CAUSE
This problem occurs if the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service background cleanup process does not run. The background cleanup process reclaims space that was used by deleted folders, by messages, or by message attachments.
For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
159306
IS maintenance tasks not on IS schedule
The Microsoft Exchange Information Store service background cleanup process does not run if the following default registry entries do not exist or are not populated correctly for one or more Exchange 2000 databases:
- Background Cleanup
- Track Duplicates
When you create and then mount an Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003 database, a database-specific registry key is automatically created. The database-specific registry key is populated with the registry entries that are mentioned earlier and their default values. By default, the Background Cleanup registry entry has a value of 60,000, and the Track Duplicates registry entry has a value of 1. However, a problem might occur if you create an Exchange 2000 database, but you do not mount it. In this case, the database-specific registry key might be created by a third-party program. When you mount this database, Exchange detects that the database-specific registry key already exists. In this scenario, Exchange does not create the Background Cleanup registry entry or the Track Duplicates registry entry. Therefore, the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service background cleanup process does not run.
Some third-party antivirus programs create database-specific registry keys before the Exchange Server database is mounted. For example, this problem occurs in the following scenario:
- You create a new Exchange 2000 database, but you do not mount this database.
- You start the real-time scanning service in a particular third-party antivirus program.
Note The real-time scanning service may start in one or more of the following scenarios:- The computer is restarted.
- The antivirus program is installed for the first time.
- The real-time scanning service in the antivirus program is manually restarted.
- The antivirus program parses the Microsoft Windows registry under the following registry subkey for each Exchange 2000 database:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE_\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS\<ServerName>
- If the database-specific registry key does not exist, the antivirus program creates it.
Note Some antivirus programs automatically create these registry keys to create database-specific registry entries that are related to the antivirus program. - The Exchange 2000 database is mounted for the first time.
- Exchange 2000 detects that the database-specific registry key exists. Therefore, it does not create the Background Cleanup registry entry or the Track Duplicates registry entry.
RESOLUTION
Exchange Server 2003
Service pack information
To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Exchange Server 2003. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
836993 How to obtain the latest service packs for Exchange Server 2003
Exchange 2000 Server
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 2000 Server 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
Because of file dependencies, this software update requires both the following packages to be installed:
- Microsoft
Exchange 2000 Server Service Pack 3 (SP3)
For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
301378
How to obtain the latest Exchange
2000 Server service pack
- The August 2004 Exchange 2000 Server Post-Service Pack 3 update rollup
For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
870540
Availability of the August 2004 Exchange 2000 Server post-Service Pack 3 update rollup
Restart requirement
You do not have to restart your computer after you apply this hotfix. However, the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service is automatically stopped and then restarted when you apply this hotfix.
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 file attributes) 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
---------------------------------------------------------
25-Mar-2005 13:19 6.0.6617.58 2,342,912 Mdbmsg.dll
25-Mar-2005 14:12 6.0.6617.58 4,706,304 Store.exe
Hotfix installation information
Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.
Important When you follow these steps to resolve this problem, the background cleanup process runs to clean up all the items in your Exchange 2000 databases that would have been cleaned up every 60 seconds. Therefore, you may experience an increased load on your Exchange 2000 computer until the background cleanup process has finished. We recommend that you follow these steps during a time when your Exchange 2000 users will be minimally affected. Additionally, you may experience delayed unread receipts that are generated as the background cleanup catches up. You may experience these delayed unread receipts if all the following conditions are true:
- A message for which a read receipt was requested was received by a user on an affected database.
-
The message was deleted without being read.
- The message was not cleaned up correctly because of this issue.
Note These "unread receipt" messages are the same messages that would have been sent if you had not experienced this problem. These messages are delayed because of this problem. If you do not want Exchange 2000 to deliver these "unread receipt" messages, contact Microsoft Product Support Services (PSS). For more information about how to contact PSS Assisted Support, visit the following Microsoft Web site: