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Exchange 2010 Setup Error – The Exchange Server is in an Inconsistent State

August 8, 2010 By 12 Comments

When launching Exchange Server 2010 setup you may encounter this error message.

The Exchange Server is in an inconsistent state. Only disaster recovery mode is available. Please use Setup /m:RecoverServer to recover this Exchange server.

This can occur when the Exchange server object already exists within Active Directory, which can occur when a server has been uninstalled and you are attempting to reinstall it.

If you do not wish to use disaster recovery mode to reinstall the server you must first remove the Exchange server object from Active Directory.

Launch ADSIEdit.msc and navigate to CN=Configuration, CN=Services, CN=Microsoft Exchange, CN=<Your Organization Name>, CN=Administrative Groups, CN= <Exchange 2010 Administrative Group>, CN=Servers, CN=<Server Name>, and then delete the server object.

In this example screenshot the server name is EX2.

After deleting the object you may need to wait for the change to replicate throughout Active Directory.  Then you can relaunch Exchange setup and proceed with your installation as planned.

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About Paul Cunningham

Paul is a Microsoft Exchange Server specialist for one of Australia's largest companies, and is the Publisher of ExchangeServerPro.com. He is also an MCP, MCSA, MCSE, MCTS, and an MCITP for Exchange Server 2007/2010. Connect with Paul on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Comments

  1. Tim Miller says:
    September 4, 2010 at 2:47 am

    I had to open the advanced settings on the Connect To and change to Global Catalog inorder to see the Object. Now that i have found it, I am unable to delete the object though. I am logged in as Domain Admin account, tried on workstation, and both DC. i see the Delete button (red x) but it wont let me remove anything. click it and it does nothing!

    any ideas?

    Reply
  2. Paul Cunningham says:
    September 4, 2010 at 9:44 pm

    Tim, I’ve never encountered that problem before. I guess make sure you’re running ADSIEdit.msc with elevated privileges.

    I don’t usually use the red X either, just the Delete key on my keyboard.

    Reply
  3. NEOMX says:
    September 30, 2010 at 1:13 pm

    Great work its what I neded.

    Thanks Bro Best Regards From México City

    Reply
  4. Sead says:
    March 7, 2011 at 2:24 am

    Thanks a lot. I had to go to the Advanced Settings and Select a well-known naming context (option Configuration). I also had to specify the Administrator credentials for the DC.

    Reply
  5. Ali says:
    August 23, 2011 at 9:02 pm

    Very big THANKS. It helped me

    Reply
  6. Liam says:
    October 25, 2011 at 8:28 am

    You’ve saved mse a heap of work – great article.

    Thanks again.

    All the the best from Belfast…

    Reply
  7. Kenneth says:
    October 28, 2011 at 7:01 pm

    Hi,

    We had a crash on a Exchange server and had to reinstall the server. We had to rename the server before we managed to install it. So now I can see both server in the EMC. It is just to delite that old object with ADSI edit and then it would be delited from EMC too or do I have to do more, like a metadata cleanup?

    Reply
    • Paul Cunningham says:
      November 1, 2011 at 8:56 pm

      So a recovery install wouldn’t work?

      I wouldn’t just delete it as a first option, if possible do a recovery install and then cleanly uninstall it from the org. That would be my first option.

      Reply
  8. ckara says:
    November 26, 2011 at 12:18 am

    I don’t see
    CN=Configuration, CN=Services

    Launch ADSIEdit.msc and navigate to CN=Configuration, CN=Services, CN=Microsoft Exchange, CN=, CN=Administrative Groups, CN= , CN=Servers, CN=, and then delete the server object.

    Reply

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