Troubleshooter--Event ID 3368

When I tried to restore my Exchange 2000 Server databases from a backup, I received event ID 3368 in the event log and the database wouldn't mount. What does that event ID mean, and how do I avoid it?

Event ID 3368 is the event that the Information Store (IS) logs when the signature of a transaction log doesn't match the associated database. Each transaction log and database file has a signature that contains identifying information, and the transaction logs and databases' signatures must match. This requirement prevents you from playing back a set of log files from database A against database B. The IS must be running for you to mount the databases, but if you start the IS when no databases or logs are present, the action will create a new set of empty databases and a new generation of log files. If you restore the database after getting these empty files, when you try to mount your restored database, it won't match the log files and you'll receive this error.

To eliminate this problem, make sure that your online backup includes log files; that way, you'll get a consistent set of logs that match the database when you restore the databases. If you can't restore your log files, follow these steps: