How do I find an old BCM database?

[Guest]

Ok, here's the story. I swear I'm not an idiot. I backed up my database!
It just didn't... get everything.

We had a server problem at work and had to reinstall our SBS 2003 Premium.
Went fine, problem solved, etc. BUT - in order to get my work PC and laptop
back into the domain, I had to abandon the old domain accounts and make new
ones. So all my BCM info was lost! Like I said, I did the weekly backups, but
lo and behold, all that restores is the Business Contacts and the Accounts. I
need my Calander info!! I had critical appointment data thru the beginning of
February, not to mention I had nearly a month of history that I still need to
collect on.

My database is THERE, in my old account. I can see the files in C:\Documents
and Settings\<my name>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Business
Contact Manager. IN FACT, when I went to set up the database again, it said I
couldn't use the default name (MSBusinessContactManager) because it already
exsist, but it isn't an option to simply reconnect to that exsisting databse.

Somebody PLEASE help me. Thank you!!

J. Reitsch

 

[Guest]

Well I spent a half-dozen hours on the phone with MS today (India) and
learned some things that I hope will help others in the future with problems
like mine.

First of all, BCM is only in control of what it adds to Outlook, which is
"Business Contacts in BCM" and "Accounts in BCM", so when you click on
Business Tools -> Manage Database and use the backup feature there you are
ONLY backing up your Business Contacts and Accounts. I guess I pretty much
figured that out before my question post here, but I didn't know it before my
disaster.

The second thing I learned is that if you are using Exchange Server there is
no way for you to back up your email, calender, tasks, etc. on your local
computer. Your best hope is to back up Exchange Server itself. I don't know
if you'd ever get your information back even then in the case of a server
reinstall like mine, because the account that OWNED that information is gone.
But I suppose if you are somehow able to do a restore to a previous state and
save your server (as opposed to a cold reinstall) you wouldn't (in theory)
lose your original accounts.

I sure would be interested in hearing from anyone that has had to restore an
SBS 2003 server after a nasty crash and successfully recovered all their
stuff.

So anyway - from what I've been told my calender, tasks and emails are GONE.
If anyone knows any different, or knows of something that may have been
overlooked, please let me know. Thanks.

 

[Larry]

Hi Jreitsch

If you restore a mailbox that no longer has an AD account associated with
it, then you have what is known as an orphaned or disconnected mailbox

You can use a tool called the Mailbox Recovery Center (assuming this is
Exchange 2003) to connect such a mailbox to an AD account. Take at look at
the following reference for more information:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pr...ide/5c2d1737-b36f-434a-a7d8-8dbecb126db9.mspx


In regards to backing up an Exchange Mailbox locally, you are correct. You
can, however, copy/drag any items from an Exchange Mailbox to a folder in a
local PST File.

Hope this helps!

--
Regards,

Larry, [MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.