Exchange Directory Service does not start (326858)

Important This article contains information that shows you how to help lower security settings or how to turn off security features on a computer. You can make these changes to work around a specific problem. Before you make these changes, we recommend that you evaluate the risks that are associated with implementing this workaround in your particular environment. If you implement this workaround, take any appropriate additional steps to help protect your system.
Warning This workaround may make your computer or your network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses. We do not recommend this workaround but are providing this information so that you can implement this workaround at your own discretion. Use this workaround at your own risk.
Note An antivirus program is designed to help protect your computer from viruses. You must not download or open files from sources that you do not trust, visit Web sites that you do not trust, or open e-mail attachments when your antivirus program is disabled.

For additional information about computer viruses, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

129972Computer viruses: description, prevention, and recovery

SYMPTOMS

The Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 Directory Service does not start. One or more of the following errors may be logged in the application event log:

Event 1

Event ID: 1002
Description: The Microsoft Exchange Server database (EDB) could not be initialized and returned error -1032. The directory cannot continue.

Event 2

Event ID: 126
Description: Microsoft Exchange Directory Service (256) Unable to write section while flushing the log. Error -1032

Event 3

Event ID: 158
Description: MSExchangeDS (214) Unable to write to shadowed header file E:\exchsrvr\dsadata\dir.edb. You may also find Event ID numbers 1005, 1166, 2140, 1068, or 1032 listed in the application event log.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, you must reset the read-only attribute that the Microsoft Exchange Directory Service requires on the Microsoft Exchange Server files. You must also reconfigure Norton AntiVirus to prevent it from scanning these files in the future.

To do so, follow these steps:

In Windows Explorer, locate the following file:
drive:\Exchsrvr\Dsadata\Dir.edb,
where drive is the drive on which Microsoft Exchange Server is installed.
Right-click Dir.edb, and then click Properties.
Click to clear the Read-only check box, and then click OK.
Locate the following file: drive:\Exchsrvr\Dsadata\Edb.log, where drive is the drive on which Microsoft Exchange Server is installed.
Right-click Edb.log, and then click Properties.
Click to clear the Read-only check box, and then click OK.
Locate the following file: drive:\Exchsrvr\Mdbdata\Edb.log, where drive is the drive on which Microsoft Exchange Server is installed.
Right-click Edb.log, and then click Properties.
Click to clear the Read-only check box, and then click OK.
Quit Windows Explorer.
Start the Microsoft Exchange Directory Service.
Reconfigure Norton AntiVirus so that it does not scan any of the following folders:
- - Dsadata
  - Mdbdata
  - Mtadata

For information about how to contact Symantec Corporation, click the appropriate article number in the following list to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

65416 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, A-K

60781 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, L-P

60782 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, Q-Z

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