Microsoft KB Archive/838183

= How to turn on the Exchange writer for the Volume Shadow Copy service in Windows Small Business Server 2003 =

Article ID: 838183

Article Last Modified on 12/3/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 Premium Edition
 * Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 Standard Edition

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Important This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry



INTRODUCTION
By default, the Setup program for Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 turns off the Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 writer for the Volume Shadow Copy service. The Exchange 2003 writer may cause conflicts with the Backup utility (NTBackup.exe). However, you can manually turn on the Exchange writer for use with third-party backup software.

Caution If you turn on the Exchange writer, the Backup utility cannot back up the Exchange information store and the system state at the same time. Turn on the Exchange writer only if you use a third-party backup solution, or if you want to back up the Exchange information store separately.



MORE INFORMATION
If you run or develop a third-party backup program that uses the Volume Shadow Copy service to back up Exchange Server 2003, you must turn on the Exchange writer in the registry.

Caution If you turn on the Exchange writer, the Backup utility cannot back up the Exchange information store and the system state at the same time. Turn on the Exchange writer only if you use a third-party backup solution, or if you want to back up the Exchange information store separately.

To turn on the Exchange writer, follow these steps.

Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

 Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK. Locate and then double-click the following registry subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS\ParametersSystem

 Double-click the Disable Exchange Writer value. In the Value data text box, change the value from 1 to 0, and then click OK. Quit Registry Editor. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Services. Stop and then restart the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service.</li></ol>

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 uses the Volume Shadow Copy service to back up open files. The Volume Shadow Copy service uses a writer component to back up files and settings that are specific to a program, such as Microsoft SQL Server 2000 or Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. The writer component tells the Volume Shadow Copy service which files to back up and then pauses corresponding services while the backup is in progress.

For example, the writer for Exchange Server 2003 tells the Volume Shadow Copy service to back up the information store databases, log files, and system files. The Exchange writer also tells the Exchange services to delay any new transactions, to finish current transactions, and to copy data in memory to a hard disk to complete the backup process.

In Windows Server 2003, the Backup utility starts the Volume Shadow Copy service during system state backups. The Volume Shadow Copy service starts the writers that are registered in Windows. For example, if the Exchange writer is registered, the Volume Shadow Copy service starts the Exchange writer.

The Exchange writer may cause conflicts with the information store backup feature of the Backup utility. The information store backup feature uses online streaming to back up the Exchange databases. If the Exchange writer is registered, the Backup utility may log errors if you try to back up the system state and the Exchange information store at the same time. (For example, the Backup utility may log Event ID 8019.)

Because Windows Small Business Server serves as both a Windows Server 2003-based domain controller and an Exchange 2003 server, the Windows Small Business Server Setup program turns off the Exchange writer to prevent problems while the Backup utility backs up the system state and the Exchange information store.

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