Microsoft KB Archive/813636

= XADM: Exchange System Manager Cannot Administer Exchange Servers in Another Forest or from Windows NT 4.0 Domains =

Article ID: 813636

Article Last Modified on 12/3/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Exchange 2000 Enterprise Server
 * Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Enterprise Edition
 * Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 Premium Edition
 * Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 Standard Edition

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SUMMARY
When you use Exchange System Manager to manage your Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server or your Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 organization, or you use the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in to manage Exchange recipients, the following topologies are not supported:
 * You try to use Exchange System Manager or Active Directory Users and Computers to connect to and to manage an Exchange 2000 or an Exchange 2003 organization that is in a different forest.
 * You try to use Exchange System Manager or Active Directory Users and Computers from a Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 domain to connect to and to manage an Exchange 2000 or an Exchange 2003 organization.

You may also receive the following error message:

You cannot specify  as the associated external account of this mailbox

The account name is either already the associated external account of another mailbox, or it belongs to the same forest as this mailbox

facility:MS active directory-exchange.ext id c1034ad5



CAUSE
This issue occurs because Exchange System Manager and Active Directory Users and Computers are not designed to work in these topologies, and they are currently not supported.



Cross-Forest Topology
No workaround is currently available for this issue.

Windows NT 4.0 Domain
To work around this issue, upgrade the Windows NT 4.0 domain to Microsoft Windows 2000 to create a mixed-mode Windows 2000 domain. This domain must be a part of the forest where Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003 is installed.

Windows 2000 Native Mode Domain
If you have a Windows 2000 domain that is running in native mode, and if the member server where Exchange System Manager or Active Directory Users and Computers is installed is joined to a Windows NT 4.0 domain, remove the server from the Windows NT 4.0 domain, and then join it to the native mode Windows 2000 domain.



MORE INFORMATION
For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

312854 HOW TO: Verify the Exchange System Manager Communication in Exchange 2000 Server

Additional query words: ESM snap-in

Keywords: KB813636

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