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Q161855: XADM: Restoring a Public Info Store from Earlier Service Pack

Article: Q161855
Product(s): Microsoft Exchange
Version(s): winnt:4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbusage
Last Modified: 12-APR-1999

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Exchange Server, version 4.0 
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SUMMARY
=======

This article discusses a way to restore a backup of the public information store
(Pub.edb) from an earlier Exchange service pack than the one that is currently
running on the Exchange Server computer.

MORE INFORMATION
================

When an Exchange service pack is installed, the private and public information
stores are updated to the current service pack. If you attempt to use a public
or private store from an earlier service pack, the information store service
will fail to start, and the error received will reflect that the store is the
wrong version.

In case the only good backup is one from an earlier service pack, you can take
steps to get the older information back without having to reinstall all of
Exchange and each of the service packs. If only the public information store
needs to be restored, perform the following procedure:

1. Determine which version of Exchange was running when the backup of the public
  information store was done.

2. In Control Panel, open Services, and stop the information store service.

3. Rename Mdbrest.dll to Mdbrest.xxx. It is located in the EXCHSRVR\BIN
  directory.

4. Copy the Mdbrest.dll from the SETUP\<platform>\BIN directory of the
  service pack that is the same as the version as the backed-up public
  information store.

5. Restore the public information store.

6. Rename Priv.edb to Priv.xxx in the EXCHSRVR\MDBDATA directory.

7. Run ISINTEG -PATCH. You will get a warning stating that the private
  information store was not found. That is expected because it was just
  renamed.

8. Start the information store service again.

9. Log on to the Exchange client as a mailbox that has rights to all the public
  folders. There will be no messages available from the private information
  store at this time, but all the messages and folders in the public
  information store will be available.

10. Move all the public folders into a personal folder file (*.pst file) from
  the client.

11. Shut down the client software, and then stop the information store service
  again.

12. Rename Pub.edb to Pub.xxx, and rename Priv.xxx back to Priv.edb (from step
  6). These files are in the EXCHSRVR\MDBDATA directory.

13. Rename or delete Mdbrest.dll in the EXCHSRVR\BIN directory, and then rename
  Mdbrest.xxx to Mdbrest.dll (from step 3).

14. Run ISINTEG -PATCH. You will get a warning stating that the public
  information store was not found. That is expected because it was just
  renamed.

15. Start the information store service again.

16. Log on to the same Exchange client as in step 9, and move all the public
  folders from the personal folder file up to All Public Folders.

This procedure brings public folders from an earlier service pack and updates
them to the latest service pack without your having to reinstall Exchange and
all the service packs.

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbusage 
Technology        : kbExchangeSearch kbExchange400 kbZNotKeyword2
Version           : winnt:4.0

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