Single Server Exchange Restore

Microsoft article:

This article is designed to help you recover Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server mailboxes. You will learn how to recover deleted mailboxes. You will also learn how to restore one or more damaged mailboxes from backup media to a separate server and then reconnect those mailboxes to the original server.

Before you learn about these mailbox recovery methods, you must first understand how to protect mission-critical mailboxes from potential disaster.

http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/techinfo/administration/2000/MailbxRec.doc

More useful information (LabMice on Exchange):

http://www.labmice.net/BackOffice/Exchange2000/default.htm

REMOVE SPACES from the pasted URLs.

To restore individual mailboxes on an Exchange server use 'Exmerge'. There is a copy of Exmerge on the Exchange2000 disc (x:\SUPPORT\UTILS\I386\EXMERGE), with extensive instructions. Exmerge is really intended as a migration tool but it makes the best brick backup for Exchange I've ever seen. You will need to place the corresponding exmerge.ini file in your "\Program Files\Exchsrvr\BIN\" directory. Use the 2 step process for creating *.pst files off each mailbox in your site. You can even tell it which folders to skip, like the 'Deleted Items'.

I mapped a network drive to a 100gb drive on my backup station from my exchange server. I use Exmerge to backup mailboxes to this mapped drive. From here I can load them to tape.

Good articles and my input:
http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/techinfo/administration/2000/MailboxRecover.asp

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/prodtechnol/exchange/exchange2000/proddocs/onlinebooks/disrec/default.asp

After installing Exchange 2000 go to Exchange System Manager and locate the Private and Public store Properties tab. Under the Database tab, check "this database can be overwritten by restore".

Dismount both Stores.

Run Veritas BackupExec, NT Backup, or any Exchange aware agent backup program and restore both Private and Public Stores from tape.

Mount both Stores and in Exchange System Manager under the Mailbox Store- Mailboxes- right click and choose run Mailbox Cleanup Agent to inform the system that the mailboxes are orphaned (all mailboxes should have Red X)

Then go to AD Users and Computers and create a new user account for the mailbox you need to access. When you get to the wizard's third screen, clear the 'Create and Exchange Mailbox' check box.

Now return to Exchange System Manager, right click the mailbox that you need to access and select Reconnect.

Apply Article http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q262/0/54.ASP and install Outlook to see mailbox contents on the server or run Exmerge.exe from the Exchange 2000 Resource Kit. This will allow you to export mailbox and public folder contents to personal folder file (PST) for importing into a new exchange installation.

For Public Folders I have found that you must re-mail enable them to open their contents. Since the new Active Directory does not have the attributes written for the PF's you must mail enable again to gain access.

HTH