Outlook 2003 can't open up Exchange 2007

Oh, yeah.  The public store folders in 2007 are dismounted and I cannot mount them.  I get the error:

--------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft Exchange Error
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Failed to mount database 'Public Folder Database'.

Public Folder Database
Failed
Error:
Exchange is unable to mount the database that you specified. Specified database: 948ffb73-2cbf-49c9-9eaf-1753034c3803; Error code: MapiExceptionNotFound: Unable to mount database. (hr=0x8004010f, ec=-2147221233)
.

This is the problem: "Your Exchange administrator has blocked the version of Outlook that  you are using"

When you installed Exchange 2007 did you choose the option to allow previous versions of Outlook? If not then you don't get public folders. Outlook 2007 only installations do away with public folders.

Simon.

Both the same errors here (Outlook and Public folders). To answer previous, I did allow previous versions of Outlook on install. Public folder never got properly created, now cannot mount or remove.

If it is a fresh installation of Exchange I would remove Exchange and reinstall. If you selected to support older versions of Exchange and yet public folders didn't come up correctly then the installation is almost certainly duff. There could be other things wrong with it.

I simply do not accept Exchange not installing correctly and working straight out of the box. If something doesn't work then I will reinstall Exchange - i don't tend to troubleshoot unless it occurs more than once which could indicate something outside is causing the problem. It isn't worth saving a few hours to do it correctly when a properly built Exchange server should (and will) last for some time.

Simon.

Simon - entirely agree, sadly Exchange cannot be removed (at least not the "official" way) as the Mailbox service wont go because there is an existing database, which in turn wont go because of the rogue Public folder.

The presence of a database shouldn't matter. The only thing that usually stops Exchange from uninstalling is a mailbox being on the server. Otherwise it should remove.
When you try to uninstall Exchange what is the exact error message that you receive?

Simon.

Must admit I have only tried so far to remove the Mailbox role (alson running Client Access and Hub),

If I try to remove the Mailbox role having removed all mailboxes I get:

Error:
Uninstall cannot continue. Database 'Public': The public folder database that you specified is in use by a mailbox database. Mailbox database: Mailboxes.
Recommended Action: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=30939&l=en&v=ExBPA.3&id=b6e3b32a-8848-46cb-9567-72288ac15f60

If I then remove the Mailboxes database, I get:

Error:
Uninstall cannot continue. Database 'Public': Exchange is unable to check for public folder replicas for the public folder database that you specified. Verify the Microsoft Information Store service is running, and that the database is properly mounted. Specified public folder database: "SMMEXCHANGE07\First Storage Group\Public".
Recommended Action: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=30939&l=en&v=ExBPA.3&id=b6e3b32a-8848-46cb-9567-72288ac15f60

If I do try and do a complete removal it fails on this (and a couple of non-related issues in the Hub role as well)

Steve

That looks like you will have to hack out Exchange by hand.

And yet the instructions for removing Exchange 2007 from a server (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=927464) state:
"The manual removal of Exchange 2007 is not supported."

If you haven't already tried to follow that article, then see whether anything it suggests works. I am going to see what MS say about manually removing a broken E2007 install.

Simon.

Two other thoughts.

1. Have you tried creating new public folders? Stop all the services, move the files elsewhere and start the services again. I don't know if that works with E2007, but it could be worth a try.

2. Have you tried the reinstall method?

Stop all the services, and then move the files elsewhere so that Exchange cannot find them. Do NOT start the services.
Then run setup again and see if it corrects itself.

Simon.

I'll try the recommended removal methods and the "reinstall method" later and let you know.

Not allowed to create new public folders as only one can exist on any one server (they do make it difficult!)

Thanks for the comments
Steve

Recommended removal method falls down because public folder cannot be mounted, and therefore cannot be removed. No joy from the CD either.

Moving the files (there were only 2 dirs \catalogdata-xxx....) and rebooted - Exchange still thought the Public folder was there, ie no new folder allowed.

FInallly - moved all folders - including Bin etc and re ran setup. Seemed to go OK, but then ......
Wouldnt start up Info Store (probably because no mailbox database) and the very persistant Public folder still showing!

We ended up fixing it ourselves.  Here is what my partner did:

I can no longer find the link, but in ADSI edit under configuration-configuration-services-exchange the public folders security permissions do not inherit which prevents the PF from being able to be mounted.
 
Setting the permissions to inherit and mounting PF fixed the error.

Dan

OK, since I can't award myself the points, I am going to give them to Steve for testing my theory and proving it right.

Thanks for the help everyone!

My problem has been resolved by this fix, so I will give the credit to Steve too; my Users were down for half a day, good to have access to this site, googled most of the day and did not get the solution