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Exchange 2003 will not route messages or accept connections from Outlook

Hello guys any help with this problem would be greatly appreciated. I'm running a Win2K3 domain populated by 2 domain controllers and a few other various servers, one of which is an Exchange 2003 server. Basically I just rebuilt it as we were having problems with clients accessing the server from their workstations. Problem is when I create a message in Outlook it sits in the Outbox until I delete it. I'm running all services fine with no events, as well as talking with the DC's fine and I'm able to telnet into the exchange server and get a reply when using the HELO command. I've checked all local accounts and the only thing the Queue's are stocking up on are incoming messages. Anyone have any ideas on this? Thanks in advance...

-dwhite

Dwhite23

ASKER

forgot to add, this is definitely a server side problem, and there is no anti-virus server or firewall in any of the clients paths...

redseatechnologies

Hi dwhite,

Is this happening with all users?

Can you email from OWA successfully?

Sembee

The fact that incoming messages are stacking up would tend to indicate some problems with the accounts.
You rebuild the server - what exactly did you do?

Simon.

Dwhite23

ASKER

I did get OWA to come up but it has the same problem is Outlook. In fact every time I send out an email it gets dumped into the "Draft" folder.

We rebuilt the server from scratch and tried to restore the "public folder store" and the "mail box store".
After unmounting and replacing with our backup copy and remounting it, we see all the folders and mailboxes but like my original message.
Nothing get sent to these mailboxes anymore.

Dwhite23

ASKER

Guys I really need some help here, it's been 3 days and our customer is getting rather unruly with us... I basically can't find out what is wrong with this, the install was good, everything works fine (all services are good)...now when I checked my external DNS it showed 2 entries...so I deleted one. Also, when I brought up the server, it was in fact a rebuild of a new server, however I changed the IP, and the name of the machine to reflect exactly the old name/ip address of the old exchange server...could this be the cause? and if so should i uninstall exchange and basically start a whole exchange server rebuild with new IP's and computer names?

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Dwhite23

ASKER

Actually I'm trying that now... Will produce the results positive or negative... and maybe we'll all learn something (don't use the old name or ip jackarse! lol)

redseatechnologies

LOL,

Generally, I never keep the same name if I have the option. It is a clean slate, and will ensure that wacky DNS (or other issues) similar to what you are experiencing, simply won't happen.

Good luck!

-red

Dwhite23

ASKER

OK, for anyone researching, here's the fix...

Reinstall exchange 6.5.

Populate both private mdb, and public...

wait for population to finish...

dismount the public and private MDBS and be sure that backup can overwrite is checked...

explore to the folder hosting the priv and pub mdbs...

paste your old MDB files into that directory (be sure they have the same name!!!)

mount private and public MDB's...

all of this should work pending your server name and ip hasn't changed...if the server name has changed your old MDB files will corrupt and if the IP has changed be ready to adjust your firewall/smtp gateway/DNS server settings accordingly...

Thanks for everything guys!!!

-happytech

redseatechnologies

Did you flatten it and give it a new server name?