tearing my hair out with an outlook client that won't connect to sbs exchange...

A

atomiser

Gawd
Joined
Jun 12, 2004
Messages
619
hi there,

ok so i began to look at an outlook client which wouldn't connect to the exchange server... could get into the local copy but always came up as trying to connect....................................disconnected...

so, i start to investigate the cause of the problem by looking at the configuration, double checking it was pointing to the correct server name and user...didn't change anything...

now when i open outlook all i am confronted with is 'the action could not be completed...the name could not be matched to a name in the address list'...

now i cannot even see the local copy, as a result of which obviously the user is a bit pissed...

i can login to owa fine...but the person has hardly any mail in their mailbox because it was all neatly tidied away in folders...which for some reason i can't view in owa...

how on earth do i get myself out of this one then chaps?

cheers!
 
Erase all Outlook profiles....start fresh.
Make sure DNS is correct, that it's logging into active directory properly.
Try making another Outlook profile for this person on a 2nd workstation.
Outlook updated?
Old COM+ add-ins leftover from prior antivirus packages?
 
YeOldeStonecat said:
Try making another Outlook profile for this person on a 2nd workstation.
Click to expand...

The first thing I tried was logging into another workstation as the same user...opened outlook...punched in the server details, and the user details...same problem...

I'm having all sorts of issues with the server... I think it's on it's way out... It's being replaced... I was just hoping everything would hang on until we were ready to swing over.

The plan was to export all mail/contacts/calendar/to-do items etc from outlook and then to just squirt them back in when the machine was flattened and re-joined to the network...but if Outlook won't even connect up or let me view the local copy anymore I'm knackered... Can I extract the mail directly from the server a.n.other way?

HELP! PLEASE!!!
 
i've a feeling this is deffo dns related...there are several entries in there for the server...several entries in there for another 'pc' that acts as a print server...the reverse dns lookup zone is for a completely different subnet...wtf is going on?!
 
Is this a single NIC server?
Is it a single IP range network?

Also can run the CEICW a few times to try to drill home some settings.
 
yeah it is single nic...
yeah it is single range...

i cant understand where the hell all these entries are coming from... i just tried deleting the one for the server...and it's re-appeared again...

on my test server i have forward and reverse lookup...in forward i have (a) records for the server etc, and in reverse i have (ptr) records for the server...normal setup...

not like that on this server though :/

edit: am i safe to just rerun the wizards etc...?
 
atomiser said:
edit: am i safe to just rerun the wizards etc...?
Click to expand...

You can re-run the CEICW a dozen times a day if needed. Services may briefly pause on clients, but not "usually". Harmless to run over and over again. Curious to see if it ends up spitting out an error on you.
 
ok so i've just ran the ceicw, no errors - i did notice that the default gateway they had put in was completely wrong though...which was a bit odd! no errors come back.

ought i to add a reverse lookup zone to dns?
 
ok, i'm confident that dns and logging in is working a little better now...took out the spurious record for the server once more and touch wood it doesn't seem to have come back.

had been having problems with one machine that wasnt used much, finally had a moment to look at it properly and saw that it's dns configuration was all screwy, sorted that out and thats behaving itself now.

still having issues with this other machine for outlook though... i've checked it can resolve the name of the server both forwards and backwards to the correct ip and name...thats fine...and everything else seems to be working on it...

still cant get outlook to play ball though...

really at a loss here, as it was working before...
 
are you connecting this via HTTPS over RPC or just on Lan?

have you tried to take machine off domain and put it back on with connect wizzard?
 
just on lan...

havent resorted to going as far as taking it off the domain as yet, because everything else appears to be working ok...
 
atomiser said:
ok, i'm confident that dns and logging in is working a little better now...took out the spurious record for the server once more and touch wood it doesn't seem to have come back.

had been having problems with one machine that wasnt used much, finally had a moment to look at it properly and saw that it's dns configuration was all screwy, sorted that out and thats behaving itself now.

still having issues with this other machine for outlook though... i've checked it can resolve the name of the server both forwards and backwards to the correct ip and name...thats fine...and everything else seems to be working on it...

still cant get outlook to play ball though...

really at a loss here, as it was working before...
Click to expand...

That incorrect gateway entry of the server sure would have had things wonky. Fixing that..a lot of dust should be settling.

Outlook work for that user from another workstation yet?

Triple check IPCONFIG /ALL on the workstations..they should be using the IP address of the SBS box as their one and ONLY DNS server.
 
YeOldeStonecat said:
That incorrect gateway entry of the server sure would have had things wonky. Fixing that..a lot of dust should be settling.

