Software

Ask something
Discussion Locked

Accessing an Outlook database

0 helpful
4 replies

by mike heaps

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

We recently had to rebuild our server following infection from by a virus. After re-installing Exchange Server 5.5, my outsourced tech support tells me that I can nolonger access the mail database (*.edb)that we previously had and since they changed the mail profiles for the clients, they can nolonger access the OST files that would have allowed resynchronization. So all of our stored email and contact lists etc have been lost.

Is anyone aware of any way in which we could access and restore either the previous database (edb)files or the client OST's so that all of this lost info can be retreived?

Thanks.

4 replies

by volksjager

What about your backups? If you have a successful backup you should be able to restore the databases listed in your post. Is your entire Exchange managment outsourced?
If backup is handled by a third party, they should have the necessary files to allow you to resolve the situation. You will need the edb and stm dbs and all the transaction logs from a backup that was carried out before your virus. Restore the db's and replay the transaction logs which will restore your system to the time beforeyou received the virus.

Good Luck..

by mike heaps

The posted answer refers to restoring from backups. We have done this, but need to know how to recover the public and private exchange information stores. Exchange had to be re-installed and some of the profiles have been changed. I can reinstall exchange again, if I know there is some way of recovering the previous informaion stores.

by mike heaps

The posted answer refers to restoring from backups. We have done this, but need to know how to recover the public and private exchange information stores. Exchange had to be re-installed and some of the profiles have been changed. I can reinstallexchange again, if I know there is some way of recovering the previous informaion stores.

by tony.colgrove

Yes you can recover from backups. There are a few situations to consider:
Are you still using the original SAM database (was the PDC on a different server)?
If it was you can rebuild the server with the same name and configuration previous and simply restore the databases with your backup software. All should be good.
If server was the PDC and you do not have a backup of the SAM database (holds all user accounts and SIDs), then a little more work is needed. Install Exchange with the same servername, Org, Site configurations. Only restore the priv and pub (do not restore the Directory Store). Before restarting the IS, delete edb.log. Run isinteg -patch. Start the IS. Now run the DS/IS (this can be found on the Properties Page of the ORG/SITE/Configuration/Server/Private Information Store) to recreate the Directory service from the restored mailboxes. You will need to recreate NT ID and associate them with their mailbox and recreate any DL you might have had.

As for recovering from .ost's. If they have created new profiles for Outlook, then you're out of luck. If they can still get into the .ost then it can be exported.

In either of the two recovery cases, the .ost will need to be resyncronized.

This discussion is closed to new replies.