recover the database on microsoft or here - Unless I am missing something (entirely likely) Can you think of anything that might

 

[nickpark]

There may be better ideas than this but I would:

1) Unmount the store.

2) You said the existing files were 'small'. How small? Smaller than augusts backups?

2a) Try downloading the demo of an undelete program. (e.g. active-undelete.com) and run it. It may find the old database files. It may find the date of deletion. however, you'll need to purchase a program to actually undelete the files. And the chance of recovery is not high.

2b) Use ontrack powertools or similar to drill into damaged database files and find/recover mails. This is not cheap but I think an eval download may give you info.

 

[toniak]

Thanks Nick - I went through the files with a program called getdataback and the database that I see is the same that is one there - I am hopeing that eseutil will find any problems and fix them - right now I am in the middle of an offline defrag. Thanks for all of your help - with any luck this will work - Needless to say - I am currently implementing a new process for backing up data - lol