how to recover crashed AD and Exchange server

build18er

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Nov 25, 2008, 4:37:03 PM11/25/08

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I have a server 2003 SP2 x64 server that crashed.

The datacent attempted to do a repair install, but it still will not boot
up.

They then took out the hard drive and performed a clean install on a new
harddrive, and attached the old hard drive to the server as an external drive.

I am able to read all of the data off of it.

The problem is that i need to get everthing working again.

This server was the only domain controller and exchange server in my
organization. No computers connect to the DC, it just runs for Exchange 2007.

I am hoping that there is a way to import the DNS and AD and Exchange info
from the old server to the new one so that i don't have to re-configure
things from scratch, but i have no idea on how to do this.

your help is greatly appreciated.

Meinolf Weber

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Nov 25, 2008, 4:57:06 PM11/25/08

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Hello build18er,

For AD without, at least, a system state backup, there are no recommended/supported
options. In older Exchange versions it was possible in an existing/running
domain to install a new exchange server with the same name and import the
database files and bind them again to the new exchange install. But because
you do not have a running domain i think you have to start again.

For the future you should rethink about the domain setup, at least you should
have 2 DC's/GC/DNS and also exchange has to run on member servers and not
on domain controllers, especially 2007 which requires lot of resources.

Hopefully for you i am wrong and someone else can give you an option.

Best regards

Meinolf Weber
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build18er

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Nov 25, 2008, 5:16:07 PM11/25/08

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I appreciate the reply.

The only backups i made are file backups, not system state backups.

I am running this for a very small org. <5 users, which is why i am doing
everything on just one server.

what would you recommend as the best course of action?

Meinolf Weber

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Nov 25, 2008, 5:22:01 PM11/25/08

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Hello build18er,

You talk about the old harddisk are attached to a new server. What is on
the harddisk, the complete systemdrive? What was the reason of the server
crash?

build18er

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Nov 25, 2008, 5:30:01 PM11/25/08

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yes, the complete system drive is on the external HDD.

it wouldn't boot up anymore. I could not do the troubleshooting myself,
since it is in a datacenter.

they datacenter techs determined that something was corrupt (they don't know
what) and then reimaged. at my request they attempted a repair install, and
the following happened

"
Unfortunately a repair install is not possible. We receive odd "buffer
overflow" errors at random times during the repair.
We've tried multiple cd's and workarounds but something must be very
corrupted within the old registry.
"

so now i have just the fresh image.

Meinolf Weber

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Nov 25, 2008, 5:55:50 PM11/25/08

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Hello build18er,

Well, just copying the AD database to the new server will not work. See here
about system state backup:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc785306.aspx

And also without access to the disk's to work yourself with them, i think
there is no way.

smith....@gmail.com

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Jul 17, 2012, 6:16:12 AM7/17/12

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