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aduhwale

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How do I move mailbox store from dead server or reverse Domain Prep and Forest Prep

I am running Windows 2003 Server SP1 on three servers. One is the PDC, another is running Exchange 2003. The Exchange Server has suffered catastrophic failure and is off. We installed Exchange 2003 on the other server that is not the PDC and it installed fine. However, Active Directory is showng that users already have mailboxes.  I guess this is because the mailbos store still points to the original Exchange server that is now off. Is there any way, without turning on the original server, that we can get the new Exchange installation to host the mailboxes? Or is there a way to undo the Domain prep and forest prep of the original installation and install Exchange from scratch?
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Ripin
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Look at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa997006.aspx
or
if nothing else do it, then use ADSIEdit to remap objects locations. IT IS POWERFULL TOOL!
http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/ebca3324-5427-471a-bc19-9aa1decd3d401033.mspx?mfr=true

"This GUI tool is a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in that acts as a low-level editor for Active Directory. Network administrators can use Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI) for common administrative tasks such as adding, deleting, and moving objects with a directory service. Attributes for each object viewed can be changed or deleted."


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Donnie4572
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aduhwale

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Just to clarify, without bringing the original Exchange Server back online, you are say that I unistall the new Exchange Server and re-install in disaster recovery mode and the new installation will house the mailbox store?
That is correct...But the stores will be dismounted.
From here you can restore your databases/stores mount them and you are back.

This is why a backup of exchange only needs the databases and active directory, for disaster recovery.

Donnie
I have tried the disaster recovery option for the exchange, however there were no backups. Well, there were backups but jus copies of the mdbdata folder. So I am trying to start the information store service and mount the databases (ie force creation of new databases) but thats not working. Says that the system attendant service is failing to start. When I start it manually, it starts and stops and tells me that it is normal for some services t do that. I was leaving the ADIS edit thing as a second to last option.
ok, the exchange installed in Disaster Recovery mode abd the store is now mounted, however the user tabs are not showing the exhcange tabs. The system manager is installed already.
Ok, it would appear that I just needed to created the mailboxes using exchange tasks first and the tabs appeared. Thanks