Reinstalling Windows Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2003

Do you have backups of your Exchange database (this must be done in a step by itself)?  I believe if I found myself in that position I would spend the per/incident price for a call to Microsoft (around $300 or $400, don't remember for sure) and try to make the repair.  They will stay with you through the night or whatever to get the job done, it is a very cheap price for what you get.  I have used them a time or two on extremely difficult and time sensitive problems and they have always come through.

The first question should always be "What went wrong here?"  Then explore your options for resolving the situation.

When installing the server os did you create different partitions or is everything spanned across the entire drive?

@Oldcharlie:  Unfortunately, I'm stepping in after someone else here...so with an almost completely unresponsive system, it's difficult to diagnose what "went wrong"...  I have already spent upwards of 12 hours on the phone with MS.  They've told me that a rebuild is my only remaining option.

@GTPD22:  In my defense, let me restate that I'm stepping in after someone else here! :)  Everything is on one partition...

It looks like the backup is going to run successfully.  It would be so nice to be able to reinstall/update Server 2003 and Exchange 2003 and just restore from this backup, but I know there can be problems with this if things aren't done exactly right with computer names, etc.  Is there a guide to follow that would help with this, or is this just a dangerous option altogether?

I've found this: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa997176(EXCHG.65).aspx

It looks like this should work, even if using the same hardware, if I have a usable backup.  But, this guide seems a bit meager.  Is that really all there is to it??

It could be, if you run into problems getting the message store to come back on line Google "Exchange message store restore" there are a couple extra steps you have to go through if the straight windows restore doesn't work.

First, please confirm - is this SBS (Small Business Server) or a standard copy of Exchange and Windows?

Second, how large is the C: drive?  A wipe may not be necessary.

Third, without knowing the answers to the above questions, my recommendations would include:
1.  Buy two 1TB hard drives and set them up in a RAID 5 (Or smaller drives; the 1TB drives are $110 at NewEgg with 5 year warranties and with two, you setup a RAID 1 in case of Disk failure).
2.  Use a Virtual Machine (or few) to temporarily install Windows and preserve your domain information.  If you don't you will have a NIGHTMARE of a time getting all the users and systems back on the domain and working normally.

@leew:  Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2 and Exchange Server 2003 SP2.  C: drive is 1TB with 800GB free.  Unfortunately, for several reasons your first suggestion isn't a viable option for me.  I'm a bit confused by your second suggestion.  Install Windows on a virtual machine on the same box?

@leew:  And, just to confirm, you're saying that my suspicions are correct?  The guide I found on TechNet ISN'T just that simple? :)

If you back up the system state (which should allow you to restore the system) then you are essentially restoring whatever corruption may exist right now in the windows registry and system files.  (I'm crossing my fingers for you that AD isn't corrupt and that Exchange isn't either)

I would swing it to a Virtual Server.  Then let the server (company) run off that for a while (probably through the next business week, New Years included), then next weekend, reinstall on the hardware.

Actually, you should be able to use my "Fresh No Format" article to reinstall Windows Server without wiping the C: drive - this way, you can kind of keep your existing install to fall back on.  For the purposes of this process, 2003 is the same as XP.  See http://www.lwcomputing.com/tips/static/freshnoformat.asp

Then benefit of following my link's instructions is that you can quickly and easily "restore" the failing installation by simply booting to a boot CD and renaming a few folders and then rebooting... (5-10 minutes - most of that, boot time).

@leew:  I'm willing to give swinging it to a Virtual Server a shot.  However, when I go ahead and reinstall on the hardware, am I not ultimately doing the same thing as starting fresh right now?

If you start FRESH - IGNORING all previous settings, then you will have issues with the workstations and users on the domain.  If you reinstall, then restore, you're VERY LIKELY going to end up "restoring" your problems.

If you can swing it, you'll preserve the domain and potentially, your sanity.

If you want to start over complete, rejoin everything to the domain, recreate all users, reset all permissions, transfer all user data from their old accounts to their new accounts, and spend the better part of two hours PER PERSON doing this, go crazy.  Swinging it will increase your odds of preventing chaos and user interruption.  Remember, the costs are not JUST your time... they are also the users ability to work - if your users are unable to work, they cannot be making the company money but still have to be paid to sit there and do nothing.  (if you're like some companies and have this week off, great, but rebuilding the domain will still essentially FORCE a major interruption to all users when they eventually return to work.  If you swing it, then there is, in theory, little to no interruption (certainly not one as potentially severe).

Finally, I don't know your skill level, but just keeping the domain name, computer names, and user names the same will NOT preserve these settings - Windows bases everything on a uniquely created, randomly generated Security ID/Globally Unique ID (SID/GUID) that cannot be manually defined.  Thus when you recreate the domain, a new DIFFERENT random SID/GUID is assigned, causing the user name on the old domain "techcomposer" to technically be different from the user name "techcomposer" on the new (rebuilt) domain.

I know your network has issues - and I know this is probably the best time to solve them... but still, it would REALLY be a good idea if you had an opportunity to learn this stuff through some test networks first...

@leew:  Trust me, I'm with you!  I'm just looking to find out what my next step will be next weekend if everything is running smoothly and I'm ready to reinstall on the hardware...  Am I not going to face the same potential problems that you outlined in your next-to-last message?

You're going to face something... Depends on how you actually do this.  I prefer the conservative approach of creating a VM.

@leew:  That's exactly what I'm working on setting up right now.  So...just so I can be prepared...what are my next steps after this has all the kinks worked out? :)

I've got things switched over to an Exchange Server running on a Virtual Server on another box.  Things are going well for now.  Next weekend, I plan to remove Exchange from the original box, and complete the swing migration in reverse.  Sound good?

Sorry, I just have to move forward now.  I've opened a new question at:

https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/24022878/Exchange-Reinstallation-via-Swing-Migration.html

You've been very helpful, though.  Thanks, leew!