Recreating the OAB

Check this out http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=867506 ...

CAUSE
This behavior occurs when the following conditions are true:
The OAB Version 2 system folder is missing from the public folder. The OAB Version 2 system folder must exist, or the offline Address Book cannot be generated.

-or-

*** The offline address list was deleted, and then it was re-created with the same name.
When an offline address list is deleted, it stays in the system public folder for seven days. If a new offline address list with the same name is created in this seven-day period, a new public folder that is named OAB Version 2 is created under the public folder that is associated with the deleted offline address list. A new public folder for the new offline address list is created. Because the OAB Version 2 folder is already located in the deleted offline address list public folder, an updated OAB Version 2 folder is not created for the new offline address list public folder. When the client computer tries to locate the OAB Version 2 folder for the new offline address list, it cannot find it because the folder does not exist.

WORKAROUND
To work around this issue, use one of the following methods.

Method 1
Create a new offline address list with a different name. To do this, follow these steps:
Start Exchange System Manager.
Expand Receipts.
Right-click Offline Address Lists, click New, and then click Offline Address List.
Type the name that you want in the Offline Address List Name box, and then click Browse.

Note The new offline address list name that you type must be different from the offline address list that was originally deleted.
In the Select Exchange Server dialog box, click the appropriate server, click OK, and then click Next.
Under Address Lists, click the Default Global Address List , and then click Next two times.
Click Finish.

Method 2
If you delete an offline address list, do not create an offline address list with the same name for a period of seven days.

MORE INFORMATION

To verify that the OAB Version 2 system folder is missing, follow these steps:
Start Exchange System Manager, click Administrative Groups, and then click Folders.
Right-click Public Folders, and then click View System Folders.
Locate and expand the Offline Address Book object.
Locate and expand o=org/cn=addrlists/cn=oabs/cn=Default Offline Address List. The OAB Version 2 system folder may be in this location. If it is not, you experience the issues that are mentioned in the "Symptoms" section.

The 0x80004005 error maps to a generic MAPI_E_CALL_FAILED error. This error may occur for many reasons. For example, the offline Address Book folder may be unavailable, or there may be permissions issues on that folder. For additional information about troubleshooting problems that occur when you generate an offline Address Book, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

PS ... here is the link for troubleshooting OAB issues ... it is E2K but applies for E2K3 as well ... http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=311742

I believe it references what Simon mentions above ...

all of the help is much appreciated, however, the problem turned out to be more simple than I thought:  

The replicas were, simply, not listed at all in the OAB2 and 3a folders.

Thanks for everyone's help on this one.

Isn't that listed in kb867506 or kb311742?

none the less ... congrats on getting it resolved!

I see ... Simon already had it posted first ... doh! lol =)

thanks, everyone.  I'm sure I'll have a bunch of groupwise connector stuff... maybe one sooner than later!

thanks again.