Exchange EDB File Too Big- Issue Resolved

EDB files stand for Exchange Database Files. These files are created by the Microsoft Exchange Server and contain a lot of data in them. Large amounts of data in the EDB files make them oversized, giving rise to some errors. One of these errors is that the Exchange EDB file too big. In this blog, we will be going to discuss this error, why it appears, and how it can be resolved.

   

Microsoft Exchange was brought into existence in 1993, and since then, it has been working on the EDB files. It is a well-known server all around the world managed and operated by Microsoft. It acts as a primary server for email clients and allows users to manage their email services. 

The EDB files of the Exchange Server contain not only one but multiple mailboxes and their data. As the data in the EDB files increases, its size increases substantially along with it. These files are the main storage spaces for the Exchange Server. It consists of all the mailbox data like the emails, messages, attachments, folders, etc. The size issue of the Exchange EDB file too big arises as it is not easy to remove items from these files. You can remove the items from the EDB files, but it will not free up space from them. The space created will act as a white space for the EDB files, and they will still be jammed on space.

We will discuss the methods to resolve the issue of Exchange database size, but before that, let us get familiar with the problems that are generated eventually because of this issue.

Problems Arising Due to Exchange EDB File Too Big 

The following issues are faced once the storage space of the Exchange EDB files gets jammed.

• Dull Search Speed

Once the EDB files get oversized, the search results in them get affected. Moreover, the working speed of the Exchange server is compromised. The Exchange 2010 EDB file too big issue creates a problem of showing multiple search results taking too much time of the users.

• Database Corruption

The filled-up storage space can sometimes damage the data in the EDB files. They do not show errors for this corruption but can make the data inaccessible to the users. Taking up too much space leads to data corruption which is an irreversible process resulting in loss of information.

• Connectivity Issues

The connection between the Exchange server and the database is dismounted because of the large size of the EDB files. It is a very serious problem as it results in multiple different types of errors in the Exchange server. The connectivity between the server and the database should always be maintained for everything to run smoothly.

The above problems make it mandatory to resolve the Exchange EDB file too big an issue. You can do that by going through the below-mentioned methods.

Methods to Reduce Exchange EDB Size

1. Defragment of Exchange Database
2. Moving the Exchange Database
3. Shifting the Data by EAC

The above methods will guide you to resolve the Exchange EDB file too big problem. They have been described below so that you can follow them precisely.

1. Defragment of Exchange Database

The defragmenting process of the Exchange EDB File can be done using the Eseutil. It is an Exchange Tool that is provided for this purpose. However, to undergo this process, you need to have some prerequisites completed before starting the process.

Prerequisites:

• Remove the database or either back up before the defragment process. Since the users would not be able to access the data or emails when the Defrag Exchange Mailbox Database process is in process.
• New files will be there during the defragment process. Your disk space should be sufficient for the smooth completion of the defragment process.
• The Eseutil command can accept different locations if ample storage space is not present. The appropriate locations should be specified by you. 

After completing all the above-mentioned prerequisites, follow the below steps to resolve the Exchange EDB file too big issue.

• Run the Exchange Management Shell on your system and perform the below command.

“C:\Windows\system32>cd D:\Mailbox\‘database name’”

“D:\Mailbox\‘database name’> Dismount-Database ‘database name’”

• Launch the Eseutil for the defragmentation of the EDB file.

“D:\Mailbox\’database name’>eseutil/d ‘database name’.edb /t\\ test server\defrag\temp.edb”

• Enter the following command to upload the database.

“D:\ Mailbox\ ‘database name’> mount- database ‘database name’”

Through the above steps, you can analyze the database size and the active white spaces on the EDB file. Once the steps are completed successfully, you will see that the storage will get empty as the white spaces will diminish.

2. Moving the Exchange Database

The Exchange Management Console is used for moving the Exchange database. It is performed by dismounted the Exchange database. Follow the below steps precisely.

• Run the Exchange Management Console and select Organization Configuration.
• From the options, choose Mailbox.
• Pick the Mailbox that needs to be moved, right-click on it and select Move Database Path.  
• In the new tab, provide the new location for the database files and then click on Move.
• A database dismount alert will pop up. Hit the Yes button to complete the process.

By moving the database files to a new location, your Exchange EDB file too big issue will resolve.

3. Shifting the Data by EAC

You can move the Exchange 2013 database by using the Exchange Admin Center. The Exchange Admin Center is the management application for the Exchange users that assists the users in migrating the mailboxes of the Exchange server. You move your Exchange 2013 database using the Exchange Admin Center by following the below steps accurately.

• Open the Exchange Admin Center application on your system.
• Click on the Mailbox tab and pick the mailbox that you want to move.
• Right-click on it and select the Export option.
• Now, click on the Next button and then hit the Finish button.

Your database will move to the mentioned recipients.

All the manual methods mentioned above can help you to resolve the Exchange EDB file too big issue. Perhaps, all the methods are quite complex and not apt for all the users. It can be difficult for novice users to execute these methods as some basic technical knowledge is necessary to perform them successfully. 

To overcome all these limitations of the manual methods, you can go for an alternate solution, i.e., EDB to PST Converter Tool. It is the finest tool to recover the Exchange EDB files and resolve their errors. Furthermore, you can save the recovered data of the EDB files into multiple file formats with this tool like PDF, PST, OST, MBOX, DOCX, etc. There is no file size limitation on the EDB files.

Conclusion

Here, in this blog, we have discussed how to resolve the Exchange EDB file too big issue. We also cover the problems due to the large sizes of EDB files so that you can be aware of those. All the manual methods mentioned are not appropriate for the users as they have some constraints to their application. You can directly go for the professional tool to fix the issue of large-sized EDB files. It is the best software to effectively recover the EDB files and save the recovered data in various formats.

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