Exchange Webmail/OWA service "Service Unavailable" after windows update
I did an update to windows server 2003 which is running our exchange 2003 on Friday. I believe the main update was WSUS 3 sp1 or something like that. Anyways I noticed it saying it was doing something to a sql db which worried me at the time, but I let it finish. When I rebooted email could be accessed by outlook, but when you try to access webmail you get "Service Unavailable". Also all our blackberry and palm os devices quit being able to access the server. I also looked in the IIS at the web folders and they are all empty now. Any ideas to what happened, or how to repair it?
August 18th, 2008 5:37pm

Hi, As my understanding, when you logon OWA, it return Services Unavailable. Have you checked IIS Manager to see whether the website has been started? Since the issue occurred after the update installed, so first please try to find which update that you have installed on the Exchange Server. You can check windowsupdate.log from location c:\windows. Then please run ExBPA to have a health check to see whether any error would be display there. Microsoft Exchange Best Practices Analyzer v2.8 http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=dbab201f-4bee-4943-ac22-e2ddbd258df3&displaylang=en Hope it helps. Xiu
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August 19th, 2008 12:49pm

Thanks for the reply. I have checked to make sure the IIS is running and it is. Also remote clients can access imap and pop. BPA doesnt show any problems. Updates installed are KB952954, KB953839, KB921598, KB955434, KB890830, KB953838, KB948014, KB951072, KB950974, KB951066, and Office '03 SP3. Please advise.
August 19th, 2008 6:40pm

Hi, Then please make backup for the files and other settings that you have done since the update installed. We may try to start computer with Last Known Good Configuration. By this step we can narrow down whether the issue is affected by newly installed update. Start the computer using the last known good configuration http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc782832.aspx Hope it helps. Xiu
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August 20th, 2008 8:31am

I fixed it by restoring IIS config taken by the updates. Something about WSUS. I guess in was something in the WSUS 3.0 update. Is this a necessary update?
August 20th, 2008 6:43pm

Hi, From the KBs listing in your previously post, I found that kb948014 is Windows Server Update Services 3.0 Service Pack 1. First I would like to explain that WSUS need IIS component, it creates WSUS administration in the default web site by default (Note: you can specify to create new website for WSUS administration when you install WSUS). Meanwhile WSUS need SQL support to store its data. So when you install sp1 for WSUS, it would update these related configuration.You can check application log from event viewer.(Notelease run "eventvwr" from a command prompt to open event viewer) For your issue, I recommend you not to install WSUS Administration in the default web site. I suspect some conflict configuration has been done to the IIS Server. I recommend you to post the issue in WSUS Newsgroup to get detail information on WSUS SP1. Newsgroup for WSUS http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.aspx?query=wsus&cboDiscussionGroup=en_US_d02fc761-3f6b-402c-82f6-ba1a8875c1a7%3A%3Aen%3A%3A%3A%3A%3A&=Go&dg=&cat=en_US_d02fc761-3f6b-402c-82f6-ba1a8875c1a7&lang=en&cr=&pt=&catlist=&dglist=&ptlist=&exp=&sloc=en-us Realted information share with you: Windows Server Update Services 3.0 SP1 http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F87B4C5E-4161-48AF-9FF8-A96993C688DF&displaylang=en&displaylang=en Microsoft Windows Server Update Services 3.0 SP1 Operations Guide http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=66D250FA-670F-4A49-95EC-2FFDA7691F55&displaylang=en Hope it helps. Xiu
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August 21st, 2008 6:23am

Hi I am facing same issue here i dont 100% remember what date in this month the liveupdate happened and i dont have any WSUS but i am using System center essential wsus is part of it now.. any ways that is working fine for all rest servers including exvhange 2007 suddenly one day i realize OWA is not working " Service Unavailbale" i have notice some error logs in event viewver which are here.. I dont know what is happening here exchagne srever with MS outlook is working fine only OWA is issue i am afriad since those updates were only critical and security and may by in use already by server if i remove it will mess up something else can some one help me resolving this. Event Type:ErrorEvent Source:W3SVCEvent Category:NoneEvent ID:1002Date:8/25/2008Time:1:19:39 PMUser:N/AComputer:W2K3R2-EXCH1Description:Application pool 'MSExchangeOWAAppPool' is being automatically disabled due to a series of failures in the process(es) serving that application pool. For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp. Event Type:ErrorEvent Source:W3SVCEvent Category:NoneEvent ID:1039Date:8/25/2008Time:1:19:39 PMUser:N/AComputer:W2K3R2-EXCH1Description:A process serving application pool 'MSExchangeOWAAppPool' reported a failure. The process id was '10784'. The data field contains the error number. For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.Data:0000: c1 00 07 80 ..? Event Type:ErrorEvent Source:W3SVCEvent Category:NoneEvent ID:1002Date:8/25/2008Time:1:19:38 PMUser:N/AComputer:W2K3R2-EXCH1Description:Application pool 'MSExchangeAutodiscoverAppPool' is being automatically disabled due to a series of failures in the process(es) serving that application pool. For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.Event Type:ErrorEvent Source:W3SVC-WPEvent Category:NoneEvent ID:2268Date:8/25/2008Time:1:19:38 PMUser:N/AComputer:W2K3R2-EXCH1Description:Could not load all ISAPI filters for site/service. Therefore startup aborted. For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.Data:0000: c1 00 00 00 ... Event Type:ErrorEvent Source:W3SVC-WPEvent Category:NoneEvent ID:2274Date:8/25/2008Time:1:19:38 PMUser:N/AComputer:W2K3R2-EXCH1Description:ISAPI Filter 'C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\\aspnet_filter.dll' could not be loaded due to a configuration problem. The current configuration only supports loading images built for a AMD64 processor architecture. The data field contains the error number. To learn more about this issue, including how to troubleshooting this kind of processor architecture mismatch error, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=29349. For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.Data:0000: c1 00 00 00 ... -----------------
August 25th, 2008 8:25pm

