XADM: Removing Stranded Mailboxes In Mailbox Resources

• Microsoft Exchange Server, versions 4.0, 5.0, and 5.5

SUMMARY

In certain situations, the Mailbox Resources page of the Private Information Store properties may show entries for mailboxes that are not homed on that particular server, indicating that there are Information Store objects stranded on that private information store.

To remove these stranded information objects from the private information store, perform the following steps:

1. In the Exchange Administrator Program, under Configuration/Servers/<server name>/Private Information Store/Mailbox Resources, note the stranded mailboxes.

2. Connect the Administrator program to another server in the site.

3. Find one of the affected mailboxes in the Global Address List (or any other list) and select it.

4. From the Tools menu, click Move Mailbox, and then select the server containing the stranded mailbox object. Click OK.

5. You will then receive a popup displaying the following error message:

         A duplicate mailbox was found due to problems during a Move Mailbox
         procedure. The duplicate mailbox has been deleted. Try again later.
   

         Microsoft Exchange Information Store
         ID no: c1040b00
   

         Click the OK button on the popup to remove the error message.
   

6. The stranded object will then be removed from the information store and will not appear in the Mailbox Resources page.

7. Repeat steps 3 through 6 for every stranded mailbox that you noted in step 1.

MORE INFORMATION

This problem can occur when mailboxes are moved to another server and then an old version of the private information store is restored to the original server. In this case, the Information Store objects for the moved mailboxes remain on the original server.

This problem has also occurred when the Move Mailbox function has failed midway during the move process.