Restoring Exchange Using Windows Backup

Regular backing up of all MS Exchange database is an intricate task for any System administrator. Database needs to be backed up on day-to-day basis, so that it can be used in times of database corruption in future. This article would be helpful in guiding your way to successful Exchange restoration after any catastrophic disaster or damage or corruption in the database.

If you are having Windows backup of that damaged database then it becomes easy to restore Exchange. As a first step for restoring an Exchange Server, dismount any database that you want to restore, and then restore its backup.

Dismounting the database

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Exchange, and then click System Manager.
2. If the Administrative Groups branch exists in the left pane, expand it, expand the appropriate administrative group branch, expand the Servers branch, and then expand the appropriate server branch. If the Administrative Groups branch does not exist, expand the Servers branch in the left pane, and then expand the appropriate server branch.
3. For each database that you want to restore, expand the associated storage group branch, right-click the database, and then click Dismount Store. Additionally, right-click each database, click Properties, click the Database tab, verify that the “This database can be overwritten by a restore” check box is selected, and then click OK.

Restoring the backup

Now moving on to our main topic, that is to restore Exchange using Windows backup:

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Backup.
2. Click the Restore tab.
3. Expand the File branch in the left pane, and then expand the backup branch that you want to restore.
4. For each object that you want to restore, expand the associated storage group branch, and then select the objects that you want to restore. To select an object, click to select the check box to the left of the object.
5. Select the option that you want in the Restore files to box, and then click Start Restore.
6. Type the server name in the Restore To box, and then type the full path of the folder in the Temporary location for log and patch files box. Note that you can also click Browse to locate the server instead of manually typing the server name.
7. Click to select the Last Backup Set check box, click to select the Mount Database after Restore check box, click OK.
8. Type the full path and file name of the backup file that you want to restore in the Restore from backup file box, and then click OK. You can also click Browse to locate the backup file instead of typing the full path and file name manually.
9. When the restore process is complete, click Close.

This way you can restore Exchange database using Windows backup. Steps given above are to be performed in a very meticulous manner. If still, the restoration is not working out properly, then go for Exchange recovery without any further delay.

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