How to Repair Corrupt Exchange EDB Files in 2 Best Ways
Microsoft Exchange Server is one of the best email servers in the Industry considering the number of features and security that it offers to its users. However, there are situations when the Exchange Database File i.e. EDB file gets damaged due to corruption and becomes inaccessible. In such scenarios, there occurs a demand for a trusted utility that can help the Exchange administrators to repair EDB files and get them back into a healthy state.
When we talk about a repair utility, then there are two ways to get your Exchange EDB file repaired. The first one is a command-line utility – EseUtil that is offered by Microsoft and helps administrators in database maintenance and repair tasks. Whereas, there is another trusted solution SysTools Exchange Database Recovery Tool which is an advanced solution for repairing minor and major corruption levels of EDB files.
The EseUtil for Exchange offers two modes for recovery i.e. Soft Recovery and Hard Recovery. It is mostly preferred for performing Soft Recovery on corrupted mailboxes because when you go for the hard recovery, it will purge all the highly corrupted and irrecoverable data from the database. Hence, most of the administrators only use it if there are minor corruption levels.
Let us now discuss the steps to repair EDB file for Exchange 2016, 2013, and 2010.
Free Solution to Repair Corrupt EDB Files
To start the repair process, you must fulfill all the pre-requisites to run the utility on your system:
- Keep a backup copy of your Exchange Database file.
- Administrator rights / permissions.
- Additional storage space on your system to perform repair tasks.
Once you have fulfilled all the requirements, now it is time to start repairing Exchange EDB files.
Step 1 – Find the Location of EseUtil
First of all, you need to locate the eseutil.exe in the Bin directory where you have installed the Exchange server. You can locate the utility at the following path in the case of Exchange 2013 or Exchange 2016 server: C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\Bin\
After locating it, now open the command prompt as an administrator and change the directory path to the utility’s location. The command for the same is:
cd C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\Bin
Step 2 – Verify Database Size
The next step for repairing corrupt EDB files is to check the database size and get an estimate of the required storage space to perform the complete task. For this, launch the 1221 Event ID and check the whitespace in the database. Following that, subtract the whitespace size from the actual database size. The remaining size will be the minimum storage space that will be required to run this utility.
Step 3 – Check the State of the Database
There is a /MH switch that helps us perform Exchange mailbox health check. After running this command, if the state shows Clean Shutdown, then there should not be any issues with the database, and can be mounted again after moving all the previous log files to some other location.
However, if the database shows a Dirty Shutdown state in Exchange, then this signifies that the database has inconsistencies or corruption issues. Thus, the database can’t be mounted until the issue is not fixed.
To check the database state, run
eseutil /mh
Step 4 – Check Log Files
In the previous step, if your database shows its state as Dirty Shutdown, then its next line will show you the log file that is required. Now, the next step to repairing Exchange EDB files is to verify if there are any issues with the log files or not. For this, use the eseutil /ml command along with the log file path that you can copy from the Log required section of the previous step.
eseutil /ml “C:\exch01\logs”
The above command will tell you the status of the log files.
Step 5 – Start Soft Recovery
If the logs are in a healthy state, then you can easily perform soft recovery on your database using the below parameter:
eseutil /r e11 /l “M:\exch01\logs” /d “M:\exch01\database”
Once the process is complete, you can recheck the state of the database using the /MH command. If the database comes out to be in a healthy state, then you can mount the database back with the mailbox.
However, if the Exchange database still is in a Dirty Shutdown state, then you need to go for Hard Recovery.
Step 6 – Hard Recovery
This procedure is the last option if you don’t get your database back in a healthy state via the aforementioned process. Additionally, you have to be careful before going with this mode as it will purge all the data that it will find damaged. So, there are a good number of chances of losing your crucial data while running this command.
The command that you can use for Hard Recovery is:
eseutil /p “c:\exch11\exch01.edb”
This command might take a substantial amount of time when compared to Soft Recovery. Moreover, you receive a potential damage alert that may happen on your database.
Note: Many tech experts and Exchange administrators don’t prefer running this method to repair EDB files. They usually opt for the professional solution described below as it is easy to run and ensures the in-depth repair of the database. Additionally, the advanced filters offered in the utility are just icing on the cake.
Best Solution to Repair Corrupt Exchange EDB Files – Recommended by Experts
As we have seen that the free utility by Microsoft does not provide a sure-shot solution and also has a risk of data loss. Thus, these procedures are not recommended by the experts. For the assured results, you must go with SysTools EDB File Repair Tool. This automated software offers various advanced features and ensures the in-depth repair of databases without losing a single bit of data.
Moreover, after repairing the EDB file successfully, the software provides you the option to import the EDB data into the Live Exchange Server. The software comes with a free demo version that permits users to give this option a chance before directly going for the licensed version.
Brief Steps to Repair EDB Files in Exchange
- Download the EDB Repair Tool for Free.
- Locate and Add EDB Files into the Tool.
- Perform In-Depth Scan on EDB Files.
- Repair All the Corruption Issues from File.
- Export Entire EDB Data into Healthy Format.
Conclusion
Many users who are looking for a trusted and reliable solution to repair Exchange EDB files can go through this article and find a suitable solution for them. This write-up explains both free manual and a professional solution to repair file corruption. The free method doesn’t provide any surety of fixing corruption without data loss. Whereas, the automated tool provides you with a 100% healthy EDB file without any risk of data loss.
Frequently Asked Question on EDB Repair Process
What are the key differences between a healthy EDB file and symptoms that indicate corruption?
There is one key difference that is readily apparent, that is a working edb allows any time access to mailbox data. While even a minor corruption results in the breakdown of user-level access to the EDB data. Other symptoms of a faulty EDB are problems during the mounting and dismounting of the Exchange database server, slow performance, and sudden server crashes.
Why is Eseutil is not the top choice for EDB repair, and how will using it impact the repair process?
Traditionally admins had no other option but to use Eseutil even with its unnecessary complexity. Despite numerous user complaints about data loss during the recovery process, Microsoft made little to no updates on the script-based repair module. It is infamous for gobbling up precious disk space on an Exchange Server. This ends up extending the time to repair especially in the case of large servers. Moreover, admins have to follow up with Isinteg which can be quite confusing for inexperienced users.
Is it possible to avoid EDB file corruption in the future? If so, how to prevent it?
Even Microsoft doesn’t give a 100 % guarantee of corruption-free EDB files. However, preventive steps can reduce the chance of EDB files going bad. So admins should keep the hardware and software up-to-date. Shrink in case Exchange EDB grows too big and use proper shutdown procedures. Admins may if their organization allows deploy antivirus protection on the Exchange server and surrounding network.