Outlook work for that user from another workstation yet?

Triple check IPCONFIG /ALL on the workstations..they should be using the IP address of the SBS box as their one and ONLY DNS server.
Click to expand...

thanks yeolde...still having no joy with the pc with issues on outlook...it's picking everything up from dhcp, but i'll check the ipconfig again just to make sure...
 
Heehee...you've got some work do to. The BPA gives you good step by step instructions on how to fix issues.

If she's only single NIC...disable those other 2 NICs.

Run it several times. Many fixes won't require a reboot, but a few will.

The tool gets updated every now and then...so when you run it...check for updates first. Sorta like new details and information gets downloaded when you update.
 
YeOldeStonecat said:
Heehee...you've got some work do to. The BPA gives you good step by step instructions on how to fix issues.

If she's only single NIC...disable those other 2 NICs.

Run it several times. Many fixes won't require a reboot, but a few will.

The tool gets updated every now and then...so when you run it...check for updates first. Sorta like new details and information gets downloaded when you update.
Click to expand...

this server is going to be replaced in the next two weeks...i'm not so sure it's worthwhile me actually bothering to spend much more time on the server side of things...

i'm fairly confident everyone is now back in outlook and shared folders since i got rid of the stupid duplicate dns entry for the server. still no idea how that has even gotten in there as it certainly wasn't configured by us!!!

i really need to get this guy back into his email though... i really could have done without this 2 weeks before migration time!

any further clues?
 
just tried hopping onto another machine...

logged in as this user...domain login is all fine, can access all shared folders etc...

launched outlook...auto recognised the servername and user account...

still gets the 'the name cannot be matched to a name in the address list' error...

i'm going to carry on researching, but if anyone has any ideas, im desperate on this one!
 
Sounds like the Recipient Update Services is trying to connect to the wrong exchange server. Least thats my best guess.
 
The other thing you could do is set up a new user, a test user. Use the Connect Computer wizard to "install" the new user to the computer by going to the following address http://companyweb/connectcomputer/

This will automatically set up the Outlook client to receive mail from the Exchange server. If this doesn't work than you still have some outstanding issues to resolve.

Also you DEFINITELY want to fix these problems before the new server is installed. Unless you are doing a ground up reinstall with this new server, fix the problems you have now because they will only grow in size when you try to add the new server to the mix.

Lets get some detailed network information.

Give us your internal network address scope of your server and a workstation. An IPConfig copy/paste of server and workstation would be fine.
 
thanks guys.

i found an article about rebuilding and updating the recipient update services... i was going to try it, but wasnt sure what risks were associated with doing it...

ive got a test user account, tried this on the machine i tried logging in on as the other user and it's the same issue...

so this is definately server related...

what are the risks associated with the recipient update server rebuild? there is also an update option?

many thanks.

p.s. the new server is a ground up rebuild from scratch job....no way is anything being migrated over from this heap!!!
 
in my opinion you should just give up, if the client is paying you to fix this they are just wasting money, have the user use OWA till the new server is setup then configure.
 
atomiser said:
what are the risks associated with the recipient update server rebuild? there is also an update option?/QUOTE]

IMO....not much. Sometimes changes in active directory take a while to replicate, or get stuck...esp if the server is overwhelmed/busy/not running optimal, or otherwise a bit wonky. Rebuilding and reapplying the RUS can sort of "kick it in the butt" to force a change downstream.
Click to expand...
 
Most of the time users will see a brief interuption in their service. But I have not seen or heard any horror stories. But as with everything computer related, you wnt know til you try.
 
YeOldeStonecat said:
they should be using the IP address of the SBS box as their one and ONLY DNS server.
Click to expand...

Only thing with that- if that server goes down, no internet, either...
At least users can hop on internet and use SOME of their services (or if I reboot server in middle of day- isn't as big of deal).

http://techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=101&threadID=226755&messageID=2457258
That seems to suggest it is RUS as well.
As well as this one:
http://www.highball.se/2008/02/05/outlook-20032007-the-name-cannot-be-resolved/
 
marley1 said:
in my opinion you should just give up, if the client is paying you to fix this they are just wasting money, have the user use OWA till the new server is setup then configure.
Click to expand...

this is covered by the monthly support, it's only my frustration and curiousity that's keeping me going! oh, and the fact that the user is a bit pissed...and i want happy customers!

