[Best & Easy Ways] How To Repair Corrupt Exchange Database?

This article summarizes all about EDB corruption and the best and easy ways to repair corrupt Exchange Database. So, if you are having the same issue, then read this article till the end and recover the corrupt EDB file with just a few steps.

What is the Exchange Database (EDB)?

Exchange Database (EDB) files are the data repository of the Microsoft Exchange Server and they are also responsible for the storage of all data in a structured manner.

Microsoft Exchange Server saves user’s email records or data in the Exchange Database or EDB folder. These EDB folders comprise of EDB Checkpoints and Transaction log files.

EDB files are known as primary Exchange database and it is crucial for running an email system based on the Exchange server smoothly. There are mainly two types of EDB files:

• Priv.edb: These files incorporate the private data
• Pub.edb: These files contain public folders

But some times due to some reasons it hinders the smooth functioning of the MS Exchange Server that results in the corrupted Exchange Server Database files.

Types of Exchange Server Database Corruption

The Exchange Database corruption is broadly categorized into two types – Logical Corruption and Physical Corruption. These are the primary type of EDB file corruptions that Exchange server encounters.

1. Physical Corruption

The Physical Exchange Database corruption is considered as the critical EDB corruption that requires the server database recovery expert in order to examine and repair the corrupted Exchange Database. However, minor corruption can be fixed with solutions given in this article.

Physical Corruption usually arises due to hardware failure or corrupted drivers. Here are some of the examples of Physical corruption in EDB :

• Error 4294966746: JET_errDatabaseInconsistent
• Exchange jet error 1216
• 510 Jet_errLogWriteFail

2. Logical Corruption

Logical corruption takes place at different levels. It’s quite complicated to find out at which specific level this corruption took place. This type of EDB corruption arises due to the corrupted database objects or corrupted database file header.

These kinds of corruptions directly affect the Exchange Database and lead to the inaccessibility of EDB files.

What Are the Causes of Corrupt Exchange Database?

Below given are some of the most prominent reasons for the corrupt Exchange Database file:

• Dirty Database Shutdown- Accidental shutdowns and power failures create a conflict between the cache and data stored in the EDB files. To restore the database in this stage can be recovered through updating backup copy and then re-synchronizing it with transaction logs.
• Stored Information also fails to start due to the crashing of hard disk or by the presence of bad sectors within it. These bad sectors of the Hard disks which store data lead to problems while accessing or mounting the data from the database.
• These Exchange Database may get prone to virus attack or to some other malicious applications which leads to file header corruption and leads to damage. So once the EDB file header gets corrupted it restricts the access to the stored mailbox items.
• Due to the installation of malicious codes.
• Storage issue – There is a certain limit of how much data one can store in the EDB file. So, when you store data in the database more than the specified limit, the Exchange Server Database gets corrupted.
• Due to slow internet connectivity and many more.

How Do EDB File Corruption Affect Users?

Microsoft Exchange Server works on the client-server architecture. Hence, whenever any kind of corruption takes place on the Exchange Server, it affects each of the associated users.

Corrupted Exchange Server Database means you will no more be able to access any of the emails now. Also, users can’t send or receive emails and save contacts.

This means you are going to lose communication, productivity, and business too. Well, I don’t think anyone can move ahead without fixing this issue and recover the important data stored in the database.

As you already know the causes of this issue, so your next action should be to repair corrupt Exchange Database. So, now I am going to explain how you can effectively recover the Corrupted Exchange Database file without putting your database in any danger.

How Can You Repair Corrupted Exchange Database File?

1. Use Backup Files to Repair Corrupt EDB File

If you often take the backup of your data, then you can easily repair the corrupt EDB file. So, if your EDB file is corrupted and you are unable to access the mailbox, then you can use the backup to get back all the data.

For this, all you need to do is simply open the backup file, take all the data, and put it in the new Exchange Database file. Next, connect this new EDB file to the mailbox of the user and everything will get back to the normal.

Though there are some limitations to this method, such as you will miss all the data received or sent between the time of corruption and time of backup.

