Utility to deal with corruption in Exchange Server

Exchange Server is a useful collaborative application product which acts as the server at the client side. There are various versions of Exchange Server which are widely used in the enterprises to keep track on e-mails, calendaring, contacts, tasks and numerous other aspects. Any single fault with the exchange server may result in data loss leading to disturbance in communication. To weed out such problems various troubleshooting mechanisms are available which recovers the exchange server and retrieves the lost data to restart the communication in an efficient manner. In this article, we will explain that how Kernel for Exchange Server Recovery tool helps in recovering the exchange server.

The Kernel for Exchange Server Recovery tool is an eminent and quick tool which instantly recovers exchange mailbox from corrupt EDB and STM files of all versions of MS Exchange Server. It also eliminates the problem of losing data from Exchange Dirty shutdown and Checksum Errors. The Exchange Server Recovery is a time and cost savvy tool that efficiently restores mailboxes from damaged, corrupt, deleted or inaccessible .EDB files and saves them to PST and EDB databases. The Exchange Sever Recovery tool is far better than the inbuilt utilities of Microsoft (Eseutil and Isinteg). Using these utilities (Eseutil and Isinteg) is a cumbersome and complex process which doesn't guarantee the exact Exchange Server Recovery:

Image by purplemattfish via Flickr

Note: The Eseutil and Isinteg utilities are pre-installed in the exchsrvr\bin directory with the Exchange setup. The exact path for this tool is \exchsrvr\bin.

Step 1: The process starts with running the Eseutil /R command for securing the data.

Step 2: Now the user would have to run the Eseutil /P command for restoring the exchange data back into the production line.

Step 3: After that Eseutil /D tool has to be initiated.

Step 4: Then the user would have to verify the results with Isinteg tool unless it discovers zero errors in the database.

Step 5: After securing the data one would have to move the folders to a new database.

How this lengthy process becomes easy and simple with Exchange Server Recovery tool:

The software recovers the data through three exclusive repairing modes which ensure quick data recovery from the exchange server and provides efficient restoration.

The repairing modes are as follows:

1.Automatic analyze and repair: this mode is meant for small and minor corruption and provides quicker access to data. It recovers the corrupted files and saves them to PST files.

2.Advance scan: this mode is more powerful than the automatic one and is recommended when the automatic scan fails. It deals with major corruption and saves the recovered mailboxes to PST files.

3.Rebuild corrupted database: this mode is used when the corruption becomes severe and EDB database gets damaged. It is a smart and efficient option which helps in dealing with inaccessible EDB databases and retrieving the mailboxes. It also generates a file for verification to verify the re-built Exchange database file.

Prerequisites:

1.Microsoft Outlook should be installed on the system

2.This tool supports almost all versions of operating systems including Windows 9x/Me//NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista/7

3.A RAM of minimum 64MB is required

Resource :

The author is a master of technology reviewing with in depth knowledge and hands on experience in reviewing the performance of several data recovery software. He has recommended various tools and mechanisms for Exchange Server Recovery.

Computer 101: Do a PRO-Active Computer Maintenance Approach.

Do a PRO-Active Computer Maintenance Approach, what, how to you do that well in simple terms, if you are a computer technical support at your work places or just happen to own one of things called a computer then you can do a pro-active approached in maintaining your computer.  Do not wait for your computer to show sign of problems. Most of the times doing a preventive maintenance in any machine is more effective than solving or trouble-shooting the problem itself. But I do not have the necessary tools to that? Well that not true especially for windows based system. Practically speaking it has all the tools you will ever need to do preventive maintenance. I will not go into details with those tools because I have already blog about each one of them.

The things that I am suggesting here is that you as a computer technical support needs to change the habit of waiting for the problems to show up before acting on it.  But most problems a computer could have is a result of the user of that computer not using the computer properly. Like downloading almost anything on the web from music, to files to picture and going from one website to another. Then when their computer has problem as a result of that usage they always will shout that their computer has a bug on it. To combat this you need to educate all the people in your work places regarding the harmful effects uncontrolled web surfing or downloading. It really pays to educate the workforce to make them aware of the danger they face when they surf the web and click on emails that are suspicious.

