Microsoft KB Archive/910119

= Users receive a &quot;Loading&quot; message when they use OWA to access their mailbox after you apply a hotfix or a service pack to Exchange Server 2003 =

Article ID: 910119

Article Last Modified on 11/27/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Enterprise Edition
 * Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Standard Edition

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SYMPTOMS
Consider the following scenario. You are running Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 in a front-end, back-end Outlook Web Access configuration. You apply a hotfix or a service pack to only one of the two servers. For example, you apply Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 2 to the front-end server but not to the back-end server.

In this scenario, when users try to use Microsoft Outlook Web Access to access their mailbox by using the front-end server, Outlook Web Access is not displayed correctly. The users may receive the following message in the contents frame:

Loading ...

The user expects to see the mailbox message list.



CAUSE
This problem occurs if the following conditions are true:
 * You installed Exchange Server 2003 on the front-end server. Then, you installed Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 2 without first installing Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 1.
 * Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 1 is installed on the back-end server.

When this occurs, the control files on the front-end server and on the back-end server are mismatched. Therefore, the Outlook Web Access interface cannot render properly in the Web browser.



RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, apply the same updates to both the front-end and the back-end servers. We recommend that you apply the updates first to all the front-end servers, and then to the back-end servers.

For more information about how to upgrade front-end and back-end servers, view the following document on the Microsoft TechNet Web site:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/153f7c62-1c14-4aa1-a779-cf6d0faa25f7.aspx



WORKAROUND
To work around this issue, copy the missing update version directories from the back-end server to the front-end server. To do this, follow these steps.

Important This workaround does not replace the requirement in which you must apply updates first to front-end servers and then to back-end servers. This workaround will resolve this problem in this specific scenario.  On the back-end server, start Microsoft Windows Explorer, and then locate the following folder:

 To find the latest version of the update folder that has been created, view the contents of the exchweb folder. For example, the exchweb folder may contain the following folders:

bin

controls

help

img

themes

views

In this case, the latest update version folder on the back-end server is the folder named 6.5.7226.0. On the front-end server, start Windows Explorer, and then locate the following folder:



 View the contents of the exchweb folder. For example, this folder may display the following folders:

bin

controls

help

img

themes

views

 Copy and paste the folder named  from the back-end server to the front-end server.</ol>

Note Perform this procedure on all front-end servers. You do not have to restart any Exchange Server services after you complete this procedure.

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MORE INFORMATION
This issue only occurs with service packs or hotfixes create a new version directory under the following folder:



A back-end server sends references that are related to the latest version under its exchweb directory in response to OWA clients. If the front-end server does not have the matching version directory, users experience the problems that are mentioned in the &quot;Symptoms&quot; section. This issue occurs even if the front-end server contains a newer version of the file.

Steps to reproduce the issue

 * 1) Install a Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1) server, and then configure this server as a back-end server.
 * 2) Create a user.
 * 3) Specify that the user's mailbox should be on the back-end server.
 * 4) Install an additional Exchange Server 2003 server, and then configure this server to be a front-end server. Upgrade this server Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2). Do not apply Exchange Server 2003 SP1 to this server.
 * 5) Use OWA to log on to the user's mailbox that you created in step 2 by using the front-end server that you configured in step 3.
 * 6) You experience the problems that are described in the 'Symptoms' section.

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