How to Resolve Exchange Database Status Unknown? Get the Solution

Summary: Are you facing trouble to find the solution on how to fix Exchange database status unknown. If so, then read this write-up which provides methods to resolve Exchange 2016/2013 database status unknown.

It is very important for an IT Administrator and Exchange Users to check their status of the Exchange database from time to time. Checking database status helps them to keep track whether the content index state is Healthy or not.

If it is healthy then the EDB file is running smoothly but if the status is Unknown, then users will face problem like – email flow, messages get stuck in the queue, performance of MS Exchange slows down, etc… This error also make huge impact of the continuity on the company business.

Sometimes, in the Exchange Admin Center (EAC) Microsoft Exchange database is not dismounted but the content index state is Unknown.

User can also use the Exchange PowerShell Get-MailboxDatabase cmdlet

The email flow is broken or disrupted when the MS Exchange database status result is Unknown/disrupted.

In this situation, what you can do is first, dismount the Exchange database and then mount it back by using Exchange Admin Center or PowerShell command. After that is the Exchange database is not mounted there may be a chance that the EDB file is corrupted and you need to repair it first to mount the database.

Note: The fast and secure way to Recover and Repair EDB file from corruption is to use the SysTools Exchange EDB File Repair tool. It is the advanced software used by various IT experts and Exchange users to recover severely damaged Exchange database file and repair Exchange mailbox with no data loss.

Also, after recovery the utility provides an option to export the recovered Exchange mailboxes to the Live Exchange Server 2016/2013/2010/2007/2003 mailboxes, Office 365 and multiple file formats.

Why Does Exchange Database Status Unknown Error Occur?

Here are the reasons/causes which leads to the Exchange 2013/2016 database unknown error:

1. Unhealthy/Damaged/Corrupt EDB file
2. MS Exchange Services not working or stopped
3. DNS entry is missing for the Exchange Virtual Server
4. When user rename the Exchange database by using Exchange Admin Center

Methods to Fix Exchange Database Status Unknown Error

Method 1: Restart Microsoft Exchange Server

When users make any modification in the Exchange like – renaming Exchange database and many other things. These change will not be reflected until the Exchange Server is restarted. Sometimes restarting may fix or resolve many problem. If you see the content state index: Unknown again then try to restart the MS Exchange Server.

This method will fix the error, if users see the dismounted EDB file in Exchange then they can mount it back by using the Exchange Admin Center or PowerShell cmdlet i.e. Mount-Database “name of the mailbox database”.

Method 2: Restart MS Exchange Services

Sometime Exchange 2016/2013 database status unknown error occurred because some of the MS Exchange Services like – Microsoft Exchange Replication Service aren’t running. User can check services manually and restart it.

Steps to Restart Exchange Services

Step 1: Open Run dialogue box by holding Windows+R button > Insert services.msc > Click on the OK button

Step 2: Check all services are running or not

Step 3: If any Microsoft Exchange Service is not running > Select the service and right-click on it > Click on the restart option

Step 4: Keep doing these steps till all services are restarted

Then, restart the Microsoft Exchange System and check the status of the Exchange database. If there is any requirement of mounted the database then use the EAC or Exchange PowerShell to mount it.

Note: If the Exchange database file is severely damaged or corrupted then restarting the MS Exchange services isn’t helpful. To repair Exchange 2016 database and all below version.

Method 3: Repair Exchange EDB File

You can use the ESEUTIL cmdlet to repair Exchange database file. To use these command first EDB file should be offline or dismounted then follow the steps given below:

Step 1: Check the Exchange Database State by inserting the following cmdlet:

Step 2: If the state is “dirty shutdown”, then perform soft recovery

Step 3: If the database state is not changed, then perform hard recovery

Step 4: Again check the database state by using eseutil /mh cmdlet

After performing soft recovery and hard recovery in Exchange 2013/2016, then also the Exchange 2016/2013 database status is unknown. It means that the EDB file is highly corrupted and to remove this corruption from .edb file you can use the Exchange EDB File repair tool provided here.

It easily removes minimal and major corruption from Exchange database file without losing any data & allow user to export the Exchange mailboxes to the Exchange Server.

Bringing It All Together

This write-up provides detailed information to resolve Exchange database status unknown error by using the manual methods such as: mount the database, restart Exchange server as well as services and repair unhealthy/damaged EDB file. Also, the advanced software which fixes the severely corrupted offline/dismounted the Exchange database file without any loss of data and resolve the issue.