whilst owa is a good idea, and what i was hoping would tide me over...the folders that this user setup within their mailbox were setup in such a fashion that they don't appear in owa...so they can at least use this to pick up new mails and to send mails, but they can't access anything 'old'. the other issue that this leaves me with is how on earth do i get the mail from the old server to the new...the established process we were going to follow was simply to export everything to a .pst and then squirt it back in on the new environment...if i can't get into outlook then i can't do that! suggestions around this, please! :)
 
YeOldeStonecat said:
atomiser said:
what are the risks associated with the recipient update server rebuild? there is also an update option?/QUOTE]

IMO....not much. Sometimes changes in active directory take a while to replicate, or get stuck...esp if the server is overwhelmed/busy/not running optimal, or otherwise a bit wonky. Rebuilding and reapplying the RUS can sort of "kick it in the butt" to force a change downstream.
Click to expand...

thanks ye olde, yeah i think this one certainly has it's pants in a twist...i'm more and more leaning towards giving this a shot!
Click to expand...
 
FlyinBrian said:
Most of the time users will see a brief interuption in their service. But I have not seen or heard any horror stories. But as with everything computer related, you wnt know til you try.
Click to expand...

fingers crossed, everything seems to go wrong on this one!
 
TechieSooner said:
Only thing with that- if that server goes down, no internet, either...
At least users can hop on internet and use SOME of their services (or if I reboot server in middle of day- isn't as big of deal).

http://techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=101&threadID=226755&messageID=2457258
That seems to suggest it is RUS as well.
As well as this one:
http://www.highball.se/2008/02/05/outlook-20032007-the-name-cannot-be-resolved/
Click to expand...

with so many suggestions of this, i think it's unanimous....!
 
do i need to wait for a period of time between rebuild..........and update now...?
 
i think i've got to the bottom of the problem...

and this is really stupid...

for whatever reason, certainly not configured by us(!), under exchange advanced for the user the 'hide from address book' box was ticked...been through a few other users and they were all unticked. unticked it for this user and was able to then get in to his mail on another pc that i had remote access to.

waiting for confirmation from him that all is ok.

sometimes it's the simplest of things, eh?!

edit: just double checked on my test server and all users that were created using the wizard didn't have this box ticked, so if everything it setup correctly then it certainly isn't the default! someone must have been meddling!

keeping my fingers crossed that all is ok...!
 
TechieSooner said:
Only thing with that- if that server goes down, no internet, either...
At least users can hop on internet and use SOME of their services (or if I reboot server in middle of day- isn't as big of deal).
Click to expand...

Uhm...if the server is repeatedly going down....you should have some huge worries other than the internet. This shouldn't be happening even once a year..once every two years..once every 3 years...it just shouldn't be happening.

If there is some scheduled maint work that for some reason is in the middle of the day and thus servers will be bouncing, can quickly and easily edit the DHCP properties to hand out the ISPs DNS server, but I'd without question yank it when done.
 
I've had confirmation that the user is now working OK.

Thanks for everyones help! :)
 
YeOldeStonecat said:
Uhm...if the server is repeatedly going down....you should have some huge worries other than the internet. This shouldn't be happening even once a year..once every two years..once every 3 years...it just shouldn't be happening.

If there is some scheduled maint work that for some reason is in the middle of the day and thus servers will be bouncing, can quickly and easily edit the DHCP properties to hand out the ISPs DNS server, but I'd without question yank it when done.
Click to expand...

Yes, I understand that. Just a bit of a failover mechanism though, especially considering the majority of our business is done online (primary thing on the server is email).
 
TechieSooner said:
Yes, I understand that. Just a bit of a failover mechanism though, especially considering the majority of our business is done online (primary thing on the server is email).
Click to expand...

But if SBS DNS is bogged down and slow..and the clients turn to the ISPs DNS server...they fail to correctly log into active directory. Which opens up a myriad of problems.
 
hi guys,

just another quick question if i may...

yesterday i ran the connect to the internet wizard as part of the troubleshooting process and this has changed how owa behaves...previously when they hit http://namethatresolvestopublicip/exchange they were immediate challenged for a username/password by a dialogue box...since the wizard they get the proper owa login box...

since then, their blackberries that use the instant email service from t-mobile have stopped working...

i think this is because the server is only using a self-signed certificate so you get a cert challenge when you visit the site...i'm not sure the t-mobile system can deal with this...

so the blackberries are out of action...

i know this isn't the right way of looking at it, but is there any way i can make it go back to the way it was - just for owa?

many thanks! :)
 
how are the blackberry getting the email? are they just goign into the BIS account and adding a pop or imap address?

why aren't you on BES? add that to the estimate for hte new server. 1st key is free with BES Express, 5 pack is 499. Can do it for free but not fully legit./
 
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