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Q163686: XADM: What to Do If the Service Account Is Deleted

Article: Q163686
Product(s): Microsoft Exchange
Version(s): winnt:4.0,5.0,5.5
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): exc4 exc5 exc55
Last Modified: 07-NOV-1999

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Exchange Server, versions 4.0, 5.0, 5.5 
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SUMMARY
=======

The Exchange Server services require a Windows NT domain account to start. This
account is called the Exchange Server service account. This article explains
what to do if the service account is deleted by mistake.

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

The service account is given permissions for the Exchange Server directory
during the setup process. The service account, by default, has permissions for
all of the objects in the directory. Windows NT accounts in the directory are
referred to by their Windows NT Security Identifier (SID) values, and not by
their names.

If the service account is deleted from the Windows NT Accounts database, none of
the Exchange Server services can start. Even if you recreate this service
account using the identical name and password, the SID value associated with
this account is not the same as that of the previous account. Thus, when an
Exchange Server service tries to start using this new account, the service
cannot start because the SID value of this new account is different from that
saved in the directory, and so the account does not have access to the directory
objects.

The only recommended solution to this problem is to restore the Windows NT
Security Accounts Manager (SAM) database from a recent backup. This restores the
deleted service account with its original SID value and all of the Exchange
Server services can start.

If a backup of the SAM database is not available, the only other alternative is
to reinstall Exchange Server on all of the servers affected by the loss of the
service account.

You can save information from the Exchange Server information store (the Priv.edb
and Pub.edb databases), but you need to recreate the directory, which results in
the loss of all directory specific information (custom recipients, distribution
lists, mailbox details, connectors, and so on).


Additional query words:

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Keywords          : exc4 exc5 exc55 
Technology        : kbExchangeSearch kbExchange500 kbExchange550 kbExchange400 kbZNotKeyword2
Version           : winnt:4.0,5.0,5.5
Issue type        : kbhowto kbinfo

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