I reset all the search indices on my mailbox databases. Event viewer has told me the crawl is complete and everything checks out when I do “test-exchangeSearch” from PS. However, the index folders are considerably smaller than the original ones, (1.3GB vs 7GB) and only about 1% of database size. Multiple users can prove to me that searches are incomplete and not returning reliable results when just doing basic folder searches from Outlook 2007. help! Ian

Hi Ian, Please try below steps: 1 Rebuild search index and try again. 2 Make sure your Exchange is the latest update and rollup: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2602324 If not help please feedback. Thanks.Best Regards!

I did, now it's even worse. The index I reset didn't rebuild at all and now that DB doesn't have any search capability at all.Ian

Not sure how many client you;re using and if they''r using cache mode or not? Put in cache mode and test, see if the search comes back as expcted?Sukh

Hi Ian, I think you can give it a shot directly. Then feedback the result here. Thanks.Best Regards!

I am having the same issue, with Exchange Server 2007 SP3 with Update Rollup 5 applied. We even found something out on the net about crl.microsoft.com potentially causing the issue and to set it to 127.0.0.1 in the hosts file which may resolve it (http://blogs.technet.com/b/exchangesearch/archive/2011/01/18/exchange-search-fails-after-installing-exchange-2007-sp3.aspx). It has not done so for us. Any ideas?

After speaking with a senior MS Engineer, if you already have SP3 applied and tried to reinstall the search as I outlined above, you have corrupt your Exchange install and the ONLY option is to rebuild the box. After reinstalling Windows and Exchange, the proper procedure to get search working perfectly is outlined below: 4. If you havent already, upgrade toExchange Server 2007 Service Pack 3. Exchange 2007 SP3 includes several major Search-related fixes and upgrades MSSearch 3.0 to MSSearch 3.1. This is a highly significant upgrade. 5. Update to the latest available Rollup Update. There are some very significant search fixes in the Rollup Updates for Exchange 2007 SP3. Some of these fixes are absolutely essential to install. For example, Exchange 2007 SP3 Rollup Update 2 includes a fix that allows Exchange server to index emails even when the attachment cannot be parsed this is the number one call generator for Exchange 2007 search support cases. To restate, upgrade to the very latest available Exchange 2007 SP3 rollup update, as there are many more search fixes available in the latest rollup updates. 6. Install IFilters and register them follow ALL the steps below. Install Filter Pack 1.0, which allows Exchange 2007 to index Office 2007 documents: 2007 Office System Converter: Microsoft Filter Pack http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=20109 7. Install the hotfix which addresses a known issue when search crawls a .vsd file. 960502 Description of the 2007 Office system hotfix package (Offfiltx.msp, Visfilter.msp): December 16, 2008 http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;960502 Additional Information on the hotfix: 960166 Error message when a search process crawls a .vsd file on a Windows 64-bit operating system that is running the 2007 Office Filter Pack: "The filtering process has been terminated" http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;960166 8. Register the Filter Pack 1.0 IFilters. This is a manual process with Exchange 2007 but we have created a script to automate the process.: 944516 How to register Filter Pack IFilters with Exchange Server 2007 http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;944516 9. Install Filter Pack 2.0 which allows Exchange to index Office 2010 attachments as well as some additional file types. Download details: Microsoft Office 2010 Filter Packs http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=5CD4DCD7-D3E6-4970-875E-ABA93459FBEE&displaylang=en 10. Register IFilters 2.0 with Exchange 2007. How to Register IFilters 2.0 with Exchange 2007 and Exchange 2010 http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff354976(EXCHG.80).aspx 11. Disable signature verification for the Exchange 2007 search services by putting 127.0.0.1 crl.microsoft.com in the HOSTS file. Certificate Revocation List When the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 loads a managed assembly, the managed assembly calls the CryptoAPI function to verify the Authenticode signature on the assembly files. The CryptoAPI function checks a Certificate Revocation List (CRL) that is available at http://crl.microsoft.com . This action requires an Internet connection. The Microsoft Search Indexer service (Microsoft.Exchange.Search.ExSearch.exe) is a managed assembly that is loaded by Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0. After installing Exchange 2007 SP3, if the Exchange server or DNS cannot resolve http://crl.microsoft.com for any reason the outgoing HTTP requests may be dropped and an error message is not returned. This delay causes the CRL to time out and cached CRLs will expire. This affects the Microsoft Search Indexer service in such a way that any new email fails to be indexed. Instructions to Modify HOSTS file on the Exchange 2007 Server Add the following: 127.0.0.1 crl.microsoft.com here are the instructions: a. Go Start Programs and choose Command Prompt and choose Run as Administrator. b. Within the Command Prompt, change to this directory (the drive will be the one where you installed the OS): C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts c. Add the following entry to the HOSTS file: 127.0.0.1 crl.microsoft.com d. Save the HOSTS file. 13. Rebuild Indexes using ResetSearchIndexes.ps1 How to Rebuild the Full-Text Index Catalog http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa995966(EXCHG.80).aspx a. Go Start Programs and choose Exchange Management Shell and choose Run as Administrator. b. Change to this directory (the drive will be the one where you installed Exchange 2007): C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\Scripts c. It is suggested that you rebuild indexes for one or a few databases at a time use the following command to rebuild the indexes for 1 databases called dbname1 and dbname2: .\ResetSearchIndex.ps1 force dbname1 dbname2 d. It is suggested not to run the following command unless you have 1 Exchange 2007 server only in your environment because it will cause all databases on all Exchange 2007 (and all Exchange 2010 servers, if there are any) to be reindexed at that same time: .\ResetSearchIndex.ps1 force all 14. Monitor the Application Event Log for Event ID 110 for a particular database. This will indicate the new index is complete for that database. 15. After receiving Event ID 110 for a database, check to see if the size of the CatalogData folder for that database is the expected 5% to 10% of the database size. If the size of the CatalogData folder is significantly smaller than that or if the size is a few kb or a few mb, go to Step 17. 16. After you have received Event ID 110 and the size of the CatalogData folder is normal, test searching in Outlook online mode and OWA to make sure search is working. <strike> </strike> Ian

