Error -1216 in Exchange Server and EDB Recovery

“Error -1216 (JET_errAttachedDatabaseMismatch)”
It is the most common Jet error in Microsoft Exchange Server. Error -1216 shows that the Exchange Server has determined that the files in Exchange Server database’s running set are lost or they have been reinstated with the different file versions.
Error -1216 could also be symbolized hexadecimally as ‘0xfffffb40’. When the error takes place, the Exchange Server aborts the soft recovery of EDB file before doing some changes to database, which may prevent re-integration of missing database files with data set.
When this error takes place, you should attempt to restore the missing database files. When these files are not available, you could use Eseutil for overriding the error and go on with software EDB recovery.
Error -1216 is caused when the comparison of header information in database and the log files shows that the removal or replacement of some critical files has been done. This error message may cause data loss, if the administrator run the soft recovery.

Grounds of the trouble

This problem occurs due to the inconsistency of the database, which might occur due to unexpected shut down of the Exchange Server or the Storage Group service has been stopped improperly. You may find the following entries in the Application Event Log, when the Exchange Server was stopped abnormally:
“Event Type: Error
Event Source: ESE98
Event Category: Logging/Recovery
Event ID: 0
Date: 4/24/2001
Time: 6:20:18 PM
User: N/A
Computer: EXCHANGE1

Description: Information Store (4312) Database recovery failed with error -1216 because it encountered references to a database, ‘D:\exchsrvr\mdbdata\PRIV2.edb’, which is no longer present. The database was not brought to a consistent state before it was removed (or possibly moved or renamed). The database engine will not permit recovery to complete for this instance until the missing database is re-instated. If the database is truly no longer available and no longer required, please contact PSS for further instructions regarding the steps required in order to allow recovery to proceed without this database.
Nevertheless the cause of this issue, the database inconsistency will ultimately cause EDB corruption and finally the data loss. In such circumstances, you need to perform Exchange Server recovery to recover your lost data. It is feasible using good EDB repair software such as Stellar Phoenix Mailbox Exchange Recovery.
Phoenix Exchange Server repair is extremely powerful EDB recovery product to handle EDB corruption scenarios. It can perform Exchange Server recovery for all of the EDB repair objects including emails, notes, contacts and so forth. Phoenix Exchange Server repair is applicable to all file versions of Microsoft Exchange Server including Exchange 5.5, 2000, and 2003.