XADM: How to Determine the First Exchange Server Computer in the Site

This article describes how to determine the first Exchange Server computer in a site by running the Exchange Server Administrator program in Raw mode to assist you in troubleshooting many different System folder issues. You can perform this procedure on any Exchange Server computer in the site.

The identity of the first Exchange Server computer in the site is usually known. However, in some situations, because of administration or server configuration changes, the identity of the first Exchange Server computer in the site may be unknown.

To determine the first Exchange Server computer in the site, use the following steps:

WARNING: If you use the raw mode of the Exchange Server Administrator program (admin /r) incorrectly, serious problems may occur that may require you to reinstall Microsoft Windows NT Server, Microsoft Exchange Server, or both. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems that result from using raw mode incorrectly can be solved. Use raw mode at your own risk.

1. Start the Microsoft Exchange Server Administrator program in raw mode by typing the following at a command prompt:
   c:\exchsrvr\bin\admin /r
2. In the Configuration container for the site, click Information Store Site Configuration.
3. On the File menu, click Raw Properties.
4. In the Object attributes section, find the Site-Folder-Server attribute.
5. The name of the server in the Edit Value area is the first Exchange Server computer in the site.

NOTE: If the first Exchange Server computer in the site is removed from the site but is still listed, it may have been removed incorrectly. For information about how to correctly remove the first Exchange Server computer, refer to the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article: To correct this issue, refer to the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article: