Microsoft KB Archive/938447

= You cannot add a user name or an object name that only differs by a character with a diacritic mark =

Article ID: 938447

Article Last Modified on 11/7/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 Datacenter Edition (32-Bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition (32-Bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition (32-bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard x64 Edition
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition (32-bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, 64-Bit Datacenter Edition
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise x64 Edition
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition (32-bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition for Itanium-Based Systems
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter x64 Edition
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition (32-bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition for Itanium-based Systems
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition (32-bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard x64 Edition

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SYMPTOMS
You try to add a new user or a new object to the Active Directory directory service. However, the user or the object is not added. Additionally, you may receive any one of the following error messages:  

The object  could not be created.

The problem encountered was;

An attempt was made to add an object to the directory with a name that is already in use.

 

Windows cannot create the new user object because the name  is already in use. Select another name, and try again.

 

Windows cannot create the specified object because: The specified user already exists.

 

The user logon name you have chosen is already in use in this enterprise. Choose another logon name, and then try again.



Note In these error messages,  is the name of the user or of the object that you tried to add.



CAUSE
This problem occurs because the user name or the object name contains diacritic marks, for example, German umlauts. A German umlaut character contains a dieresis over the base character itself, such as in the following characters:
 * Ä ä
 * Ö ö
 * Ü ü

The German umlaut characters are interpreted to be the same as their base characters. For example, the &quot;ü&quot; character is interpreted to be the same as the &quot;u&quot; character. When this problem occurs, a user who is named &quot;Muller&quot; cannot be created if a user who is named &quot;Müller&quot; already exists. Similarly, a user who is named &quot;Meissner&quot; cannot be created if a user who is named &quot;Meißner&quot; already exists.



RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, use a different name for the user or for the object that you want to add.



STATUS
This behavior is by design.



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

234051 Unable to add more than one user or object with the same name to Active Directory

Keywords: kbexpertiseinter kbexpertisebeginner kbtshoot kberrmsg kbbug kbprb KB938447

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