asked on

How do I delete a corrupted Mailbox Store?

As you can see in the previous question (https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/24318140/I-need-to-rebuild-the-Exchange-database-to-get-clear-out-corruption-Last-Resort-Action.html?anchorAnswerId=24243980#a24243980), I have created a new store and moved all of the mailbox items with the exception of the corrupted items. Now, I'd like to delete the old store to free up the drive space.

I tried to delete the old store in Exchange Manager and I get this error message:
"One or more users currently use this mailbox store. These users must be moved to a different mailbox store or be mail disabled before deleting this store."

I ran a refresh on the mailboxes and logons folders and it is showing items.

In the Logons folder I have:
3 SMTP accounts
2 System Mailbox accounts
1 System Attendant account

In the Mailboxes folder I have:
10 mailboxes with red "x"s over them.
1 SMTP mailbox
1 System Attendant mailbox
1 SystemMailbox mailbox

I tried to purge one of the user mailboxes and it said that it cannot be purged because it's been reconnected to another user.

Any help? I'd like to delete this store to reclaim the disk space.

Thanks,
Jono

Speshalyst

This should help you ..
http://hellomate.typepad.com/exchange/2004/02/having_trouble_.html

Speshalyst

Also.. take a look at these as well..
http://www.experts-exchange.com/OS/Microsoft_Operating_Systems/Server/2003_Server/Q_23254330.html
http://forums.msexchange.org/Safe_to_Delete_Mailbox_Store%3F/m_1800442415/tm.htm

Mestha

The error can also be generated by accounts that have never been used. The mailbox is still homed there, but Exchange only creates the mailbox when it is required.

It will not be the system mailboxes that are causing the problem.

Simon.

Jono Martin

ASKER

One of the documents referenced in one of the above documents says that the System Attendant mailbox only exists in the first listed Mailbox store. That is the one that I need to delete. Another of those documents says that I will need to restart the SA service. Once I delete the EDB and STM files, delete the store, and restart the SA service, will it then show up in the only remaining store? Is there anything else I should be aware of before deleting these files (backing them up now)?

Thanks,
Jono

Jono Martin

ASKER

Well, I backed up the EDB and STM files and deleted the originals. I then tried to delete the store and I got the same error, even after refreshing the view. I then mounted the store forcing new database files thinking that it would just be empty database files, but I still get the error mentioned above about users in the store.

I tried to do a search in ADUC for anything in the old store and found nothing. I restarted the SA service (which restarted the MTA Stacks and Info Store services), but still I get the error.

Any other ideas?

One a bright side, I have removed the databases and so freed up the space, but I'd still like to get rid of the original mailbox store.

Thanks for continued assistance with this.

Jono

Mestha

SA goes in to the first store created on the server. If you remove the store with SA in it, then you should restart the Exchange services as soon as possible. Exchange will then recreate the SA mailbox. It will not stop the store from being dropped.

What method did you use to search the domain? There are a number of ways of searching the store for the unused mailboxes. I have one such method at the end of my migration article: http://www.amset.info/exchange/migration.asp

Simon.

Jono Martin

ASKER

Hi Simon - In ADUC I did an advanced search for:
Field User > Exchange Mailbox Store - Is - {Mailbox Store full path (server/First Storage Group/Mailbox Store)}.

This revealed nothing, but when I tested the method by using the new store and copying the store path from a known user item, it still showed nothing. I think I am not doing it correctly.

The method on your page, if I read it correctly, was to use the Exchange Home Server, but I am not changing servers, just mail stores.

What else can I try?

Justin Owens

For your 10 users that still show up with the red X, I know it seems silly, but from the Exchange Admin snap-in try to move those mailboxes, one at a time, to where they exist. You WILL get an error when you do this, but when I had this problem, MS support had me do that and after the error, Exchange magically knew to get rid of the mailbox out of the old store. I don't know why it works, but it did for me.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

jawad1481

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Jono Martin

ASKER

DrUltima - Those boxes were gone once I deleted the EDB and STM files and remounted the store.

