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OWA errors out with HTTP/1.1 503 Service Unavailable

Here is a little background on this.

Several weeks ago a 5.5 server was transitioned to a new machine running Win2K and Exchange 2000. From what I am told the install did not go well, but eventually everything worked with the exception of OWA. When I got there, if you tried to access OWA you were prompted for credentials. You then received "error: Access is denied". Followed MS KB 317471 for resetting permissions. Now the error is "HTTP/1.1 503 Service Unavailable" after supplying credentials. Incidentally, once I try to log on after closing my browser I no longer get prompted for credentials and just get the 503 service unavailable message.

I then started going through KB 305030 and was stopped when I tried to re-register the dll's. For some reason I regsvr32 would not allow me to register them again. Unfortunately, I didn't writed down the exact error message. Does anyone have a suggestion?

Thanks-Pete

SOLUTION

David Wilhoit

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tbird008

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Pete23

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Apparently I have walked in to a train wreck. Things just keep getting more interesting...checked the permissions per Kidego's post without any noticeable change (except that the users/groups were not there). I then tried Tbird008's suggestion of KB article 282230 (which I had mistakenly rejected last night). What I saw in IIS was that the configuration was incomplete. I haven't done much with Exchange or IIS in a long while, so I didn't pick up on it right away. The Exchange website still showed as a folder with globe rather than the open box. I clicked "create" from within Virtual Directory properties. I then removed the davex entry and tried the site.

Things are better, but they are also worse. I can now log in, but now I see a directory listing of all the mailboxes which I can click through until I get to an actual message. When I click the message in the FTP-like view I get a file not found.

For some reason, the guy that set up the server reset permissions on C:\ to everyone-full control. Is it me or do I see a rebuild coming?

SOLUTION

tbird008

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David Wilhoit

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Pete23

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Alright, not looking forward to reinstalling Exchange/IIS. I am encouraged that I see an FTP-like listing of the mailboxes (not sure why I am seeing all of them when I log on as a user, but user has administrative privs).

Can you tell me which virtual directories are supposed to be published? When I started, Exchange was the only published virtual directory. After publishing Exchweb I get the FTP-like listing of mailboxes.

If it do have to reinstall Exchange/IIS can you give me an idea of how long the backup/reintall/restore would take with a 3 gig IS on a brand new machine? Will I have to do a restore?

Thanks for the help.

David Wilhoit

reinstall does NOT entail removing Exchange or the databases. Only reinstall and reapply the service packs.