Microsoft KB Archive/294752

= Session time-out settings for Outlook Web Access on Exchange 2000 Server =

Article ID: 294752

Article Last Modified on 2/27/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q294752



IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry



SYMPTOMS
When you use an earlier-version browser (such as Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0) to log on to Exchange 2000 Microsoft Outlook Web Access (OWA), if you begin to compose a new e-mail message, switch to another window to do something else, and then return to the message later, you may be redirected to the root of the Inbox (the user session times out) instead of the message composition screen.



CAUSE
This problem can occur if the server uses the default setting for inactivity timeout (UserContextTimeout), which is sixty minutes.



RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, add the UserContextTimeout value to the Exchange 2000 server. To do so, you need to edit the registry.

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To set the UserContextTimeout value, on the Exchange 2000 server:  Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe). Locate and click the following key in the registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeWEB\

 On the Edit menu, click Add Value, and then add the following registry value:

Value name: UserContextTimeout

Data type: DWORD

Radix: Decimal

Value data: The minimum value is 1 (minute) and the maximum value is 1440 (24 hours). If the value is outside this range (inclusive), the value is ignored.

 Quit Registry Editor.

You must either restart the server or restart all of the Exchange 2000 services for this change to take effect.

NOTE: The above setting has to do with the connection between the client and the server and it does not affect authentication in any way. When you set the user context time-out to a number, even if this time-out passes, the client browser will still have the user's credentials cached and the user will not be prompted for credentials..



STATUS
This behavior is by design.

Keywords: kbbug kbnofix KB294752

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