How to Repair Exchange Database

Repair Exchange Database with ESEUTIL

Microsoft Exchange Server includes two utilities (Eseutil and Isinteg) that will help you to repair Exchange Server Database. The Exchange Server Database Utilities (Eseutil.exe) is can be used to verify, modify, and repair an Exchange database file.

Here is the step by step procedure that you can follow to repair Exchange Server Database with ESEUTIL utility. Note:

1. Make a copy of the database files(s) before you repair them.
2. Verify that you have sufficient disk space to do the repair.
3. The streaming database (.stm file) must be in the same folder as the MAPI database (.edb file). 

Step 1: Run Eseutil in /P (repair) mode.

Problems Arises while running Eseutil /P command 

Eseutil/P command repairs a corrupt offline database by skipping any pages that cannot be fixed. You may encounter two problem while running Eseutil/P command:

1. Database and streaming files don't match: Sometimes due to hard crash of the Exchange Server causes Database and Streaming file mismatch or out of sync (streaming file is out of date with database file). This files mismatch can be checked at the beginning and gives users a chance to choose a correct .stm file You can ignore the mismatch by using this command  ESEUTIL /P priv1.edb /I
2. (.stm) Streaming file is missing: You can repair exchange database even if the streaming file is missing or corrupted but there will data loss. In case MAPI configured clients the data loss will be negligible but for POP3 or IMAP4 protocol configured client recovery the data loss will be so much high. You can create a new streaming file using the following command  ESEUTIL /P PRIV1.EDB /CREATESTM

Step 2: Defragment the Exchange Database

Note: For defragmenting the Exchange Database, you need space equivalent to 110% the size of the database.

Run the following command to defrag the exchange server database

Eseutil in /D (defragment) mode.

Above command defragments the database offline but leaves the new, defragmented database in the temporary location with or without overwriting the original database.

Step 3: Clear Transaction Log

Now, your database is restored. You need to move or take a backup of all the transaction logs for your database.

Step 4: Run Integrity Check

Now run the Isinteg in -fix -test -alltests mode.

isinteg -s ServerName -test -alltests

Step 5: Remount

Finally, remount the store using ESM to complete the process.

Repair Exchange Database Without log files- An Alternative Approach

You can recover or repair exchange database without log files by using ESEutil command with /p mode. Using this command database can be brought to consistent state from inconsistent state. But there is problem of data loss (due to corrupt pages, broken links and other issues) while recovering exchange database file using this approach. So it is recommended to use third party tools like Exchange Recovery software which provide easy interface and simplifies the complicated process of exchange recovery.