Ian, I followed your suggestions (having a similar issue), but I'm stuck at n#15: After receiving Event ID 110 for a database, check to see if the size of the CatalogData folder for that database is the expected 5% to 10% of the database size. If the size of the CatalogData folder is significantly smaller than that or if the size is a few kb or a few mb, go to Step 17. I have the condition, where I should go to step 17, but step 17 is missing in your post. COuld you please clarify what to do if If the size of the CatalogData folder is significantly smaller than that or if the size is a few kb or a few mb, go to Step 17. thx Gerhard

There is no step 17, that's a typo. If you have the index issue and have been unable to resolve it with the steps above, you have no choice but to rebuild the box. FYI, if you tried the reinstall of Microsoft Full Text Indexing Engine for Exchange Setup v8.1.240.x, then you have officially corrupted the install and have no choice but to rebuild. It's not documented, but I have been told by MS that performing this step on a post SP3 server corrupts the indexing engine beyond repair.Ian

Well, this seems to be quite a mess. So step 17 is rebuild. Just for clarification (it's probably not helping me), rebuild means OS+MX or MX only?

I would rebuild the OS too. Its only an extra hour. Cleaner that way. If your data is on a different partition, you can keep it and just reinstall Exchange with the following procedure: Use Setup /M:RecoverServer: to reinstall Exchange 2007 do this for each mailbox server 1. Backup the databases to another location and follow all the instructions in this document and backup all the information it says to backup: Understanding Setup /M:RecoverServer: Exchange 2007 Help http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa998656(v=EXCHG.80).aspx 2. Format the old Exchange 2007 SP3 server and reinstall the OS it must match the previous OS. 3. Use the Setup /M:RecoverServer command to reinstall Exchange 2007 completely using the document above. 4. Install Exchange 2007 SP3 and the correct Rollup Update to match the previous server. 5. Restore the databases and other settings using the document above. 6. Use the troubleshooting checklist to make sure your settings for Exchange 2007 search are correct. Ian

Thanks Ian for your feedback. I'm trying to avoid a major downtime, so I installed a clean Server 2008R2, patched it until it was green, and installed a clean Exchange 2007 SP3. I even donwloaded the SP3-install file again (just to be sure). I created one SG and one DB and transferred a couple of unsued mailboxes (in total 20GB). Guess what: no index. So I started with completly recoverable steps: I patched the HOSTS file (crl...), checked IndexEnabled and ResetSearchIndex OK, I get finally a high CPU and some activity on the CatalogueData...BUT again: it's useless, way to small. Test-ExchangeSearch delivers FALSE as well. I tried ResetSearchIndex with and without the -force option, but that differs seemingly only in the need to hit ENTER... There must be something else (probably some patch) that interferes with the indexing. Only what? I mean, a clean install should be working out of the box, shouldn't it? My next steps: since this is now a virtual machine I am snapshoting along and try to find my way... I'm now stepping up to SP3 RU7, afterwards I'm installing the IFilter-stuff (which I assume is already some kind of patching that might be unrecoverable!) Just for laughs: on that virtual machine there is nothing else, no antivirus, no backup, no 3rd party-software. Only "suspects": Internetexplorer 9 and Frameworks 4 (both came with the WSUS patching, because my virtual server was set to the Workstation policy) br Gerhard

The saga continues: I have installed the Filterpack 1.0 and had it registered I have installed Update Rollup 7 for SP 3 (now the version schows 8.3 build 83.6 and Version 08.03.0264.000) I have installed Filterpack 2.0 and had it registered. I stopped the Search services, delete the Catalogue and restarted the services I get event 109, then 108 - the CataloguieData-Directory gets created and gets it's dummy-files (total size 129kb) After 8 Minutes msftesql kicks in, consumes 50% CPU and runs for 10 Minutes (on a store of 20 GB) I see the 110 in the eventlog. Sadly the Catalogue-Data is still at 129kb, none of the files got even modified (timestamp and size still the same). Needless to say: test-ExchangeSearch still delivers "FALSE" and "-1" Any ideas? It's a clean install...and still not working???? Any ideas how to trace this better (please don'T mention procmon for looking if the crawl is running). br Gerhard

Ian, I'm going to mark this thread as answered. Thanks for all the input you delivered. The mystery is still not solved, I'm busily sending traces andf stuff to MS. br Gerhard

Hi Gerhard, I have exactly the same problems regarding this 129kb index. I've also done all the steps mentined above. Is it possible to send me a copy of this dip.exe tool? my mail adress is marcel.roebrock@online.de I hope this will finaly help. Thank you and have a nice day. Best regards Marcel