Problem using Outlook on clients after migrating from 2003 Enterprise to 2003 SBS

This isn't necessarily a permissions problem, but more likely an overall configuration issue.  The "default group" has no real bearing unless you have Linux Machines (POSIX, actually) or Macs attached to your network.  The fact that making the Domain Admins the Primary Group is probably just patching the problem which has more to do with local machine permissions (users need to have Local Administrator permissions on each machine they use Outlook in order for it to install correctly).

I can provide you with the "fix" for this if you read the steps outlined here:  http://snipurl.com/mh46

HOWEVER... I really would worry that you didn't configure your server at all correctly (based on a few comments you made), and you will most certainly continue to run into more problems.  In fact, the fix I listed above may not work at all because there could be a domino effect of making changes to a misconfigured system.

A couple of questions that come to mind...
I'm assuming that you didn't really "migrate" since you say you recreated active directory.  But how did you add the users to your active directory?  Did you use the "Add User" wizard?

How did you add the computers to Active Directory?  Did you use the "Add Computer" wizard?  (If you used the Add User wizard as part of your installation's To-Do list, it would have automatically brought you into the Add Computer wizard).

What kind of email service are you using?  If Exchange, how did you migrate their mailboxes?

Take a look at http://sbsurl.com/start for the full Getting Started overview.  

FYI, SBS will only make you mad if you don't read the directions first.  This is one product that comes with a user manual that's really necessary to use.  All of it is in the Help & Support section on your server.  This product is designed to be installed and configured in a standard manner... and only after it's up and running nicely should you make any customized changes (roaming profiles are a customization, by the way).

Please don't take any of these comments in any way other than the spirit in which they are given... SBS is often misunderstood --- or in some cases, never understood to begin with. Hopefully, this can be the beginning of something good for you!  :-)

Jeff
TechSoEasy

You are correct in saying that I didn't really "migrate" it - I just set it up on my network and then added the users by hand in Active Directory, then used ExMerge to merge the mailboxs (which seems to work fine).

I really need to correct this problem and I don't mind manually modifying the permisisons for each user if that's what I have to do.  You mentioned "users need to have Local Administrator permissions on each machine they use Outlook in order for it to install correctly".  What do I have to do to make this happen then?  Can't I do this with GPOs?

Since I just copied the profiles from one server to the other I imagine the permissions are messed up on the profiles, should I make the user the "Owner/Creator" of their respective profile directory?  I'm guessing that the user didn't have access to their own Outlook directory in their profile and that's why it wouldn't start.

When Jeff said
"users need to have Local Administrator permissions on each machine they use Outlook in order for it to install correctly".  

He was refereing to the security on the PC, (right lick my computer->manage->local users and groups) add the domain users account to the local administrators group.  

Truth be told, If you have the time I agree with Jeff...start over...it will save you a ton of headaches later on.

My first item of concern for you would be that you said, "I just set it up on my network..."
Is your Server 2003 Enterprise Edition still on that network?  Did you transfer all FSMO roles to the SBS?  If you haven't, then I would assume that it's been less than 14 days since you've done this... because at the 14-day point, your SBS will shut down if it's not the Root of the Forest and the holder of all FSMO roles.  See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/884453

These would be the full steps to do a Server 2003 to SBS 2003 upgrade:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sbs/2003/plan/gsg/chptr3c.mspx

You need to take care of this immediately if you haven't already done so.

Secondly, you can't add users to an SBS by hand unless you're willing to do ALL that the Add User wizard does.  (Which, of course, doesn't make sense to do by hand then).  

So, let's take a step back then...

You probably want to remove all of your users and then re-add them according to the steps outlined here:

http://snipurl.com/mi7h 

You will note that this post also references http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316353. What is important to note is that you must first create the user according to SBS's requirements of using the wizard.  You can THEN assign a roaming profile to that person per the KB article.  Otherwise, you will not have properly added the user to the network and the appropriate security groups required by SBS, and by not using the Add User wizard, your users will not have access to Sharepoint.

ExMerge is absolutely fine to use to migrate mailboxes.

Jeff
TechSoEasy

Ok - I setup the new SBS on a fresh network with no other PDCs, I setup the domain controller using the Server Configuration Wizard and added some administrative users.  Then I took the 2003 Ent. Server off the existing network and installed the new one in it's place.  After reconfguring the clients (due to changes in the DHCP server, etc...), I added all the users that I wanted to have on the system as if they were new.  I then merged their mail accounts which went well.  Now here is where I want some advice - I copied all the profiles from the old server to the new SBS server with the help of an external drive - then I copied them from that drive to the new server and had these outlook issues.

I have tested a theory and made a new user that has never existed, lets call that user 'newuser', I gave newuser a roaming profile and logged in as him on a client.  The user received a nice new profile and when I ran outlook it installed propery and connected to Exchange without a hitch.  So my question naturally was - what was different between his profile and everyone else's - well on the server side, newuser owns his profile and on all the "moved" profiles, obviously 'administrator' owns them.  Could this have been the problem all along?

Thanks for your help,

Steve

Actually, and please don't take this the wrong way, you needed advice much earlier than the point at which you state above.

>>>> "I setup the domain controller using the Server Configuration Wizard and added some administrative users"
How did you go about aquiring your SBS?  Because the "Configure your Server Wizard" is NOT available on SBS.  This is NOT how it gets installed or configured.  Active Directory is installed in a default configuration as part of the initial installation and should not be modified (at least until you have the server running properly).

Jeff
TechSoEasy

Don't worry - I won't take it the wrong way.  I bought this server from dell (Poweredge SC1420) - I'm not sure if it was the "Configure your server wizard" it was whatever default wizard shows up when you install SBS 2003 - I'm looking at the server right now and I used both the "to do checklist" and the SBS Server Management MMC.

I understand that I needed help before I got to the point that I am at, but I still need this to work correctly, so another thing I was testing is to delete the users profiles (the ones that I copied incorrectly) and logon to the the client that has the profile they want cached locally as the local administrator, then copy theprofile back to the server by going to System Properties -> Advanced -> User Profiles and doing "Copy To" on the correct profile and allowing the correct user to access the files - this has seemed to help.

To clarify - Active Directory was setup with the default configuration as part of the initial installation and has not been modified (with the exception of adding users).

I am running out of time because I need to get the rest of it setup so I have also applied my group policy to the users and added a startup script, and redirected Windows Update to WSUS and this has worked correctly.

Thanks for your help Jeff, I think I can take it from here.  It seems the SBS is much different from Server Std!

-Steve

Yes, it is!  Standard Server 2003 is only just a component of SBS -- among other things.  Be sure to review the ITPro article I've linked above because it gives a good overview of this.

Good Luck!

Jeff
TechSoEasy