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Event ID 4999 has been troubling Exchange users for a long time. It generally occurs after a service or process in your server crashes, and affects the services like Public folder sync, OAB update, etc. To fix Exchange Server error 4999 there are a couple of troubleshoots to try, like updating to the latest cumulative update, excluding your EDB from antivirus scanning to prevent resource lock, verifying certificate status, and more.
This error may not stop the complete email flow, but it will cause internal connectivity issues, data mismatch, issues in connecting to Outlook on the Web (OWA), and more. Moving further, we will learn all about the Exchange error 4999 and will resolve it using a combination of different working methods.
What is Exchange Server error 4999?
This error is also known as “Watson” reporting event. It’s a notification that tells the admins that some Exchange service is not working or has crashed. Exchange Server Error 4999 is noticed mainly in Exchange 2013 and Exchange 2016 versions. However, users have also reported it on the modern Exchange 2019 server.
You can identify it by checking the Windows Server Event Viewer. The 4999 event id can be logged by many Exchange services. The error in the event log will look like:
Source: MSExchange Common
Event ID: 4999
Task Category: General
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
ErrorReportingEnabled: False
The common error messages received are:
OR
Why are you getting the Exchange error 4999?
To quickly pinpoint the reason for the error, you must check the event id entry in the Event Viewer. There, look for details like Source, Process Name, Exception Code, Level, Description, etc., parameters. In addition to the reason specific to your case, other most common triggers for this error are:
- OAB Misconfiguration: If you have set the value for OABGeneratorWorkCycleCheckpoint higher than 49, it may cause the Mailbox Assistant service to crash and make the server register the 4999 event.
- Expired Auth Certificates: You may also get the 4999 error in case your (OAuth) certificate is missing or expired, causing the “Microsoft Exchange Service Host” service to constantly crash and cause the error.
- Corrupt Mailbox:A virus attack or improper shutdown multiple times can corrupt data. This will disrupt different services. In certain situations, you may have to repair EDB files to prevent errors.
- File Locking:Users also report that when antivirus scans files like EDB or logs, it locks them till the scanning finishes. This prevents server from accessing them and causes the services to crash.
- Outdated Exchange Versions:Avoiding critical updates is also a common reason. Moreover, error 4999 can be the reason for a mismatched state in DLL files due to the installation of Exchange security updates without a full system reboot.
Methods to fix the Exchange error 4999
Based on the reasons described above, there are different ways to fix the Exchange error 4999. Let us see them one by one.
- Change the OAB property value
- Renew expired Auth certificates– Open and use the Exchange Management Shell to view all the Microsoft Exchange Server Auth Certificates and check their status. If they are not valid or expired, renew them immediately to prevent any Exchange service from crashing.
- Update the accounts– In Exchange 2013, updating the accounts will help to fix the issue. It will help to have the correct value for the showInAddressbook attribute. And installing the Cumulative Update 15 or later will automatically solve this issue in Exchange 2013.
- Check the background processes – Now you can start by checking what is going on in the background. Check if any Windows or system updates are running, because sometimes new updates come with features that are not supported by the existing version. Moreover, verify the state of any Volume Shadow Copy (VSS) running backup. A hung backup process can cause the Exchange error 4999.
- Check for antivirus and third-party installations– Sometimes, antivirus scans running behind can also affect Exchange Server. In such a case, the safest way to avoid the issue is to configure the antivirus to exclude certain files like Exchange database (EDB) file, log files, etc. Add such files to the whitelist in your security software, so they don’t end up locking these resources.
- Check Exchange Server services– Check whether all Exchange Server services are running or not. Also, by running the command Test-ServiceHealth, validate all the services that are required. This is also used to find configuration issues that cause performance issues and other long-running issues in the Exchange Server environment.
- Check Disk Space – Insufficient disk space is also one of the factors which may lead to such an error. Lack of disk space affects the delivery of emails which results in data. So always try to keep enough space for the smooth running of operations on the system. Also, one should examine the volume of transaction log files. If the EDB file is taking up too much space, use an EDB to PST converter to export the large mailboxes and store them in another drive. Then defragment EDB file with eseutil cmdlet to free up space.
- Run updates – Microsoft releases security updates to fix bugs and resolve errors. Therefore, to keep your Exchange Server environment protected, immediately install the updates from Microsoft. This is an easy way to keep your system safe and secure.
In Exchange 2013, one can change the value of OAB by running the following cmd-
Here, keep the OAB property value below 49.
When to use a professional Exchange recovery solution?
The manual solutions given above can fix storage issues, renew certificates, or resolve configuration issues. But they cannot help if the Exchange error 4999 in your system is a result of database corruption. In such a condition, your best option is to use an Exchange database recovery tool that can safely restore your EDB file with complete data.
Kernel for Exchange Server is a specialized tool designed to simplify Exchange recovery. It can easily scan, repair, and restore your data from an EDB file of any size. Furthermore, you can also use it to restore deleted contacts from the mailboxes.
Conclusion
Event ID 4999 will not damage your data immediately. But over time, multiple occurrences can cause database corruption. Fix Exchange error 4999 with the solution given above to avoid any permanent issues. In case the culprit is a damaged EDB file, either use a healthy backup to restore data, or if that’s not possible, use the Kernel for Exchange Server tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ans. The fastest way is to open the Event Viewer and look for the event with id 4999. Then, review all the parameters of the id to know which particular service is crashing and causing the issue.
Ans. Constantly getting the error means one or more services are failing repeatedly in the background. Ignoring this will eventually cause permanent damage to your data, like outdated contact lists, issues in data sync, etc.
