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Active Directory Sync Issues

I have two servers acting as DC's, Server 1 is the File and Print, Server 2 is an Exchange Server. (I inherited this setup, so please no lectures about DC on an Exchange Server). About three weeks ago the Exchange server crashed - forcing me to rebuild it from an image. After I re-imaged it I ran eseutil on the Exchange DBs and thought I was golden. Turns out Active Directory is screwed, and also come to find out running a DC Demote on the Exchange server is pretty much like walking a plank. So what can I do to get the AD databases syncing again.  Also I know this is going to sound barbaric but is there anyway to setup duplicate records on both AD databases until I can rebuild the machines (or whatever the ultimate solutions is) to get a user up and running with an exchange mailbox and shared resources?

Thanks

Eric B
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peakpeak
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Set up a new Exchange server on a different machine, a workstation would do depending on the disk requirements, uninstall the original one. Then demote the failing DC, reinstall it and then reinstall Exchange on it
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iCoreKC
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Further to the previous comments.  Don't use imaging software for backups of AD as it causes USN roll back problems.  It is completely unsupported by M$ and in a support situation, they probably won't even provide best effort.
See this: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/875495
It may help you with the issues you are having with AD.
The solution gose like this with me (I had same problem after image restore)
- remove AD from restored domain by using DCPROMO /forceremoval.
-remove the machine name from working AD/domains
-run DCPROMO on the restored domain "make sure your machine on the same working group"
- from options select as redundent domain and folllow the setps.. restart, give it a decent time to sync

regards