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While migrating an Exchange mailbox from one database to another, the Exchange Administrator does not need to sync the data to each folder, but Exchange Server does it automatically. But occasionally, you may have to face some error related to the syncing of a mailbox. One such error is following:
Couldn’t switch the mailbox into Sync Source mode. This could be because another administrator is currently moving the mailbox into the destination database, the mailbox is locked, or the Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Replication service doesn’t have the correct permissions.
FailureType: SourceMailboxAlreadyBeingMovedTransientException.
The error mentions that it cannot sync the source mailbox with the destination. It also shows some possible causes, like the mailbox is locked, Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Replication service lacks necessary permission for syncing the mailbox.
There may be some other causes that can lead to the error mentioned above
- Another Exchange Administrator may be migrating the same mailbox to another database, due to which the mailbox is locked.
- The Exchange Mailbox Replication Service does not have full permissions to handle the mailbox.
- Exchange database is corrupt, and the mailbox is inaccessible.
Instant Fixes for ‘Mailbox is locked’ error
Try these quick troubleshooting tips before we try an irreversible method.
- Check your internet connection, make sure it is stable with adequate bandwidth.
- Login to OWA with your account credentials to verify if the credentials are correct.
- If you have started a move request immediately after an old move request, you can get this error. In this case, wait for at least 2 hours and then run the migration.
If these fixes don’t work for you, try the methods given below. However, make sure you have a healthy backup of all your mailboxes. And if not, use an EDB to PST converter to create multiple mailbox backup quickly.
Possible Solutions for the error
First of all, you can try to run the repair request and fix the mailbox in such a state that you can complete the migration.
- Run Mailbox Repair Request.
In on-premises Exchange Server, you can run a mailbox repair request to repair any mailbox and database. It is quite beneficial to use this command because the request repairs only the respective mailboxes, and remaining mailboxes remain operative. There are following types of corruption that the repair request handle- Search Folder
- Aggregate Counts
- Folder View
- Provisioned Folder
Run the command:
New-MailboxRepairRequest -Mailbox Tony -CorruptionType ProvisionedFolder,SearchFolder,AggregateCounts,FolderviewThe command checks and repairs all types of corruption from the mailbox named Tony.
- Check if any move request is running for a mailbox.
Run the command.Get-MoveRequest -Identity ‘alex@xyz.com’ | Get-MoveRequestStatistics –IncludeReport | flThe command will search any ongoing move request for the mailbox ‘alex.’ If there is an existing move request under process or stuck, wait for it to complete or remove it. Then, check if your mailbox synchronization has resumed. If it is not, try to migrate the same mailbox to a different database. This will help to know if the issue is with the move service or with the target database.
- Repair the corrupt EDB file.
If any of the methods are not working due to any corruption in the EDB file of Exchange Server, then you need to use the ESEUTIL tool to repair EDB files. The ESEUTIL tool uses multiple switches to repair the database and restore the mailbox data. It is present at the following location of the C drive:C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\BinRun the soft recovery.
ESEUTIL /l ‘path of the log file’ /d ‘path of the Exchange database.’
ESEUTIL /l “C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\Mailbox\Alex-Database-12345” /d “C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\Mailbox\Alex-Database-12345”Run the hard recovery:
ESEUTIL /p ‘path of the Exchange database.’
ESEUTIL /p ‘C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\Mailbox\Alex-Database-12345’After recovering the database file, you can rerun the migration for the mailbox in the database file.
Conclusion
When you do not get satisfactory results even after applying any of these methods for fixing the error, then you need to use a professional tool that can recover the EDB file in full health. Later, you can migrate the EDB file content to Office 365. Exchange recovery software is one such efficient Kernel for Exchange Server tool, which can recover Exchange Server data, including all its messages, contacts, notes, appointments, journals, deleted items, etc.
It not only recovers the EDB files but also allows you to migrate them directly to Office 365. It accesses the EDB file from its location, scans it deeply, and retrieves whole mailboxes along with their folders. After retrieving the EDB file, you can add Office 365 as the destination and perform the migration. The migration is done by a simple copy-paste, drag-&-drop, or copy all mailboxes operation. After each migration, the tool provides a migration report to help users verify the status of each migrated item.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ans. No. When you run the New-MailboxRepairRequest, only the mailbox you specified in the command will be repaired. All other mailboxes in the database remain online and accessible to users during the process.
Ans. If there is any unwritten data, the Soft Recovery (/r) will write it by replaying the transaction log files and will not delete any data.
Hard Recovery (/p) is used when the database is severely corrupted. It repairs the EDB file by deleting any damaged pages, which can result in some data loss.
Ans. In such a case, you should use a professional Exchange database recovery tool that can scan, repair, and recover complete mailboxes.