Speaking of email that are suspicious, you as the guy who knows not to click emails like that should always educate your co-workers about the risk of opening emails that they believe came from an unknown source. For clicking on this kind of emails will always result in a virus infecting the computer where it has been opened and will spread on the network where that computer is connected locally. But they always say that their computer has an anti-virus to deal with virus. This is also another dangerous mind set. Because not all anti-virus can protect the computer from unwanted malicious program that tries to enter the computer via emails. Again to combat these make sure you explain the real world truth running a programs via clicking and email ink is very-very dangerous even if the computer has an anti virus installed.  

Also educate them on what to do if they suddenly receive an email that came from an unknown source even if the email tell them to click  on the link because they have won a very large sum of money and needs to be verified. These are the kinds of line that most of us get our computer infected. Another is just using a simple message lines like from your love ones you now follow by click the link to see the message send to you. Educate them by saying if your love ones sent you a message would it be more special is he or she just email it clearly to you rather than telling you to click on the link. For male part of the workforce sometime it is very easy to have them click on the link jus by saying free nude picture of a known celebrity they know. Yup one of the most common trick for male person to click is using the word free nude picture, that really gets the adrenalin flowing. Then after clicking the link the virus or malware gets activated and your computer is now infected. Sadly even the anti-virus installed is now been disabled by the action of clicking the link.

To be pro-active is to educate the user who uses the computer. Educating them will take time and effort but the result is very rewarding and productive. Remember knowledge is power, the more they now things or stuff the better it is for them to always on guard and the more better for you as a  computer technical support because your work will be more productive and beneficial for all. 

How about you any pro-active ways that you want to share?

Computer 101: The Importance of System Restore in Windows.

First for those who are not familiar with System Restore here is a description of what it does in Windows based system. The function of System Restore is to restore your computer's system files to an earlier point in time. What does this means; it means every time that we used the computer an automatic system configuration image is created on that particular day. Also if we install new software in the computer most of the time the computer activates the system restore function before the new software is installed. Sometimes, the installation of a program or a driver can cause an unexpected change to your computer or cause Windows to behave unpredictably. Usually, uninstalling the program or driver corrects the problem. If uninstalling doesn't fix the problem, you can try restoring your computer's system to an earlier date when everything worked correctly. Furthermore it's a way to undo system changes to your computer without affecting your personal files, such as e‑mail, documents, or photos.

System Restore works by using the restore points to return your system files and settings to an earlier point in time without affecting personal files. Restore points are created automatically every week, and just before significant system events, such as the installation of a program or device driver. You can also create a restore point manually. System Restore automatically recommends the most recent restore point created before a significant change, such as installing a program. You can also choose from a list of restore points. Try using restore points created just before the date and time you started noticing problems. The descriptions of the restore points that are created automatically correspond with the name of an event, such as Windows Update installing an update. System Restore returns your computer to the state that it was in before the restore point that you chose. 

There are three methods you can use to access the system restore functionality. 

You can access the System Restore Wizard through the Start menu. To access the System Restore Wizard, click Start, point to All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and then click System Restore. 

 You can access System Restore through Control Panel. To open the System Restore Wizard, click Start, Control Panel and double-click System. Click the System Restore tab and click More information about System Restore. Help and Support, click Performance and Maintenance, click Using System Restore to undo changes, then click Run the System Restore Wizard. 

You can access System Restore through Help and Support. To access the System Restore Wizard, click Start, and then click Help and Support. Click Performance and Maintenance; click Using System Restore to undo changes, then click Run the System Restore Wizard.

The more system restore points we have in our computer the better, because the more option the computer has in correcting windows error by using system restore the better. The system restore is a very important tool in fixing problems encountered by windows based system after installing a new program or a new driver for a particular hardware. By restoring the computer system configuration to an earlier state without affecting your personal files and documents to fix the windows abnormal behavior we have a tool that is very easy to use and very effective in solving software related error. System Restore uses a feature called system protection to regularly create and save restore points on your computer. These restore points contain information about registry settings and other system information that Windows uses. You can also create restore points manually.

