Problem with Exchange Server 5.5

You should check the Event Viewer and look at the Application Log. This may give you a clue to any Exchange Errors. Also, look at the System Log and see if there are any WINS errors. Make sure your WINS service is still running.

Test a workstation by putting the IP Address of the server in its email configuration for the Exchange Server Service. If this lets the user in, then the problem is WINS.

I don't know what would cause the names to change.

- Steve

How are the wks accessing the mail server? via IP or hostname. If you can access via IP address and not hostname, then you have a networking problem. Check DNS, WINS, and DHCP.

always check event log and enter error code in technet to troubleshoot!

Hope this helps!

All of the above answers are the correct way to trouble shoot this one. But let me add one to your plate.
First check to make sure all of your basic network protocols are functioning properly.

WINS - Are you even running a WINS server? Is your WINS server's IP address right on the server as well as on the clients.
Do you have WINS servers on all your subnets?

Are the static mappings for the Exchange Server correct?!

DHCP - If you are running DHCP are the static mappings for the WINSand DCs correct?

IP - On the Exchange Server are you able to do some ping tests? (to itself to other workstation)

Okay last but not least back to WINS, because I have actually had similar problems with this before. If, and I say if, all else doesn't not prevail. Blow away the WINS database on ALL WINS servers and let them re-registry people as they come in. Sometime you just need to do that.

Any further questions.. send me an e-mail.

All of the above answers are the correct way to trouble shoot this one. But let me add one to your plate.
First check to make sure all of your basic network protocols are functioning properly.

WINS - Are you even running a WINS server? Is your WINS server's IP address right on the server as well as on the clients.
Do you have WINS servers on all your subnets?

Are the static mappings for the Exchange Server correct?!

DHCP - If you are running DHCP are the static mappings for the WINSand DCs correct?

IP - On the Exchange Server are you able to do some ping tests? (to itself to other workstation)

Okay last but not least back to WINS, because I have actually had similar problems with this before. If, and I say if, all else doesn't not prevail. Blow away the WINS database on ALL WINS servers and let them re-registry people as they come in. Sometime you just need to do that.

Any further questions.. send me an e-mail.

Hi J.,
I have a couple of opinions about this.
First one, I think you need to re-apply both SPs (Exchange and NT).
Second, Outlook has a funny way of searching for Exchange. By default, it uses DNS as a primary way and Netbios as the last option. So, if you use WINs but not DNS. It may be taken too long for your clients to get an address from WINs (you can increase the timeout on the clients computers, try it on one).
Do you have control over your master browser?
That could affect your whole network.
Also, If you can, install a local DNS server with the exchange address. I promise you, you'll see a big difference.
Good Luck!

P.S. I sent you a page on Exchange!

Here is a stab for a first-time entry:

If users can log on to the server and browse all of its resources, then your basic network connectivity is proabably o.k.

If the SITE name has been changed, then how would any of the mailboxes in the recipients container be found? Somewhere it seems that the clients are looking for the servers in the old site and as far as they can tell, those servers have nothing to do with the servers in the new site (identical name meaning nothing to the machine in this instance).

Try going to the client and via properties of the exchange server service erase and re-add the user's mailbox name and name of the server to be sought after to force the client to re-scan for the server and hopefully re-attach.
Also, check all of the basics whose proper operation you would assume under normal conditions: MTA service started? Can a users mailbox be sent a message at all- Log in as the service account and add a user profile to see if the mail comes in at all...

This question was auto closed due to inactivity