HELP HELP HELP - Major problem after migration from sbs2003 to sbs2008

Have you followed this guide?
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=52b7ea63-78af-4a96-811e-284f5c1de13b&displaylang=en

Look at part of migrating exchange.
Sometimes does happen, that you have mail enabled objects in AD, that does not show in mailbox list on SBS2003.

Yes, I have read more guides and articles than you shake a stick at, but we are in a real mess now! We moved all the mailboxes over to sbs2008, and completed all of the work that we thought we needed to, and ran dcpromo on the sbs2003.

Since then, we are having all kinds of problems. The SBS2008 server does not seem to know where the store is, and we cannot connect on line with any of the Outlook clients.

Can I presume that since we moved all of te data to the sbs2008 that it is somewhere, or is it all lost? I am just about ready to .... is there a way out of this, I am so depressed!

Knowing the procedure you took and possibly any problems you had would help me.
Data for sure is somewhere, but sbs2008 does not know where.
Have you uninstalled exchange from sbs2003 before dcpromo?
Can you access to mailboxes over OWA?
Sorry, it did not understand 100% from your answer, if you have followed this Microsoft procedure step by step. The part that interests me begins at page 73.

Yes we followed the Microsoft document, but we had problems all the way. We could not move the public folders, although we did not need them. We did move all of the mailboxes and users. We were actually set up and working connected to the sbs2008 domain, but when we went to uninstall exchange 2003, we had a problem that stated we could not do this because the bridgheads were still in place.

I had a look around for these elusive bridgheads and found it in the sbs2003 connectors, but could not find it in the sbs2008. I therefore left alone, and tried again. This time when I tried to select the exchange for removal on the sbs2003 it siad that there was no such object, which I thought was very starnge, but as it was no longer there (having moved everything already) we proceded with DCPROMO.

As soon as this had completed, we were met with problems with our sbs2008 server sayong that the store was not mounted (both primary and secondary store) after a while the primary store did say it was mounted, but the secondary still failed.

I decided to re boot, and am currently sat at the applying computer settings on the server, and have been for the past 45 mins. I really am in a mess.

Do you have any suggestions?

Will start up in safe mode but even with the network cable out will not start up normally. Just sits at applying computer settings.

I did start it up in safe mode and tried to access DNS but it siad that the sbs2008 could not be found do I want to add it anyway?

PLEASE HELP!

Revise that, just as I pressed the submit button, I have managed to get logged in (without the cable connected.

When I run the BPA for exchange it still shows the sbs2003 server for testing. The Exchange management shows that both the primary and secondary stores are disabled.wit unknown status.

The BPA shows the administrative group under sbs2008 and primary on sbs2003. I mean the check boxes are there to check both.

Can anyone help?

do microsoft offer a support chennel that would be open now?

DON't reboot it - let it finish if it can.

As above, exactly where did the first error come? and what was the exact message(s)?

I assume you took full backups of the original server etc before you started all of this?

If you are truly on UK time, then the US is the only place you could ring and you would need your credit card handy......if that is what it has come to.

Sorry too late, I have rebooted it!

I am currently logged in with out the network cable connected, and trying to run BPA. The Exchange one is sat at 94 % the sbs2008 is does not seem to progress.

I noticed that the SBS2008 stoped recognising the exchange stores whilst running DCPROMO in sbs2003.

I did not remove exchange on sbs2003 as it said there was no such object. As I thought we had already moved the mail box store etc we proceeded woth DCPROMO. All seemed to be working OK prior to this.

Looking at the Exchange Management Console the the first and second storage paths are local but the staus says unknown

I really don't know where to turn.

Should I restart again with the network cable inserted, as it just seems to sit at applying computer settings. You assistance would be EXTREMELY welcome. I have been here since 8.00am this morning and it is now 8.05pm - really deaperate!

Without knowing the full details at this time it is going to be extremely difficult to push this forward. If you are in a position to get the server to a point where it can at least allow a logon then that would be useful as THAT would be the time to run the BPA.

As my above though, clarity on the exact messages and when they first appeared would be useful. I assume the loss of access to the stores during the dcpromo down was not the first message you have received during the day.

SBS is not my forte although I have completed a few migrations from 2003 to 2008. However, I used the SBS Swing documents rather than the MS document - before you ask, no - I can't, I'd get crucified....

