Q. My Exchange server crashed and I'm trying to mount the database, with no luck.

This is the error that I get:

--------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft Exchange Error
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Failed to mount database 'Mailbox Database'.
Mailbox Database 0610509261
Failed
Error:
Couldn't mount the database that you specified. Specified database: Mailbox Database; Error code: An Active Manager operation failed. Error: The database action failed. Error: Operation failed with message: MapiExceptionCallFailed: Unable to mount database. (hr=0x80004005, ec=-515)
. [Database: Mailbox Database, Server: server.domain.local].

An Active Manager operation failed. Error: The database action failed. Error: Operation failed with message: MapiExceptionCallFailed: Unable to mount database. (hr=0x80004005, ec=-515)
. [Database: Mailbox Database, Server: server.domain.local]

An Active Manager operation failed. Error: Operation failed with message: MapiExceptionCallFailed:
. [Server: server.domain.local]

MapiExceptionCallFailed: Unable to mount database. (hr=0x80004005, ec=-515)

A. You have a corrupted database or corrupted logs. Several tests need to be performed, to see what the issue is (this is an example for Exchange 2010, but it works for previous versions as well):

Check and Repair the database

1. Check the database:

eseutil /mh "C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V14\Mailbox\Mailbox Database\Mailbox Database.edb"

Look for the following in the output: State: Dirty Shutdown

1.a Since the database has not been properly shut down, it needs to be repaired.

Make sure you make a backup of the database before attemting any kind of repairs

To repair, run the following:

eseutil /p "C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V14\Mailbox\Mailbox Database\Mailbox Database.edb"

1.b Re-run the database check from 1.a and if all goes well, you should see this somewhere in the output: State: Clean Shutdown

You can try mounting the database. If it mounts, you are good to go, if it doesn't you have to check the logs:

Check and Repair the database logs

2. Check the exchange logs (don't forget to specify E00 - the starting sequence for the logs)

eseutil /ml "C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V14\Mailbox\Mailbox Database\E00"

2.a There will be a list of logs and depending on their state, you may get an error. (They should all say OK, if the logs are clean) Errors vary, but most likely it is a file corruption and needs a chkdsk to run.

As a sidenote, if the database state is Clean Shutdown you can safely remove the logs.