Hello all! It looks like I'm the first person to have this problem! I hate being a guinea pig.... I'm hoping someone with big brains can help. In a nutshell: ISCSI link to server went down. Caused some bad bits on the wire. Public folder directory essentially lost. No backup. Now, trying to restart with exchange. Trying to delete old configuration of public folder database, but having difficulties: Error: Exchange is unable to check for public folder replicas for the public folder database that you specified. Verify the Microsoft Information Store service is running, and that the database is properly mounted. Specified public folder database: "ELMO\Second Storage Group\Public Folder Database". MapiExceptionMdbOffline: Unable to determine if the store has local replicas (hr=0x80004005, ec=1142) It's not mounted, it's gone. But it won't delete the configuration reference or allow me to change it. So I'm in an endless loop. I cannot delete the DB. I cannot create a new one because only one can exist on the server. If I try to uninstall Exchange, it will fail the uninstall-prerequisite test with the same error. It's stuck in this loop! I can't find a way to "force" the database config to be deleted/removed. Any help would be greatly appreciated!! I'm dead in the water right now!

Hi xStveve, I am trying to thing it up... It looks like really bad for You.. but I thing it is not hopeless.. I have not running 2k7 yet, but I would try to focus: either on ADSI edit - to rewrite path and name and items about that store - see white-papers or if You have dead file of public store, nevermind, try to check it by eseutil and re-consistend it... or try move private storage to another storage group, after that try to delete old storage Group with that bad public store... or in worst, try to install new member of exchange servers and move only private store...

That was it. I went into ADSI Edit, widdled down the tree to the configuration container for exchange and found the storage group that had the bad public-folder database in it. Deleted the container. Restarted exchange and poof, the bad configuration was gone. Re-created a public folder database store and remounted. Thanks for the tip!!!

OK, I am lucky to help you. You can help me too in reward - Can You mark my helping answer "Yes" ..? Thank You too:)

For those that are interested - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/824126- is a webpage that has the specfics on finding the container for the Information Store in asdiedit. This solution worked for me as well to be able to delete a defunct public folder. Thanks to all - Todd

I checked out the article, i am having a similar problem, and i need to remove my database, but it is yelling at me about replicas. Where in ADSI Edit am i supposed to edit?

nevermine, for the next person, check out this article: http://telnetport25.wordpress.com/2007/08/21/quick-tip-removing-exchange-2007-error-with-public-folder-replicas/

The article moved: http://www.telnetport25.com/2008/12/removing-exchange-2007-error-with-public-folder-replicas/#comment-2603 See my comments on the article. I only had to follow the article's second object to delete.

Excellent , I also had the same problem while uninstall the Active Mailbox Role in 2007.in mixed enviroment (2k10) This post solved my problem. Thks a lot.