Exchange Server and the -1018 error

One of the most dreaded things an Exchange administrator can ever see is an error in the event log that includes the description -1018 JET_errReadVerify Failure. The -1018 code indicates that either the checksum in a database page does not match with the checksum the ESE database engine calculates when it reads the page. Or the page pointer points to a page that contains now data.

This error normally shows up in the Application event log when a user opens a message or attachment that is stored on the page in question or during the nightly backup.

The usual solution is to restore the database from backup. However, if a -1018 error occurs once, it will probably re-occur at some point in the future. These problems are usually related to the disk, SCSI adapter, device driver, or firmware. Start by updating the SCSI device driver and the firmware on the SCSI adapter.

To learn more about -1018 errors, see the following KB article:
KB 314917: Understanding and analyzing -1018, -1019, and -1022 Exchange database errors

Microsoft engineer Mike Lee recorded a great support webcast last year that is also helpful: Microsoft Exchange: Understanding and Resolving Error -1018