Fix: Your Mailbox Appears to Be Unavailable

Q: Why Am I Seeing This Error?

If you receive the following error when trying to log into your mailbox:

"Your mailbox appears to be unavailable. Try to access it again in 10 seconds. If you see this error again, contact your helpdesk."

This issue can occur due to a power failure or stopped Microsoft Exchange services. Additionally, you may see the mailbox database status as "Unknown" in the mounted column.

Steps to Fix the Issue

1. Restart Essential Exchange Services

Ensure that the following Microsoft Exchange services are running:

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Look for the following services:
   • Microsoft Exchange Information Store
   • Microsoft Exchange Replication
3. If any service is Stopped, right-click and select Start.
4. Make sure their Startup Type is set to Automatic.

2. Restart the Microsoft Exchange Server

If the issue persists, restarting the Exchange server may help.

1. Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
2. Run the following command to restart the server:

shutdown /r /t 0
        

1. Wait for the server to reboot and check if the mailbox is accessible.

3. Check the Mailbox Database Status

If your mailbox database is marked as "Unknown" or "Dismounted", try remounting it:

1. Open the Exchange Management Shell.
2. Run the following command to check the database status:

Get-MailboxDatabase | Format-Table Name, Server, Mounted
        

1. If it shows as "False", remount it with:

Mount-Database -Identity "Mailbox Database Name"
        

1. Replace Mailbox Database Name with the actual name of your database.

4. Repair the Mailbox Database (If Needed)

If the database is corrupted, you may need to repair it:

1. Put the database into repair mode:

eseutil /p "C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\Mailbox\Mailbox Database.edb"
        

1. After repair, run a soft recovery:

eseutil /r E00 /l "C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\Mailbox\Logs"
        

1. Restart the Exchange server and check the mailbox status.

5. Check Event Viewer for Errors

Microsoft Exchange logs errors in Event Viewer. To check for related errors:

1. Press Win + R, type eventvwr.msc, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to Windows Logs → Application.
3. Look for errors related to Exchange and take appropriate action based on the message.

Adding Screenshots for Better Troubleshooting

To add helpful images to your webpage, follow these steps:

1. Capture a Screenshot

1. On Windows, press PrtScn to capture the screen.
2. On Windows 10/11, press Win + Shift + S to use Snipping Tool.
3. Save the image as a .jpg or .png file.

2. Upload the Image to Your Website

1. Use an FTP client or CMS file manager to upload the image.
2. Place it inside your website’s /images/ folder.

3. Embed the Image in Your Page

Use the following HTML code to display the image on your webpage:

<img src="/images/exchange-error.png" alt="Exchange Mailbox Unavailable Error" width="600">
    

Replace exchange-error.png with your actual image filename.

Conclusion

The "Your Mailbox Appears to Be Unavailable" error in Microsoft Exchange is often caused by a power failure or stopped services.

By following these troubleshooting steps, you should be able to restore access to your mailbox. If the problem persists, consult your IT department or Microsoft Support.