Where do you find the System Restore tool? There are several ways on how to locate the system restore tool. The first is to go to the Start Menu and right click on the My computer and from the full down menu click on the Properties Tab, after clicking on the properties the system information will appear. On the Upper-Left hand side of the System information under the control panel home, click on the system protection. After clicking on the system protection the system properties dialog box will appear. There are five tabs on the system properties please locate the system protection tab. To start or create a system restore point manually just click the create button and then read and follow all the instruction to create system restore point manually.

System image backups stored on hard disks can also be used for System Restore, just like the restore points created by system protection. Even though system image backups contain your system files and personal data, your data files will not be affected by System Restore. System Restore isn't intended for backing up personal files, so it cannot help you recover a personal file that has been deleted or damaged. You should regularly back up your personal files and important data using a backup program. Another way of starting the system restore point manually is by opening the control panel and clicking the system icon to open the control panel and clicking the system protection. So if ever you find that your computer behaves abnormally after installing a program or update existing driver and removal of the newly installed program does not solve the problem then that is the time to use the tool called system restore.

I would like to hear you thought about system restore?

Computer 101: The System Information Tool Part 1.

Another tool that will also be able to help you understand your computer inner workings is the System Information Tool. But before we proceed i will caution everyone this tool is a bit different from the DXDIAGNOSTIC TOOL. Well for one this tool is more detailed compare to the other one and there is a whole lot more information on this. Also a lot of the information contain on this tool is very technical in nature. But do not let these things deter you from knowing your computer, yeah sure this tool is very technical in its presentation but this tool is free and there is NO I repeat NO labelled that said THIS TOOL IS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL ONLY. No wouldn't find any indication that this is for them only. This tool is for everybody, for those who is brave enough to know what is there need to know about their computer even if you do not have a technical background or come from the technical or I.T field. Now having said that please take a look at the picture or screenshot below of the System Information Tool.

I welcome you to the S.I.T. no welcome screen or message. It gets right down to the basic of your computer. You may ask why I need to know about this one, the DXDIAGNOSTIC is fine already. Well simple put it knowledge is power and the more you know the better for you. Okay look at those item on the left there the tree menu, notice those boxes with cross on the inside. If you click on them the sub item for each tree branch will appear. On the right frame it the content of its tree branch. In this first content you notice that the information about the computer is the same as that of the information displayed by the DXDIAGNOSTIC tool. Every bit of information is exactly the same, however this one contains more information that the other tool. Just like what I mentioned earlier this tool is more detailed. Examine each item very thoroughly and will know that both tool will display the same information on the same computer. But before we go any further let's back track a bit. First how does one activate this tool? Where is this tool located? Okay first click the start button then go to the accessories menu then from there looks for the System Tools sub-menu. Inside this sub-menu will find the many tools. Look for the System Tool and click on it. As you can see I highlighted the procedure so you will not be lost. Now you have two different tools that you can used to verify what is really inside your computer. They both should contain the same exact processor type, memory amount, manufacturer, Operating System version and a whole lot of other item. But wait this is just the first batch of information you will know. By clicking on the net level of the tree another set of information will be displayed, take a look at the picture below.

The first content of the Hardware resources is the Conflict/Sharing. As you can see the information shown is labelled they the Resources and Device. For the computer to work properly its need resources from the hardware like memory address and Interrupt request. Wait this is getting to technical. The summary of this information is the resources being shared by the hardware part of your computer to make them work as a one unit. . Also the conflict in resources is also shown and marks explicitly, but on this information there is no conflict in the sharing of resources. Everybody needs resources to work, from country, government to small community they need resources to function as whole even though they are not really on but a coming together of several parts working for the common goal. In this case each in every hardware and software of the computer needed each other to function normally. Without the other both of them will not be useful. As a common knowledge the hardware is just a piece of metal without the software and the same is true with the software. The benefit of both cannot be felt without the other. They go together with each other. If you are not comfortable to go on exploring this tool, then take it easy one step at the. Do a little research say on the words that are not familiar to you. Let say the word IRQ which is short for Interrupt Request, the RQ stands for ReQuest. Search for it on the internet they have ton of information regarding this word. Do it one day and one word at a time. 

