How to Recover Exchange Server?

Developed by Microsoft, Exchange is one of the most powerful mailing services that can be used on multiple platforms. It stores its database in the EDB file format that can be corrupted due to different reasons. Don’t worry – you can recover EDB files with a native solution or by using an Exchange server repair and recovery tool. Here, I will discuss both of these Exchange server recovery solutions in detail.

Exchange Server Recovery Banner

Part 1: Possible Reasons for the Loss or Corruption of Data in Exchange

Before we discuss the working of an Exchange server repair tool, let’s consider some of the common reasons for causing this issue.

  • A dirty or improper shutdown of the system.
  • Any bad or corrupt query can be injected into the database.
  • Unexpected power or server failure
  • There could be any application or front-end issue as well.
  • A virus or malware could have infected the database.
  • Human error or accidental deletion of your Exchange data.
  • Several other database or server-related issues can make your EDB files corrupt.

Part 2: How to Recover a Lost Exchange Server via Command Prompt?

At first, let’s consider a basic solution in which we would try to mount and recover the Exchange database with the Command Prompt. Even though this method would not need the use of any third-party tool, it will take more effort to do an Exchange server mailbox repair.

Things to do in Advance

  • Make sure you have administrative access to your Exchange database.
  • If the default location of Exchange is not in the Program Files, then check its proper directory and path in advance.
  • Keep MS Exchange up to date or take the assistance of its installation media to perform a Cumulative Update.
  • You have to use a compatible version of Windows Server for your Exchange database (like Windows 2016 or a newer version for the Exchange 2016 server).
  • While mounting the database, you should be using the same drive letters.
  • There should not be any substantial change in the hardware configuration of your system.
  • In case the server uses SSL/TLS certificate before, then configure the server in the same way to maintain the integrity and authenticity of your data.

Repair your Exchange Server Mailbox

Now when you are aware of the prerequisites, you can follow these steps to perform an Exchange server mailbox repair.

Step 1: Reset and Mount your Exchange Server

To start with, you can simply reset your Exchange account on your computer and rejoin the server with the same domain. Furthermore, go to Explorer and right-click the ISO image file of Exchange to mount it (as a preferred virtual drive letter).

Exchange Admin Center

Step 2: Launch the Command Prompt

Once you have taken care of all these prerequisites, you can just launch the Command Prompt as an administrator. To do that, you can just launch the Run prompt and enter the “Cmd” command.

Run Command Prompt

Step 3: Recover the Lost Exchange Database

Great! Once the Command Prompt is launched, you can run the following commands that would install the server-related files to their original location. In place of the Virtual DVD drive letter, you can write E or F (whatever your drive letter is). :\Setup.exe /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms /Mode:RecoverServer [/TargetDir:] [/DomainController:] [/DoNotStartTransport] [/EnableErrorReporting] After processing it, you can enter the following command that would recover your Exchange database. E:\Setup.exe /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms /Mode:RecoverServer

 Exchange PowerShell Recovery

Image Alt: Exchange PowerShell Recovery Once all the modules and existing data in MS Exchange have been recovered, you will be notified.

Part 3: How to Use a Reliable Exchange Server Repair and Recovery Tool?

A lot of times, the above-listed Command Prompt solution might not repair your Exchange server mailbox. In this case, you can use Stellar Exchange Recovery to restore your emails, attachments, contacts, etc. from a corrupt EDB file.

It is a professional Exchange server repair and recovery tool that can repair multiple EDB files at the same time. The application features two different recovery modes that can fix all kinds of issues with a corrupt EDB file. In the end, you can get a preview of your Exchange data and can export it in numerous formats. Here’s how you can also use the Stellar Exchange server repair tool.

Step 1: Launch Stellar Exchange Recovery tool

At first, you can just launch the Stellar Exchange Recovery tool on your system and click on the “Select EDB File” button from the top. You can now browse any corrupt EDB file from your computer and load it on the application.

 Stellar Exchange Recovery Load EDB

Once the EDB files are loaded, you can view their details and start the Exchange repairing features.

 Stellar Exchange Recovery Start Scan

Step 2: Repair and Preview your EDB files

To commence, the application will ask you to pick between a Quick and an Advanced mode. If you want, you can first run the Quick mode to fix minor issues with EDB files and can later run an Advanced Repair to fix more severe issues.

Stellar Exchange Recovery Scan Types

Sit back and wait for a while as the Exchange server repair tool would fix the corrupt EDB files. In the end, it will let you preview the repaired data of your EDB files on the native interface of the application.

Stellar Exchange Recovery Preview

Step 3: Export your Exchange Data in a Preferred Format

That’s it! After getting a preview of your data, you can click on the “Save” button from the top to export your Exchange files. You can export your data in numerous supported formats like EDB, PST, EML, PDF, HTML, and so on.

 Stellar Exchange Recovery Export Files

There you go! I’m sure that after following this guide, you would be able to repair your Exchange server mailbox as well. As you can see, I have listed a native free solution for Command Prompt and a dedicated Exchange server repair tool. In case the Command Prompt solution won’t meet your requirements, you can try Stellar Exchange Recovery. A reliable Exchange Server Repair and Recovery tool, it would come in handy to restore any corrupt EDB file.