How to Move the Mailroot Directory in Exchange Server 2003

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When messages arrive in Exchange Server 2003 through SMTP, the data is written to a file in the NTFS file system (specifically, an .eml file). By default, these files are written to a directory (<drive>:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\Mailroot) on the same partition containing the Exchange Server 2003 program files.

In some scenarios, such as configuring a bridgehead or relay server, relocating the SMTP Mailroot directory to a faster disk may improve performance. In Exchange Server 2003, you can use Exchange System Manager to move the Mailroot directory.

Procedure

To move the Mailroot directory in Exchange Server 2003

  1. Open Exchange System Manager.

  2. Expand Servers, expand an Exchange server, expand Protocols, and then expand SMTP.

  3. Right-click an SMTP virtual server (for example, Default SMTP Virtual Server), and then click Stop.

  4. Right-click the SMTP virtual server again, and then click Properties.

  5. Click the Messages tab.

  6. In the Queue directory field, specify the full path of the appropriate Mailroot folder. If you are running Exchange System Manager on the Exchange Server and not on a remote computer, you can click Browse to browse the local computer for the path.

  7. Click OK to save the changes.

  8. Right-click the SMTP virtual server, and then click Start. The new location will be used immediately.

For More Information

For more information about moving the Mailroot directory, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

For more information about SMTP virtual server settings, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles: