Exchange Server 2003 computer cannot bring the Microsoft Search resource online (830189)

RESOLUTION

1. If the server cluster is an Active/Active cluster configuration, move the affected Exchange virtual server to a cluster node that is not running any other Exchange virtual servers, and then perform the remaining steps on this cluster node.
   
   If the server cluster is an Active/Passive cluster configuration, perform the remaining steps on the Active cluster node.
2. Delete the failed MSSearch resource in the affected virtual server, if the MSSearch resource exists.
3. Delete the MSSearch program. To do so:
   1. Copy the following code to a new text file, and then save the file as Deleteapp.vbs.
      
      Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements.

      Sub Usage
          WScript.Echo "Microsoft Search Version 2.0"
          WScript.Echo "Deletes an Application"
          WScript.Echo
          WScript.Echo "Usage: Deleteapp.vbs Application"
          WScript.Echo
      end Sub
      
      Sub Main
      
          if WScript.Arguments.Count = 1 then
              if WScript.Arguments(0) = "/?" or WScript.Arguments(0) = "-?" then
                  Usage
                  WScript.Quit(1)
              end if
          end if
      
          if WScript.Arguments.Count < 1 then
              Usage
              WScript.Quit(1)
          end if
      
          dim applicationName
          applicationName = WScript.arguments(0)
      
          WScript.echo "Deleting Search Application " & applicationName
          Set objHost = WScript.CreateObject("MSSearch.Admin")
      
          'Delete the application
          objHost.Applications.Remove(applicationName)
      
      End Sub
      
      call Main

   2. Start the Cluster Administrator utility, right-click the Network Name resource that is associated with the affected Exchange virtual server, and then click Properties.
   3. Click the Parameters tab, and then confirm that the name of the Exchange virtual server that has the failed MSSearch resource appears in the Name box.
      
      Note In the following steps, the virtual server named MSExchServer1 is used as an example to represent the affected virtual server.
   4. Click Cancel.
   5. Start a command prompt, change to the folder that contains the Deleteapp.vbs file that you created, and type the following command where virtual server is the name of the Exchange virtual server that you confirmed in step c, and then press ENTER:

      cscript deleteapp.vbs ExchangeServer_virtual server

      If you receive the following message when you press ENTER, the MSSearch program may not exist: The specified object cannot be found. Specify the name of an existing object.Typically, this behavior occurs if the program has been removed or if it has not been created. If you receive this message, you can safely ignore it only if the following registry keys do not exist:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\search\1.0\applications\ExchangeServer_<virtual server>
      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\search\1.0\catalognames\ExchangeServer_<virtual server>
      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\search\1.0\gather\ExchangeServer_<virtual server>
      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\search\1.0\gathering manager\applications\ExchangeServer_<virtual server>
      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\search\1.0\indexer\ExchangeServer_<virtual server>

      These registry keys should be deleted automatically by the Deleteapp.vbs script. However, sometimes if the script is not successful, you must remove them manually by using Registry Editor. Steps 4 through 7 of this procedure describe how to use Registry Editor to delete one of the keys that are not removed by Deleteapp.vbs. Use the same steps to delete the five registry keys that are listed in this step.
4. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
5. Locate the following registry subkey:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Search\1.0\Databases

6. Under the Databases registry subkey, export and then delete all ExchangeServer_ virtual server registry keys, where virtual server is the name of the Exchange virtual server that you noted in step c earlier in this article. For example, export and then delete ExchangeServer_MSExchServer1.
7. Stop and then restart the Microsoft Search (MSSEARCH) service. To do this, type the following commands at a command prompt, and press ENTER after each command:

   net stop mssearch
   net start mssearch

8. In the Cluster Administrator utility, delete the Microsoft Exchange System Attendant resource from the affected Exchange virtual server. Because this is an Exchange 2003 cluster, this action does not remove the configuration from Active Directory. Only specific parameters or settings that you have configured on the clustered resources and on the System Attendant resources are lost by this deletion. Make sure that you note any changes that you made from the default. Additionally, any existing full-text indexes are deleted.
   
   Note Your Exchange databases remain intact with no loss of information.
9. In the Cluster Administrator utility, create a new Microsoft Exchange System Attendant resource in the same Exchange virtual server group. You are not presented with many options during the re-creation of the System Attendant resource because the configuration already exists in Active Directory. When you re-create the System Attendant resource, the MSSearch program, Exchange HTTP Virtual Server Instance 101, the Exchange Information Store instance, the Exchange Routing Service instance, and the SMTP Virtual Server instance are automatically re-created.
10. Bring the Exchange virtual server online.