Everyone - I followed jawad1481's suggestion and it worked like a charm, so the old store is now gone. The only thing that makes me a little bit nervous is that I no longer have a System Attendant account. I restarted the SA service (which restarted the MTA Stacks and Info Store services), but it still didn't show up. Is this a problem? Mail seems to be working fine. Is it going to all explode when I restart the server (whenever that may be)?

Thanks again!

Jono

Mestha

As long as there is another mailbox there, it should appear a few minutes after restarting the store. If it hasn't, then restart the store again.

Simon.

jawad1481

hi!

you dont have to worry about that system attendant account, as long as you have another mailbox store.

you could also restart the server no harm in doing that.

take care.
bye :)

Jono Martin

ASKER

Well, the System Attendant account never showed up. The only thing I haven't done is reboot the server (I can't do that until next weekend at the earliest). I've dismounted and remounted the store, but it's still not there.

jawad1481 - You said not to worry about it as long as I have another mailbox store. Can you clarify? I have only the store that was recently added. The original store was deleted.

All - Am I banging my head against this wall for nothing? If this is not essential, I'm not going to worry about it. If it is something that I truly need, however, than I need to get it back.

Thanks again for all of your help.

Hoping to close this soon,
Jono

jawad1481

HI!
As i wrote earlier you dont have to worry about the system attendant mailbox. the system attendant mailbox is required for few task. even tough the SA mailbox is not present the exchange activities will continue.

If you have any doubts, i would suggest to reboot the server and check if the server works fine or not.

I have few links which will explain more about the SA mailbox.but you dont have to worry at all. if you have any issues than we all are here to help you.

http://www.msexchange.org/articles_tutorials/exchange-server-2003/management-administration/Exchange-2003-System-Mailboxes.html

http://www.msexchange.org/articles_tutorials/exchange-server-2003/management-administration/Exchange-2003-System-Mailboxes.html

Thanks,

Jawad.

jawad1481

HI!

i am sorry i apsted the same link twice, here is the another one.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa997314(EXCHG.65).aspx

Thanks

Jawad.

Jono Martin

ASKER

Please know that I have not abandoned this EE Question. I have been out of town since Sunday, 03-May-09 and will not be back to work until this coming Monday, 11-May-09.

I will be getting back into this at that time.

Thanks for understanding.

Jono

jawad1481

Hi!

PLease let me know if you need any help.

Thanks.

Jawad.

Jono Martin

ASKER

I read through the links, but neither one really addressed how to get the mailbox back once it's missing. The Technet link said that "the system attendant mailbox will be automatically created the first time message delivery is attempted to it," but it hasn't shown up.

I got this error on Monday:

~~~

Your message did not reach some or all of the intended recipients.

Subject:
Sent: 11-May-09 9:23 a

The following recipient(s) cannot be reached:

System Attendant on 11-May-09 9:23 a
The message was undeliverable because the recipient specified has changed address permanently and forwarding was not applicable
<email.send.org #5.1.6>

~~~

Does this give any additional information? What does it mean that "the recipient specified has changed address permanently"?

I'll be rebooting the server this weekend. Hopefully that will bring back the System Attendant. I'll post here the results of the reboot.

Jono Martin

ASKER

Well, I did a reboot of the server this past weekend and the System Attendant did not come back. I will wait a bit since the Technet link said that "the system attendant mailbox will be automatically created the first time message delivery is attempted to it," but I'm concerned that I've lost it for good.

Has anyone come across this situation? How can I get it back?

I know that this question is running pretty long by EE standards, but I'm not sure where to go with it at this point.

Thanks for all your help.

Jono

jawad1481

Hi!

I am sure this will not affect the performance or working of your exchange server.

Be rest assured that the server will work fine. If you need any help or unfortunately come across any problem than we all are here to assist you.

Thanks.

Jawad.

Jono Martin

ASKER

I'll go ahead and close this and assign points. If I ever come across a problem with the System Attendant missing, I'll open a new question.

Thanks!
Jono