How to Resolve the “Exchange 2016 Database Keeps Dismounting” Error
Among the many errors encountered while working in the Exchange Server 2016, the database mounting error is an extremely challenging one. It disables the mailbox access for the users, blocking them from exchanging emails, using public folders, or accessing other useful mailbox items. If not dealt with promptly, it may hamper your business continuity. Hence, it is imperative to stop the Exchange database from continuously dismounting and ensure a smooth transaction within the Exchange Server. Let’s discuss this topic further, right here.
What are the reasons behind the “Exchange 2016 Database Keeps Dismounting” Error?
Persistent database dismounting error in Exchange 2016 can happen due to several factors:
- Disk space shortage: The exchange database creates an entry for every failed backup truncation in the transaction logs. Persistent logs due to failed backups can cause the log drive to run out of space. This can result in a database dismounting error.
- Misconfigured antivirus: Overlooking the exclusions recommended by Microsoft while configuring the antivirus software may cause the latter to lock the database files after scanning.
- Conflict due to anti-malware: At times, an anti-malware functioning improperly can stop or crash the Exchange Information Store service
What are the consequences of the error left unresolved?
If the issue remains untreated, it could cause severe impacts on your organization on various fronts:
- Mailboxes will remain inaccessible to the users
- Sending and receiving emails will cease for the mailbox databases facing mounting errors
- Checking database status may result in a “Dirty Shutdown” pointing to corrupt or uncommitted transactions.
- Trying soft recovery or hard recovery of the database can lead to considerable downtime.
- Logical database corruption can be one of the possibilities, causing slow server performance
- The repeated errors can consume considerable disk space, leaving less or no space for a backup file
Resolving the Database dismounting error in Exchange 2016
There can be multiple solutions to deal with this issue. We will talk about three of them.
1. Use Exchange Admin Center (EAC) to Mount the Database
- Launch the EAC and log in with your user ID and password
- On the left side of the screen, click Servers > Databases
- Navigate to the database section and look for the dismounted database that you want to mount
- Click (…) icon above the database list > Mount
- Provide the details and click Yes to confirm database mounting
- Verify the change of status to “Mounted”
Apart from Exchange Server 2019, this method is applicable to versions 2013 and 2019 as well. However, keep in mind that you can mount one database at a time in the EAC. Moreover, a failed database mounting can put the database in a Dirty Shutdown state, possibly because of a lack of ample storage space. In any such case, the database will require a more effective resolution.
2. Temporarily disable the antivirus
The antivirus installed on your system can conflict with the processing of Exchange Server 2016. This may create errors like Exchange database won’t mount”, Exchange 2016 database keeps dismounting”, etc. Disabling your antivirus software could help fix these errors. The steps are as follows:
- Launch your antivirus software
- Open the control panel
- Look for the option to disable the software temporarily
- Besides, also find out if the antivirus can bypass the scanning of database files and the processes in the Exchange Server.
- If no such option exists, disable the antivirus for a short duration.
- Remount the Exchange database on the server
- If database mounting succeeds, re-enable the antivirus software
- Add exclusions for the database files and processes in the Exchange Server 2016
Successful database mounting will also confirm the antivirus as the main issue behind the dismounting error.
3. Check the compatibility of backup software
If the database backup software is not compatible with the Exchange Server, it will lead to the creation of unhealthy or incomplete backups. Here is what will happen due to this issue:
- Backup software will not back up the database properly
- This will leave log files uncommitted
- The piled-up uncommitted log files will consume unnecessary disk space
- As a result, database mounting will face issues
To avert such instances, ensure that the backup software is compatible with your Exchange Server. Using Windows Server Backup can be a feasible option in this line.
4. Use Backup to restore the database
If the aforementioned method does not resolve the issue, it indicates corruption in the database log files. In any such situation, you can use a recently taken healthy backup file to restore the database. Nevertheless, this method will restore the database only up to the time when you updated it. You will lose the data from the time of the database update till its entry into a corrupted state.
For instance, if you created a recent backup around 48 hours ago and the corruption happened 24 hours ago, then you will lose any sort of data addition or modification that happened during this period. The Windows Server Backup (WSB) can assist you in this cause through the “Recover” wizard.
It will enable you to select a consistent backup and restore the database to its original or a different location. If you want to recover a specific mailbox database, you can use the New-MailboxRestoreRequest to restore the database to a Recovery Database (RDB).
5. Use the Eseutil command to mount the database
The Eseutil is an Exchange Server Database Utility command line tool used by admins to take care of the EDB files. It helps in database management, repair, and maintenance, and works actively fixing corrupt databases. Additionally, it also verifies database integrity and carries out an offline defragmentation process to free the database storage space.
However, you cannot use the Eseutil command directly for database mounting. Instead, it will help in ensuring a Clean Shutdown state of the Exchange database. Once assured, you can use the Exchange Management Shell (EMS) to mount the database by using the command Mount-Database. It becomes useful when you do not have an updated backup to repair the corrupted database.
Here is how you can repair and mount the Exchange database:
- Check the current state of the database by using the Eseutil/mh command:
Eseutil /mh “DatabasePath\Database_Name.edb”
- If the state comes out as Dirty Shutdown, proceed with Soft Recovery. Here is the command:
eseutil /r E00 /l “C:\Path to log file” /d “C:\Path to database\Database_Name.edb”
This method will be effective only if the log files exist. Otherwise, it will fail.
- Check the database state again by using the Eseutil/mh command.
- If it shows a Clean Shutdown state, mount the database.
- If it again shows Dirty Shutdown, the only option left is Hard Recovery by using Eseutil /p. Here is the command to do it.
Eseutil /p “DatabaseFilePath\Database_Name.edb
This method can help in recovering the database, but it comes with several limitations:
- Runs the risk of data loss, as it purges corrupted data.
- Microsoft will stop providing any support once you do a hard recovery, due to the hard-coded database.
- There is no guarantee of successful database recovery after performing this process.
6. Use the Exchange recovery tool
If you wish to ensure successful database recovery leading to hassle-free database mounting without any data loss, an Exchange recovery tool can prove effective. Stellar Repair for Exchange is feasible in this regard. It helps to repair damaged or corrupted Exchange databases online and even offline.
It negates the risk of data loss, as it recovers mailboxes and other items from the damaged database and exports them to PST files while ensuring complete integrity. Once database recovery is successful, you can mount it back to the Exchange Server, setting you free from the “Exchange 2016 database keeps dismounting” error.
Conclusion
While using the Exchange Server 2016 database, you may encounter a database dismounting error persistently. This can result from an anti-malware conflict, a misconfigured antivirus, a shortage of disk space, or several other reasons. The consequences of this error can be multifarious, ranging from inaccessible mailboxes to a stalled email exchange, a dirty shutdown to slow performance, and more.
These adverse effects necessitate the need for prompt error resolution. Admins use several methods to serve this purpose. Prominent among these ways include using Exchange Admin Center, temporarily disabling the antivirus, using the Eseutil command to mount the database, and more.
These methods can resolve the issue, but still do not guarantee permanent error fixing. Moreover, they often lead to loss of data, slow server performance, and increased downtime. To avoid these drawbacks, admins prefer confiding in third-party Exchange recovery tools. Stellar Repair for Exchange is widely used software in this regard.
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