More Pieces

1. From Explorers folder options ensure that hidden files and folders are displayed, file extensions are not hidden and simple file sharing is disabled.
2. Open up the properties for %systemroot%\Inf\Usbtror.inf (%systemroot% would normally be ‘C:\Windows’).
3. Select the security tab and make sure that all options for all users are set to deny. This must include administrators and SYSTEM.
4. Repeat the above for %systemroot%\Inf\Usbstor.pnf
5. If USB storage devices have been used on this machine previously then open up the registry editor otherwise ignore steps 6 and 7.
6. Browse to the registry location ‘HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\UsbStor’.
7. Open up the registry key ‘Start’ and change the data value to ‘4′. Close the registry editor.

That’s it! If simple file sharing was enabled previously then don’t forget to re-enable it.

You can use the Eseutil utility to defragment the information store and directory in Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 and to defragment the information store in Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server and in Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. Eseutil examines the structure of the database tables and records (which can include reading, scanning, repairing, and defragmenting) the low level of the database (Ese.dll).

Eseutil is located in the Winnt\System32 folder in Exchange Server 5.5 and in the Exchsrvr/Bin folder in Exchange 2000 and in Exchange 2003. The utility can run on one database at a time from the command line.

The defragmentation option makes used storage contiguous, eliminates unused storage, and compacts the database, which reduces the database’s size. Eseutil copies database records to a new database. When defragmentation is complete, the original database is deleted or saved to a user-specified location, and the new version is renamed as the original. If the utility encounters a bad record, the utility stops and displays an error message.

Defragmenting an Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003 database

Note Defragmenting a database requires free disk space equal to 110 percent of the size of the database being processed.

1. In Exchange System Manager, right-click the information store that you want to defragment, and then click Dismount Store

2. At the command prompt, change to the Exchsrvr\Bin folder, and then type the eseutil /d command, a database switch, and any options that you want to use.

For example, the following command runs the standard defragmentation utility on a mailbox store database:

C:\program files\exchsrvr\bin> eseutil /d c:\progra~1\exchsrvr\mdbdata\priv1.edb

Use the following database switch to run Eseutil defragmentation on a specific database:

eseutil /d <database_name> [options]

Defragmentation/Compaction

Performs off-line compaction of a database.

Syntax: eseutil /d <database_name> [options]

Parameters: <database_name> is the file name of the database that you want to compact.

You are not required to use any of the following options, but you can use one or more (separated by a space) to specify the operations that you want to perform on the database.

Option         Description

----------------------------------------------------------------

/b<database>   Make a backup copy under the specified name

/t<database>   Set the temporary database name (the default is Tempdfrg.edb)

/s<file>       Set the streaming file name (the default is NONE)

/f<file>       Set the temporary streaming file name (the default is Tempdfrg.stm)

/p             Preserve the temporary database (in other words, do not instate)

/o             Suppress logo

/i             Do not defragment streaming file

Note If instating is disabled (for example, if you use the /p option), the original database is preserved uncompacted, and the temporary database contains the defragmented version of the database.

This article describes how to Backup and Restore your Exchange Server databases with the help of NTBACKUP in Windows 2003.

Server 2003 has a Built-In Backup program called NTBACKUP which you can use to backup your Windows environment. NTBACKUP is now enhanced to allow backups of your Exchange Server databases.

NTBACKUP features

• Local and remote backup of data
• Exchange Backup ready
• Scheduled Backups
• Volume Shadow Copy support
• Integration with Removable Storage from Windows 2003

How do you enhance NTBACKUP with the capability to Backup Exchange 2003 without installing Exchange Server?

You must install the Exchange System Manager on the Backup Server to backup Exchange Server. It is possible to backup the Exchange Server without Exchange System Manager with the following trick:

Copy ESEBCLI2.DLL from the Exchange 2003 CD into the EXCHSRVR\BIN folder

Add the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\BackupRestore\DLLPaths – REG_EXPAND_SZ - esebcli2 - c:\exchsrvr\bin\esebcli2.dll.

After modifying the registry you can use NTBACKUP to backup the remote Exchange Server by clicking – Tools – Remote Store.

It is possible to Backup Exchange Online or Offline. The recommended method is to Backup the Exchange Server Online. An online backup can backup the Exchange Server databases without the interruption of Exchange services.

An offline backup is a simple copy of the Exchange database files. The Exchange Information store must be stopped before NTBACKUP can be used to Backup your Information store.

Beginning with Exchange 2003 it is possible to do Exchange 2003 Volume Shadows Copy backups with 3^rd party Backup applications, but not with the built-in Windows Server 2003 NTBACKUP utility.

The Volume Shadow Copy service coordinates its communication between Requestors (backup applications), Writers (applications like Exchange Server 2003), and Providers (software or hardware components that create the shadow copies). To use the Volume Shadow Copy service to backup Exchange Server 2003, the backup program must include an Exchange Server 2003 aware Volume Shadow Copy service requestor. Because the NTBACKUP program has no such requestor, organizations must use third-party backup applications or implement Exchange 2003 SP1 in its organization.

Backup choices

• Minimum selection is the storage group (SG) to truncate log files
• VSC can create a Snapshot from multiple SG at the same time

Restore choices

• You can choose the entire storage group or a single database or multiple databases from a single Storage Group
• Exchange 2003 RTM supports full backups and copy backups
• All databases must be mounted to purge logfiles.

Start the Backup process

During an online backup, the .edb, .stm, and .log files that comprise the Exchange store are being backed up and checked for corruption. The Exchange database store is checked for corruption at file system level. File system level damage may be caused by unreliable hardware, firmware, or disks. This check is done by verifying the checksums on each 4 KB block or page in the database. If there is a checksum failure, backup will terminate (Exchange will not allow you to back up an Exchange store with a wrong checksum in it). This is typical for the 1018 error.

Choose a place to save the Backup files.

Choose a Backup device

It is possible to disable Volume Shadow Copy.

NTBACKUP options

The Backup process will begin.

The running NTBACKUP process

You can see the status of your Exchange Backups when you start the event viewer and select the application log.

The type of Backup depends on the configuration of circular logging. You can specify circular logging settings at the Exchange Storage Group level.

Restore

After a successful Backup it is possible to do an Exchange Server restore in case of emergency.

You must ensure that the Exchange database store to restore is not mounted. You can dismount an Exchange Database Store in the Exchange System Manager by right clicking the database.

Start the NTBACKUP program and select Restore and Manage Media.

NTBACKUP restore process

In the following screen you must select the Server to restore the data, a temporary location for log and patch files (this directory must be empty).

Click Last Restore Set when this is the last restore device (this is also possible with ESEUTIL)

Click Mount Database after Restore if you want to automatically start the restored database.

Restore Progress

You can read the Logfile after a successful or unsuccessful Exchange restore.

NTBACKUP Logfile

The following screenshots shows the Exchange Server MDBDATA directory. As you can see, there are now more Exchange Server Transaction Logfiles except the actual logfile

You can also refer to the below MS KB :

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/258243