I didnt remove the WSUS update. I just went into computer management, and went to the IIS manager. right click on it and goto all tasks, then backup and restore configuration. Create a backup of it now so you can put it back if restoring doesnt work. Then there should be a backup that says something about the WSUS update and it should have a fairly recent date. The update makes that before updating. I restored that configuration, and everything was back to normal.
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August 25th, 2008 9:17pm

Hi I am in IIS Manager i took backup of the configuration now as you said there should be a backup that says something about the WSUS update i dont see one i have few automatic backups for todays date ...and one initial backup for 12-june-2007 thats it.. any idea ... Thanks
August 25th, 2008 11:03pm

unfortunatly it doesnt sound like it made a backup automatically for you. Since you have the backup you just made, you could try the initial backup and see if that works.
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August 25th, 2008 11:14pm

Hi to all I manage to fix this by installing .Net 3.5 SP1 on Exchange srver and OWA up and running immidiatly.. Thanks to all. Imran.
September 9th, 2008 4:19pm

Great!
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September 10th, 2008 5:13am

I am not able to resolve this same issue.I tried installing .NET 3.5 SP1 on my Exch2k7 box and I still receive 'service unavailable'. Previous step was reinstalling the Exch2k7 Client Access role, which didnt help.Event ID's:Event Type: ErrorEvent Source: W3SVC-WPEvent Category: NoneEvent ID: 2268Date: 10/10/2008Time: 8:16:12 AMUser: N/AComputer: NYC-EXCH1Description:Could not load all ISAPI filters for site/service. Therefore startup aborted.For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.Data:0000: 7e 00 00 00 ~... -------------------------------------------Event Type: ErrorEvent Source: W3SVC-WPEvent Category: NoneEvent ID: 2214Date: 10/10/2008Time: 8:16:12 AMUser: N/AComputer: NYC-EXCH1Description:The HTTP Filter DLL C:\Program Files (x86)\RSA Security\RSAWebAgent\WebID\IISWebAgentIF.dll failed to load. The data is the error.For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.Data:0000: 7e 00 00 00 ~... ANY IDEAS?
October 10th, 2008 3:21pm

Hi there well simply what you can do is guess since how long your OWA is stopped 1 month 2 month.. go to add/remove programs and check the show all updates, uninstall all updates within that duration and then restart IIS or if requrire reboot the server. this is not a good solution but will help you bring back OWA. one more thing that you can give it a try is by creating new OWA site in IIS as per instruction of freating OWA in existing enviroment without uninstalling updates... if that works out issue is existing OWA site in IIS is mismatcing some context with updates happend... Thanks. Imran.
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October 10th, 2008 7:32pm

I FIXED my related issue by doing this:IIS | Website | Properties:1. Install .NET 3.5 SP12. Uninstall / Reinstall Exch2k7 Client Access Role3. Switch IIS to from Worker Process Isolation to Isolation by check box under Service tab4. Remove RSA ISAPI Filter5. Switch IIS back to Worker Process Isolation by removing check box under Service tabThanks all ---PEACE!
October 10th, 2008 11:25pm

Its not just affecting OWA, all my IIS sites and the default root produces: Service Unavailable Any other ideas?
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October 11th, 2008 12:51am

This problem is cause by Windows Update. Reload Service Pack 2 and this should take care of the problem.
December 11th, 2009 9:14pm

I know this is a very old topic/thread but I am getting this error now, and I have look at the solutions in this page and none has worked.
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January 26th, 2011 4:57pm

same happened to me today after installing updates. did you fix it? & how?
April 25th, 2011 11:01am

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