Member Avatar for Siboneloz

Hi All,

i was wondering if anyone could help, we have a RAID failure and we decided to install a new SBS 2008 server from the sbs 2003. now the problem is ew just got ur data back on a hard drive and i was wondering if i could plug it in via a hard drive and extract the exchange DB into PSTs from the SBS 2008 box?

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A short, practical recovery checklist and options for the scenario described by . The short answer: a dead‑simple copy of the Exchange 2003 .edb onto an SBS 2008/Exchange 2007 server will not let Exchange just mount the old store. and are correct that in-place migrations require both servers online; however, recovering mail from an offline Exchange 2003 store is still possible by using Exchange‑supported recovery paths or vetted third‑party EDB extractors. ()

Recommended, supported path on SBS 2008 (Exchange 2007):

  • Verify the offline EDB header with eseutil /mh <path\file.edb> and determine Clean vs Dirty shutdown.
  • If logs exist, attempt a soft recovery (eseutil /r <BaseName> /l <logpath> /d <edbpath>) so the database reaches Clean Shutdown.
  • Create a Recovery Storage Group (RSG) on the Exchange 2007 mailbox server via the Database Recovery Management / ExTRA tool, add the mailbox database to the RSG, copy the recovered EDB+log files into the RSG path (use the same database filenames), mount, then use the RSG “Merge or copy mailbox contents” to extract/merge mailboxes or export to PSTs.
    Key tools and how‑to steps are documented in Exchange recovery guidance and ExTRA documentation. ()

Alternatives and cautions:

  • Rebuild a temporary Exchange 2003 recovery server (same AD/AG if possible), attach the recovered database there and use ExMerge to export mailboxes to PST (ExMerge remains the classic tool for Exchange 2003 exports). ()
  • If rebuilding Exchange is not possible, a reputable offline EDB→PST product can extract mailboxes directly from the .edb. Microsoft’s guidance, however, recommends using RSG/Exchange‑supported restore methods because some reverse‑engineering approaches are not supported and can risk latent corruption. ()

Final cautions: avoid eseutil /p (hard repair) unless as a last resort—it can permanently discard data. If logs are missing or the EDB is badly damaged, engage an experienced Exchange admin or a trusted EDB recovery vendor to avoid accidental data loss. (itprotoday.com)

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Member Avatar for jlego

no its not going to work (as far as i know from experience)

whenever you migrate, you have to keep both servers online and move the data (there is alot more to this process). i have some videos that explain in depth the migration process.

but the way you are explaining could cause giant headaches, no migraines.

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