Bearing in mind how late it is - and how long you have been on site, I would strongly suggest you look at damage limitation just as much as you are at trying to complete this. What is the image/system backup position?

We only have a backup that was produced with Microsoft Backup prior to migration. We have only 10 users and they all run outlook in cached mode. Could we somehow clear down the stores and re sysnc with the outlook clients. I have to get this operational tonight as the company will need this working in the morning.

I can check the event logs if that will help?

I am also just in the midle of a reboot. How long is reasonable to leave this applying computer settings?

@keith_alabaster:
Is there an option to restart with exchange migration procedure from the point it has failed in this situation?
Reinstalling exchange on sbs2003 if sbs2008 will not work with sbs2003 connected and powered on?
Promote SBS2003 again as DC is not an option on my opinion.

The only secure way to save cached mails in outlook is to create additional pst file in outlook and copy contents there.
Keith is right about starting to think about using backup plans.

I cant even get the sbs2008 server started and of course we do not have a backup of that yet just the sbs2003 pre migration. I would be happy with the server working with nothing in the store, and then creating PST files from each mailbox to import in when operational.

There are only 10 users so that is not a real problem.

Strangely, although the server is hanging at the Applying computer settings, we can still authenticate and access data on our mapped drives.

Does that help?

The original server has already been dcpromo'ed down so there is no SBS 2003 installation anymore in the true sense regardless of anything else.

If the new server is still sitting at the applying settings screen then there are services that have still not completely finished starting up.

Can you RDP onto the new server?

You can try to use computer management on another PC to connect to sbs2008.
Is sbs2003 powered on and connected?

cant connect via rdp. Yes the server is still sat at the applying computer settings.

I have just been round all of the workstations and created a pst of all mail etc.

If we assume that the store has gone or corrupt what is the best way to get the server to start, and create a fresh new store ie empty. I presume I can then just restore the pst files. All of the users are still there in AD and all of the data is still ther, and as I said accessible from each workstation ie mapped drives.

The SBS2003 server is totally removed at the moment, but could be reconnected if required.

Please advise.

At some point, services will time out so you 'should' get a login prompt - God knows when of course.

Currently the box is still trying to deal with the Exchange and the Forefront for Exchange which is obviously messed up. Removal and reinstallation of the affected applications/services is obviously going to be the way forward but to do so you equally obviously need to be able to get on to the server.

I started up in afe mode and switched exchange store onto manual, but we are still sat at the applying computer settings.

I will take your advice and leave it now overnight and hope it connects by morning. Do you think this would be a case to call microsoft? Or if we can get it started do you think we could recover it ?

Thanks for your assistance.

I think that the problem is not corrupted store, but that some of exchange roles (PF) has been left on sbs 2003 and now sbs 2008 is waiting for exchange on sbs 2003. I think that recreating the store will not solve the problem. Big problem is that DC on sbs 2003 has been removed, but hopefully remaining exchange installation is still in enough good shape to satisfy sbs 2008 needs. (Maybe you can try to do sbs2003 a member server of your domain - not a DC.)
I would try to reconnect and power on sbs 2003 and hopefully sbs 2008 will behave better.
Can you get to sbs 2008 computer management from another PC?
Your first priority should be getting most important functionality at work and take few hours of rest to start tomorrow fresh.

OK Thanks. I can confirm that the server is now started and connected to the network. Users can access their data, but exchange is still not happy. The stores are shown as dissabled and will not start when asked to within services.

When I run BPA it shows under our domain name Exchange administrative group with the sbs2008 server listed, and uin addition a first storage group with sbs2003 listed.

I have obviously not completed the removal correctly, as it is still looking for the sbs2003 server. The question is can we recover this? I would be happy to have a completely empty store, as I presume we would be able to get the info from the current outlook clients which are running cached mode, so have all of their inforamtion still there, and we also have a backup pst from each mailbox.

When I run BPA selecting the sbs2008 server, we get the following errors :-

Cannot connect to port 25 of the routing group master
Cannot connect to port 691 of the routing group master

Does this help?

I have looked at the actual .edb files and there is something in there as the Mailbox Database.edb is 10Gb in size.

Still at work - home in an hour or so

Is this question concluded?

Due to the desperate nature of this problem we ended up engaging Microsoft to resolve this issue. Major problems which took hours to resolve, so really outside the scope of this medium.
Thanks for all who tried to assist.