XADM: Running Multiple Instances of Esefile.exe May Cause Computer to Stop Responding

When you run Esefile.exe to checksum an Exchange Server information store and two or more instances of Esefile.exe are run simultaneously on the same computer (for speed and efficiency), the computer may stop responding (hang) until the process is finished.

The Esefile process takes up so much CPU time in this configuration that it may seem like the computer is unresponsive. There is no observable activity (this includes keyboard updates, screen refreshes, network connections, and performance monitoring).

Although the same issue can occur when you run one instance of Esefile, you can work around this situation by running Esefile at a "low" process priority. However, you cannot use this method to work around issues when you run two instances of Esefile simultaneously.

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Exchange Server 5.5. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.5. This problem was first corrected in Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack 4.

The fix adds some code that slows down the Esefile process. This issue is actually only seen on very fast hardware (very fast multiprocessor computers). With the fix, Esefile runs a bit slower and gives CPU time to other threads if they require it.