Unable to start Exchange Transport Service after uninstalling ScanMail for Exchange (SMEX) or Messaging Security Agent (MSA)

- Updated:
- 13 Mar 2020
- Product/Version:
- ScanMail for Exchange 10.2
- ScanMail for Exchange 11.0
- Worry-Free Business Security Standard/Advanced 10.0
- Worry-Free Business Security Standard/Advanced 8.0
- Worry-Free Business Security Standard/Advanced 9.0
- Worry-Free Business Security Standard/Advanced 9.5
- Platform:
- Windows 2003 Enterprise
- Windows 2003 Small Business Server
- Windows 2003 Standard
- Windows 2008 Enterprise
- Windows 2008 Small Business Server
- Windows 2008 Standard
- Windows 2011 Small Business Server Standard

Summary

After uninstalling Scanmail for Microsoft Exchange (SMEX) or the Messaging Security Agent (MSA) of Worry-Free Business Security (WFBS) Advanced, the Microsoft Exchange Transport Service of Exchange 2007 or 2010 can no longer be started. Upon checking the application event log, the following appears:

Event ID: 16023
Event ID: 1052

Details

This issue occurs when the Transport Agents of SMEX or MSA were left installed. To resolve this, manually uninstall Scanmail Transport Agents:

Open Exchange Powershell and execute this command to verify if ScanMail transport agents are still installed:
get-transportagent
Remove the ScanMail transport agents from Exchange 2010 or 2007 by running the following commands:
Uninstall-TransportAgent -Identity "ScanMail Routing Agent"

Uninstall-TransportAgent -Identity "ScanMail SMTP Receive Agent"
Execute this command to make sure that the ScanMail transport agents were removed:
get-transportagent

You should be able to start the Microsoft Exchange Transport service.