MTA cannot start on an Exchange 2000 Server computer that does not have a private information store

One of the following error messages may be logged in the Application event log on an Exchange 2000 Server computer that does not have a private information store:

Event Type: Error
Event Source: MSExchangeMTA
Event Category: Field Engineering
Event ID: 9405
Date: 3/3/2000
Time: 2:48:05 AM
User: N/A
Computer: ServerName
Description: An unexpected error has occurred which may cause the MTA to terminate. Error: Init Routing API returned error -2147219168. [BASE MAIN BASE 1] (16)

Event Type: Error
Event Source: MSExchangeMTA
Event Category: Directory Access
Event ID: 137
Date: 3/3/2000
Time: 2:48:05 AM
User: N/A
Computer: ServerName
Description: A fatal directory error occurred. Change to the maximum logging level for more details. [MTA MAIN BASE 1 12] (16)

This issue can occur if the server does not have a private information store; the routing engine cannot designate a private mail store for the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) queue. The routing engine returns the error message in the "Symptoms" section when the message transfer agent (MTA) tries to initiate routing.

To work around this issue, disable the MTA service (Microsoft Exchange MTA Stacks) if there is no private information store on the server.

Some users delete all of the private information stores from a front-end server in a front-end server and back-end server configuration. Do not remove all of the private information stores if the front-end server hosts an SMTP Connector.

Do not disable the Microsoft Exchange MTA Stacks service (MSExchangeMTA) if there are any connectors on the front-end server (including the Microsoft Mail Connector, Microsoft Exchange Connector for Lotus cc:Mail, Microsoft Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes, Microsoft Exchange Connector for Novell GroupWise.