We currently have Windows 2000 Small Business Server installed with SQL and Exchange Server. It originally had Exchange 5.5 which was migrated to 2000. I would prefer to not do another upgrade to the server, but rather start from scratch. I've been reviewing things that would for sure need to be copied to the fresh server; profiles, user files, mail boxes, SQL database, etc. Is it possible to save all of these things and then after the new installation import them back into the system? I don't see any problem with the profiles, user files, or SQL database but is there something that would typically be done to the mail boxes by upgrading to exchange 2003 that would be missed by a fresh install? Thanks, Justin

Hi Justin, If those mailboxes are from Outlook 2003 I can give you the answer that it is no problem, just find the archive file and make shure that the important mails are stored in it. Otherwise you could try to make a computer or another server as back-up server, on which you can copy all the things. The best thing to do is to make the profiles roaming profiles. If the Mailboxes are linked to the profiles, than roaming profile is the solution to export those to a temp server and from the newly installed server back to the users. In any case you need the full back-up, in which normally is also the mailboxes and all. If anything goes wrong you could put the back-up over it. You could also first try to make an image (which could get pretty large), so you at least know you can reverse everything up to a position where you were shure that it worked. In any case you need enough space to store an image and/or back-up. I hope that I have helped you in the right direction. Don't forget: backing up, having an ghost image and taking enough time to test everything saves you a lot of time and stress. Regards, Josefien. Gender doesn't matter in the Computing word. Commom sence does. Don't forget that ;-)

Thank you very much for your reply Josefien. So just to be clear. We are using roaming profiles and if I interpret your statement correctly: "If the Mailboxes are linked to the profiles, than roaming profile is the solution to export those to a temp server and from the newly installed server back to the users." What your saying is to change the Outlook data file from Microsoft Exchange to a local file (.pst) on another server, and then once I have completed the reinstallation; Windows 2003 Server, Exchange 2003, SQL Server, and done all updates, to change the storage location back to the exchange server which will copy all the mail back to the server. This would have to be done for each user. Just want to be sure. This is going to be the most risky thing I've done so far, but I believe it is for the best. I'm going to setup a similar senario on a couple computers at home and see how it all works out. Thanks, Justin

Hi Justin, If you think it is too risky, then don't forget to back up. The best time to try something like this is in the time that it is the most quiet (holiday, evening or weekend). If you have a server that is practically identical to the server you are using now you'd better make a ghost image from the server you are using and extract it to the temp. The temp server can take it all over then while you can reinstall the other server. If I was in your position I'd mail the users and ask them to back up important mails or attachments, so that if something goes wrong no important data is lost. Sorry that I took so long to reply. I was away for 2 weeks. Regards, Josefien. Gender doesn't matter in the Computing world. Commom sence does. Don't forget that.