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Exchange 2003 can't run Forestprep

I am trying to install the first exchange server in the forest/domain. After installing it the first time I found that there were remnants of an old Exchange organization in active directory. I uninstalled exchange 2003 and removed all remnants (including registry) of any version of Exchange as outlined in an MS article. This process did remove the exchange attributes from the schema.

Now when I go through the steps to deploy the first server, I get an error when I try to run ForestPrep:

"The component "Microsoft Exchange Forest Preparation" cannot be assigned the action "ForestPrep" because:
-To install the first Exchange server in a domain or to run setup in "ForestPrp" mode, you must be an Exchange Full Administrator at the organization level. You must use an account that has been granted the Full Exchange Administrtor role in the Exchange organization using the Exchange Administrative Delegation wizard."

I am using the Enterprise admin account which is also schema admin, local computer admin and domain admin. I have even installed the Exchange System Management Tools and used the delegation wizard to make sure that the account has the Exchange Full Administrator role. The schema is not extended and I do need to run ForestPrep etc.

I am at a loss...help!

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flyguybob

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yoyyo

You run forestprep on the schema master, please check if you are running the command on a Domain controller that hold this role.

-corra[isat]

ITCEXCHANGE

Also if you still have the Groups Exchange Domain servers and Exchange Enterprise servers make sure that your Exchange Server is listed as being apart of those groups in AD users and Computers under the "Member of" Tab of the properties of the exchange server

flyguybob

You don't have to run it on the schema master, just from a machine that has access to the Schema Master. It would not hurt, however, to perform the DCDiag steps listed in the wizard, so that you can verify that the Schema Master is, in fact, up and functional.

san_swa

Are you installing Exchange 2003 on Windows 2000?

sfghadmin

ASKER

I am running through the steps provided by Bob and have fond that there were some registry entries that I needed to delete. I am going to make sure that I have exchange removed (I had installed the management tols succesfully) and then try the reinstallation again.

I have tried running forestprep on the schema master and I did the dcdiag to test for availability.

I am installing exchange 2003 on Windows Server 2003.

sfghadmin

ASKER

I ran through all of the steps to remove Exchange completely. I am back to getting the same error message when I try to run ForestPrep.

flyguybob

Can you install the Exchange system manager tools? If you can install those, right-click on the Organization Name and run the delegate control wizard. See what account is an Exchange Full Admin. Run the forestprep again using that account, or delegate control to the account which you are using to do the install.
OR, if you remeber the account you utilized to perform the install, use that same account again.

If you need to see the security tab for the org, here is a link to the Microsoft site, which demonstrates how to do this:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=259221

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san_swa

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sfghadmin

ASKER

Thanks for all of your help. The links to the knowledge base articles and the other website were very helpful. I think it was an entry in Active Directory that was preventing forestprep from running even though the acct had the correct privileges. You guys are awesome!

flyguybob

Thanks!