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Exchange 2003 Windoes Update Failed Cannot Send/Receive

Windows update was unable to complete an update on Exchange Server 2003 (security update for exchange server 2003 service pack 2 - non cluster). The update was not progressing and I had to cancel and re-boot the server. I can no longer send/receive any email. I am hoping that if I am able to successfullly complete the update that the services will be repaired. Does anyone know how to uninstall and re-install a patch that was partially complete? When I go back to windows update it says there are no current updates and if i check the history it shows that that update failed..

rtchristie

ASKER

Here is some more info on this. It looks like the update did fail but then it was successfully installed; however, I am still unable to send and receive email.

rtchristie

ASKER

i can connect to the exchange server but messages just get stuck in the outbox and I am not receiving anything.

rtchristie

ASKER

No idea on how to even start troubleshooting this problem. I was also on the line with RIM today since they recommended adding the send as permission to all blackberry users since the microsoft patch apparently would stop the blackberrys to work, not sure if this is related or not. I am running Exchange 2003 SP2 on Windows Server 2003 SP1. When the update crashed I was ticked since I think symanctec mail security has cuased similar problems in the past so I uninstalled it. We have a barracuda so I didn't think it was necessary to keep both.

amaheshwari

Hi,

Are you unable to send / recieve both internal and external mails.

If internal mails are working fine then try :

Telnet your Smart Host on 25 port .Check or try

Nslookup from command prompt and then type set q=mx and then type any mailsite address that you are sending to :

nslookup
set q=mx
yahoo.com

if it is giving you the mx record then we can proceed further.

Thanks
Ashish.

amaheshwari

Hi,

You can try removing security update from windows 2003 Add remove programs option also.

Thanks
Ashish

rtchristie

ASKER

I cannot send or receive internal or external mail. Did the nslookup and I got the mx info. I cannot remove the update from add/remove because it is not listed.

amaheshwari

Hi,

If you are not able to send even internal mails then ther is some issue with DNS.Try This:

Go to exchange server command prompt:
Ipconfig /flushdns then enter and then type ipconfig /registerdns and press enter.Then try checking whether your mails in queue is decreasing.

Or try restarting services of Exchange .

amaheshwari

Try message tracking to know where those mails are stuck.

http://www.msexchange.org/tutorials/Exchange-2003-Message-Tracking-Logging.html

Note: If message tracking was not enabled and you are enabling it now then you will not be able to track message send before enabling Message Tracking.

Thanks

rtchristie

ASKER

Things are slowly starting to breathe again. The uninstall of symantec disabled IIS and I had to manually re-start it and then re-start the exchange service services. I am re-booting just to make sure all services come online.

amaheshwari

Try reseting IIS from command prompt .

GO to Command Prompt and type iisreset then press enter.It will restart iis and exchange services.

Thanks

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

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