is there any utility to run ?

When the mailboxes are cleaned, Exchange leaves the database size alone so it can reuse the space later, which is quicker than increasing the file size. The data does disappear it is replaced by white space.

Exchange 5.5 will defrag this white space, so the data is closer together in the file according tho the schedule set in the IS Maintenance tab on the server properties. I don't think 5.0 does this, however, both versions have a tool to perform the defrag offline. In version 4.0 the tool is called EDBUTIL.EXE, in 5.5 it is ESEUTIL.EXE, Version 5.0 will be one or the other I would guess. There is a switch /d which will perform the defrag, there must be at least the same space available as the size of the database, i.e. a 15GB ISPRIV.EDB must be on a drive with at least 15GB of free space. Essentially the tool creates a new blank temp database file, then goes through the original copying real data into temp, when it's completed the original is replaced by the temp.

If you have cleared down a lot of data, and you have'nt done a defrag before you may get away with less free space than the database size, a failure is OK, it causes no damage just takes time. If you don't have enough space you can use a network drive to hold the temp. Either way make sure you have at least one backup prior to running, and the times I use are 24 mins per GB for local, double that for network, although these were from 4.0, 5.5 is faster.

Pat.