Exchange lb*.tmp files in the Windows Temp folder cause ESE -2237 error

Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server and Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 create temporary files in the Temp folder in Microsoft Windows. These files are created by the Installable File System (IFS) of Exchange Server. The IFS creates these files when a large object is streamed into the store and the .stm file is too fragmented to have the entire object written in it. For example, a large object can be a message or a file. During normal operation, when the Microsoft Exchange services are stopped, these files are removed from the Temp folder.

If the Exchange server shuts down unexpectedly or the Microsoft Exchange services terminate unexpectedly, the lb*.tmp files are not removed. When the Microsoft Exchange services are later restarted, new lb*.tmp files are created. This results in decreased performance. When the 64,000 temporary file namespace is exhausted, the Microsoft Exchange services fail to start. Additionally, and the following errors are logged in the Event Viewer Application log:

If the Exchange server has shut down unexpectedly or the Microsoft Exchange services have terminated unexpectedly, check the Windows Temp folder for the existence of lb*.tmp files. If these files exist, follow these steps to remove them:

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Services.
2. Scroll down to the Microsoft Exchange Information Store.
3. If the status of the service is Started, right-click the service, and then click Stop.
   
   Note This will disconnect all users from their mailboxes.
4. Navigate to the %windir%\temp folder, where %windir% is your Windows system root folder.
5. Delete all lb*.tmp files.
6. In the Services management console, right-click the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service, and then click Start.

In certain cases, you may run out of disk space on the drive that houses the Temp folder. To resolve this issue, move the Temp folder and the Tmp folder to a different drive:

1. On the Exchange Server computer, click Start, click Control Panel, and then and double-click System.
2. Click the Advanced tab, and then click Environmental Variables.
3. Under System Variables, click the line that includes the TEMP variable and the drive, click Edit, and then type the new drive location.
4. Under System Variables, click the line that includes the TMP variable and the drive, click Edit, and then type the new drive location.

Note Make sure to make this change under System Variables and not under User Variables.