But if you take backup continuously (in every 1-2 hrs), then this is the easiest way of Exchange Database recovery.

 2. Use Eseutil Utility

In case, you don’t have a backup, then you can try the inbuilt tool Eseutil. This tool helps to rectify the integrity issues related to the stored information and directory.

The Eseutil tool offers dual database recovery switches:

1. Eseutil/P: It is known as Eseutil hard recovery option. It helps to troubleshoot Exchange corruptions such as Exchange disasters. But this may lose EDB file’s crucial data, which is easily repaired by Eseutil/P command.
2. Eseutil/R: It is known as the Eseutil soft recovery option. It helps when EDB files encounter minor issues or only a few Exchange database files damage.

• To start Eseutil recovery command we have to check the status of the EDB file whether it is mounted on the Exchange Server or it is in Offline Mode:

Eseutil/mh “:C:Program filesExchsrvrMDBDataPrimary name.EDB”

• This command return backs from “Dirty Shutdown” state, which means EDB file has switched into the offline mode and needs repair using Eseutil/R command which is-

Eseutil/R “:C:Program filesExchsrvrMDBDataPrimary name.EDB”

• If cannot recover EDB files from corruption with the help of Eseutil/R then use Eseutil hard recovery which includes the following command-

Eseutil/P “:C:Program filesExchsrvrMDBDataPrimary name.EDB”

• After recovering EDB files such as Priv1.EDB or Pub1.EDB, it requires to compact the repaired file using Eseutil/D command:

Eseutil/D “:C:Program filesExchsrvrMDBDataPrimary name.EDB”

3. Repair Corrupt Exchange Database Using ISinteg Utility

Information Store Integrity Checker (ISinteg) is another inbuilt utility use to recover Exchange Server Database. It scans the corrupted Exchange Database in order to amend the error causing the server issue that leads to this corruption.

To use this utility, you need to run this command:

Isinteg- s (Name of Exchange Server)- fix- test all tests

Repeat Isinteg command till it does not show zero error in MS Exchange Server.

Recommended Way to Fix Corrupted EDB

In case, the above-given solutions didn’t work for you, then you use the EDB Repair Tool. This tool is able to fix the corrupted Exchange Database.

This tool will allow you to fix many other EDB errors and issues, including the one mentioned here. This tool is quite easy to use. The steps of repairing and recovering the EDB files are easy and be performed even by a non-techy person. So, download it by clicking on the button given below.

Steps To Fix Corrupted Exchange Database Server

Step 1: Click on ‘open EDB File‘ and choose the EDB file or to search the files you may click on ‘Find EDB File’.

Step 2: Select the MS Exchange Server type and click ‘Start’ button.

Step 3: Select the scanning types, ‘Quick Scan‘ or ‘Extensive Scan‘ and click ‘OK’.

Step 4: Recoverable file and folders are presented in the left panel; you may see the preview of the item by clicking.

Step 5: Now select the mailbox folders to recover and then click on the ‘Save mailboxes‘ icon. Fill the destination drive or folder in a dialog box and click ‘OK’.

Step 6: And the selected Data will be recovered.

Final Words:

In this blog, I have described all about the Exchange Database and its corruption. As we know Microsoft Exchange Server is an excellent platform for managing emails, so when the EDB gets corrupted, the whole structure gets disrupted.

Therefore, I have mentioned the 3 top solutions to repair corrupt Exchange Database file. Even though if you are not a tech-savvy guy, you can easily recover the Microsoft Exchange mailboxes database without any trouble.

I hope this article is sufficient for you to fix the issue and now you can use the EDB without any error.

Good Luck!!

Jeff Tecson is a senior technical writer at filerepairtool.net having over 5 years of experience. He has provided solutions related EDB file, OLM, PST Repair & many other email clients. Jeff holds a degree of Master’s in Computer Science from University of California, CA. Besides writing, he loves to play games, passionate about troubleshooting different technical problems and also wants to help people by providing best solutions in the industry.