Important This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry
MORE INFORMATION
By installing this hotfix, you can create a registry key to configure the expiration time in days for the contents of the public folder that contains the OAB.
Note
By default, the OAB generator OABGen sets the age limit to 30 days on the two subfolders that the OAB generator uses. Because of this, the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service removes messages from these subfolders if the messages are more than 30 days old.
Hotfix information
A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Only apply it to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 service pack that contains this hotfix.
To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services telephone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
Note In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.
Prerequisites
No prerequisites are required to install this hotfix.
Restart requirement
You do not have to restart your computer after you apply this hotfix. However, the following services are automatically stopped, and then restarted, when you install this hotfix:
- Microsoft Exchange MTA Stacks service (MSExchangeMTA)
- Microsoft Exchange Information Store service (MSExchangeIS)
- Microsoft Exchange System Attendant service (MSExchangeSA)
Hotfix replacement information
This hotfix does not replace any other hotfixes.
File information
The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the
Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.
Date Time Version Size File name
---------------------------------------------------------
21-Nov-2003 02:27 6.5.6980.46 54,272 Oabgen.dll
Hotfix installation information
Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
After you install this hotfix, create the following registry entry to modify the OAB expiration time:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeSA\Parameters
Value name: OAL Folder Lifetime (days)
Value type: REG_DWORD
Value data: blank (default)
If you do not assign a value to this registry entry, OABGen sets the default expiration time of 30 days. If you assign a value of 0 (zero) to the registry entry, messages in the public folder do not expire. If you set this registry entry to a value other than zero, messages in the public folder expire in the number of days that correspond to the value that you assign.
After you create this registry value, every time that OABGen runs, OABGen reads the registry entry and stamps it on the public folders that it uses.
Note The OAL Folder Lifetime (days) registry value only affects OAB version 2 (V2) and OAB version 3 (V3) folders.