In several Exchange database operations, like (but not limited to) backup process, the operating system is called to read database pages that have to be written on disk. During this operation, the checksum value placed in database page header is compared with that returned by READ operation. The backup operation fails if these values do not match. Such errors indicate corruption in database and need backup availability to restore lost data. But in cases when user finds it unfeasible to restore from backup (because it is corrupted or incomplete), a Microsoft Exchange Recovery tool can help.

To depict the probable events, let's take a related scenario of an Exchange Server 2003 user. When he runs a backup utility to copy the Exchange database, the operation halts with an error that reads:

“Database was not found and could not be backed up. Please make sure database exists and is mounted.”

The logs also consist of errors such as:

“Store_Name is a corrupt file. This file cannot verify.”

Or

“Access is denied. Access denied to database Mailbox Store.”

On exploring the application event log, it shows error -1018.

Cause

The root cause of the above behavior is corruption of Exchange mailbox store, most likely due to hardware issues. These errors cause checksum errors in database pages.

Solution

To resolve the problem:

1. You need to run system hardware diagnostics to find the root cause and then isolate the related issues.

2. User can create a new mailbox store and move the mailboxes from the corrupted store, to correct the database problems.

3. You can also try repairing the corrupted database using Eseutil/p repair utility. However, this command is often unrecommended because it deletes the corrupted database pages and can cause important data to delete.

4. And, for safe database repair, use an Exchange Recovery Tool. Designed to run safe scanning procedures, these Microsoft Exchange Server Recovery software can repair corrupted database and extract valuable data.

Exchange Server Recovery Software is a professional exchange database recovery tool built for fixing corruption with Exchange databases created with MS Exchange Server 2007, 2003, 2000, and 5.5. The software recovers deleted mailboxes and includes various advanced options. Compatible with Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2003, and 2000, this Exchange Database Recovery Tool extracts mailboxes in separate *.pst files.