Exchange Server 2007 Microsoft Corporation Version: 08.02.0234.001 on a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard x64 SP2 Trying to defrag the mailbox of the first storage group. When the server was set up all users went into the first group. We created storage groups three thru five after the first month and moved users to those groups. I'm trying to perform an offline defrag with no success. The eseutil location is c:\program files\microsoft\exchange server\bin The database location is e:\Exchange server\First Storage. This is a mapped drive to a IBM SAN model DS3400 Database name is Mailbox Database.edb We tried different variations from the command prompt C:\progra~1\micros~1\exchan~1\bin as the directory or e:\exchan~1\first~1 as the directory eseutil.exe /d e:\exchan~1\first~1\Mailbox Database.edb as the command or C:\progra~1\micros~1\exchan~1\bin\eseutil.exe /d mailbox database.edb as the command The issue all seems to be the spaces in the names. Can you provide the exact command?

Are there any mailboxes left in that store? There is typically no reason to do an offline defrag. You could put quotes around the directory paths, but unless there is really a compelling reason, I do not see the need regardless to do an offline defrag.

Yes there are still mailboxes in that database. The size is 27 GB. After defrag I would expect a 15 GB database. I will try the quotes but I can't dismount the database until after hours or the weekend.

Sometimes to make it easier, I simply add the exchange directory path to eseutil to the server's path statement under Environmental Variables. That way, you can go directly to the location of the store and simply type eseutil etc.... I still dont see the value of an offline defrag however. Yes, you'll get 12GB back, but that will eventually be reclaimed. Note that if you do decide to do this, get a full online backup before and after.

Also, it's often simpler to move the mailboxes to an alternate database, delete the original database, create a resplacement, and move the mailboxes back to the replacement database. (Of course then you've left white space in the database(s) where you temporarily moved the mailboxes...) Like Andy says, white space is going to be reclaimed anyway. And white space in an Exchange database is not a bad thing. So leaving things as they are would be my preferred course of action. Missy