Computer 101: Using the DXDiag tool to know more about your Computer

Have you ever heard of the DXDIAG? Do you know what it's look like and where it is located or how to activate this free software? This free software is one of the most ignored software or unknown software tool in windows system. If your ask an a person regarding this tool, chances are you'll get a mixed reactions in there faces. In the first place why is it there if no one ever used it or cared to know more about this free tool. Well for one the content of this tool can be pretty intimidating to most user who does not have enough technical background. First how do we activate this tool to know what inside our computer. To activate this tool please see picture below.

To activate the DXDIAG tool press the start button then on the search bar type the word dxdiag and hit the enter key. The picture below will appear, but if it is your first time to activate this tool a question will appear first to ask you whether to allow dxdiag to check for digitally sign driver. Just press the YES button to continue loading the DXDIAG tool which should look like the picture below.

DXDIAG Tool

Notice there are several tab to this tool, they are the system, display, sound and input tab. Clicking on each tab will display there content. The first tab is contains the most common information about your current computer system, the hardware and the software. As you can see from the picture above the computer name, operating system, language, system manufacturer, system model, BIOS, processor, memory page file and the direct X version are all listed here. You may ask, So  what I'm i going to used this for. Well this figure and data may not be useful to an average person but to a technical support person, this is valuable information. This first tab indicate how many memory are installed into your system, what type of processor is there and most of all the computer model is indicated. Which should be useful for warranty information if you system is new and what to verify it's content of the manufacturer's websites or on the vendor's website. This tool can help you verify if the vendor is telling the truth regarding the machine he or she is selling. Remember to access the tool just go to the start button and on the search bar type the word DXDIAG and press the enter key to activate the free software tool. 

Self Computer Maintenance Part 2: Using the SCANDISK and DISK DEFRAGMENATION software

To continue on this series, if you already has a UPS and its up and running, congratulation. The next set of tools is also very important as its take care of a specific hardware device on your computer the all important Hard Disk Drive. Yup this two software is often ignore because they take time to implement. But sometimes we need to pause for a moment to know what is going on and know the status of our computer, especially the hard disk drive.

The two software I'm mentioning is the scan-disk and the defragmentation tool for windows user. Both software are completely free. Its already inside windows you just need to access and used to see its benefit. Now why do we need this to software tool? Well this tool is used to simple make the files in your hard disk drive much easier to access. Also they check to integrity of each files and repair them and also your hard disk. Its test every sector of your hard disk to see is they are damage. If it is found to be damage the file occupying that sector or place in your hard disk is moved to another location complete with notice to all the software that is associated with it. Its just like your moving to another place and you want people to know that you are moving and have moved already. You inform all important people about the moving away activity. It is important to inform all that is involved in the process so that no-one will be lost when they try to communicate with you. You do not want to lost a file when maintaining your computer specially the important ones.

The first tool to be applied should be the SCAN-DISK. The hard drive should be check first for storage error and data error or file error. But first where it is located on the computer. Well follow this step, first click the START button then point to the ALL Programs and then to the ACCESSORIES and the final sub-menu is the SYSTEM TOOL where you will find both of this tool. Click on the Scan disk menu name and a dialog box will appear select the TOOL TAB and press CHECK NOW to used the Scan-disk tool. Okay this is getting to technical, i have provided a picture on the next step. From the picture above just check the to boxes and press start to begin the disk checking. However for some reason the scan-disk replied to you like " DISK CHECK NEEDS TO SCHEDULED, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SCHEDULED ON THE NEST RESTART?". There is an option there for a YES or NO answer from your. You must press the YES button the start the scan-disk on you next restart. It will automatically activate itself after restarting the computer because you have scheduled it. If the scan-disk finds some error in your files and or hard disk it will automatically fix these things. Also there 5 stage during the scan-disk diagnostic, you must allow all stages to be finish in order for the diagnostic to be completed.

That's it for the scan-disk. How the Disk Defragmentaion tool, can i use it before using the scan-disk. Well sometimes it work you can used it without suing scan-disk first. But most of the time if try to used it. It will suggest that check your disk first by using scan-disk before using this tool. This is getting too long Part two on the Disk Defragmentaion on my next post.