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Q174299: XADM: Private or Public Information Store Option Not Available

Article: Q174299
Product(s): Microsoft Exchange
Version(s): winnt:4.0,5.0,5.5
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): exc4 exc5 exc55
Last Modified: 22-DEC-1999

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The information in this article applies to:

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

The Windows NT Backup program allows a user to perform an online restore of both
the private information store and the public information store, but does not
allow a user to perform an online backup of either of them. They must be backed
up when the user performs an online backup using the Windows NT Backup tool.

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

The public information store is contained in the Pub.edb file which is located,
by default, in the \Exchsrvr\Mdbdata directory. The private information store is
contained in the Priv.edb file which is also located, by default, in the
\Exchsrvr\Mdbdata directory. You may back up the private or public information
store separately by choosing to perform an offline backup of either of these
files. Use the following procedure to perform an offline backup of these files:

1. Open Control Panel, double-click Services, and stop the Microsoft Exchange
  Information Store service.

2. Start Windows NT Backup and choose Drives, instead of Microsoft Exchange, to
  perform a file-based backup.

3. Choose the drive and directory where the Priv.edb and Pub.edb are located,
  select the check box for one of these two files, and then click the Backup
  button.

4. Repeat step 3 to back up the other file.

When you stop the Exchange Information Store service, all the message
transactions from the Exchange log files are written into the Exchange
databases. When this backup is done, you effectively have all the mail backed up
to that point.

If you need to restore this offline backup in the future, you will be unable to
incorporate Exchange log files created in the future into the restored offline
backup, so you could potentially lose messages. You should perform online
backups of your Exchange Server database files and that you disable circular
logging. If circular logging is enabled, differential and incremental backups
cannot be performed. For more information, please see the "Backup and Restore"
section of Chapter 15 in the "Microsoft Exchange Server Administrator's Guide."

Additional query words: ntbackup backup nt

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

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