Microsoft KB Archive/251631

= XADM: How to Create Distribution Lists in Exchange 2000 Server =

Article ID: 251631

Article Last Modified on 10/27/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q251631



Table of Contents

 * SUMMARY
 * Create a New Group
 * Designate the Group As Mail-Enabled
 * Configure a Group
 * Query-Based Distribution Groups



SUMMARY
This step-by-step article describes how to create a distribution list in Exchange 2000.

Exchange 2000 uses the Microsoft Active Directory directory service in Microsoft Windows 2000 to manage users and groups. In Active Directory, distribution lists are now referred to as distribution groups. To create a distribution list, you must create a mail-enabled distribution group, and then configure the group accordingly.

Note Distribution groups are the replacement for distribution lists in Microsoft Exchange 5.5. You cannot use distribution groups to assign permissions to network resources. Distribution groups exist only for creating distribution lists for e-mail messages. A distribution group is not assigned a security identifier (SID) in Active Directory.

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Create a New Group
To create a new distribution group, follow these steps:  Start Active Directory Users and Computers, and then click the container where you want to create the new group (for example, click Users). On the Action menu, point to New, and then click Group.

Note You can also right-click the group, point to New, and then click Group to create a new group. Type a name for the new group in the Group Name box. In the Group type area, click Distribution.

Note The group type defines whether the group is to be used for security purposes or for distribution purposes. A security group can be designated as mail-enabled, and it can be used for distribution purposes, but a distribution group cannot be used for security purposes. Select the appropriate Group Scope. The group scope defines the level that the group will be available at in Active Directory. For additional information about group scopes and types, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

231273 Group Type and Scope Usage in Windows 2000

 Click Next, and then click to select the Create an Exchange e-mail address check box in the next dialog box. In the Alias box, type an alias for the distribution list, and then click Next.</li> If all the information that appears in the next dialog box is correct, click Finish.</li></ol>

To add members to this group, double-click the group name in Active Directory Users and Computers, and then click the Members tab.

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Designate the Group As Mail-Enabled
You must designate a Windows 2000 group as mail-enabled, and then populate it with other mail-enabled or mailbox-enabled recipients to make a distribution list. You can designate domain local, global, and universal groups as mail-enabled.

To designate an existing group as mail-enabled, follow these steps:
 * 1) Start Active Directory Users and Computers, and then click the container that contains the group (for example, click Users).
 * 2) Right-click the group that you want to enable, and then click Exchange Tasks.
 * 3) Click Next, and then in the Available Tasks list, click Establish an e-mail address.
 * 4) Click Next, and then in the Alias box, type an alias for the distribution list, and then click Next.
 * 5) If all the information that appears in the next dialog box is correct, click Finish.

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Configure a Group
You must configure a group by using the group's property sheet. To do this, follow these steps: <ol> Right-click the group, and then click Properties to open a group's property sheet.</li> Click the Members Tab to view the list of members in the group. <ul> Click Add to add new members to the group from the Active Directory list.</li> To remove members, select the members who you want to remove, and then click Remove.</li></ul> </li> Click the Managed By tab to assign an owner to the group.

The owner manages the group's membership.</li> Click the Exchange Advanced tab to configure the following options that are specific to distribution lists: <ul> Expansion Server Select this option to select the expansion server that you want to use to expand a mail-enabled group into a list of group members. You can specify any server to expand a mail-enabled group. However, if an e-mail message that is sent to a group is from a mailbox on one of your Exchange computers, select the computer that the message was sent from to expand the group. If e-mail messages that are sent to a group are from an external source, select the bridgehead server to expand the group. If you have a large group, use a dedicated expansion server, because expansion for a large group can use server resources and compromise performance for busy servers.</li> Hide Group From Exchange Address Lists Select this option to hide the group in the Global Address List.</li> Send Delivery Reports To Group Owner Select this option to notify the owner of the group when an error occurs during the delivery of a message to the group or to one of its members.</li> Send Delivery Reports To Message Originator Select this option to notify the user who sent a message to the group when error notifications are sent. Select the Send Delivery Reports To Group Owner option to notify both the sender and the owner when error notifications are sent.</li> Send Out-Of-Office Messages To Originator Select this option to permit users to configure their Exchange clients to reply automatically to any messages that are received while they are out of their offices. When this option is selected, users who send messages to the group can receive automatic out-of-office messages.

Note If you are using very large groups, this option can generate extra network traffic.</li></ul>

Note By default, the Exchange Advanced tab is not available in the Active Directory Users and Computers interface. For additional information about how to access the Exchange Advanced tab in Active Directory Users and Computers, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

326894 XADM: How to Access the Exchange Advanced Tab in Active Directory Users and Computers

</li></ol>

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Query-Based Distribution Groups
If you use an Exchange 2003 version of Exchange System Manager and of Active Directory Users and Computers, you can create a query-based distribution group. You cannot create query-based distribution groups without upgrading your administration console. If you have Exchange 2000 computers, you must upgrade them to at least Exchange 2000 Server Service Pack 3. The Exchange organization must be in native mode (no computers can be running versions that are earlier than Exchange 2000).

For additional information about query-based distribution groups, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

822897 How to Troubleshoot Query-Based Distribution Groups

263520 HOWTO: Programmatically Create a Distribution List Using ADSI

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Additional query words: x2kadmht QDG QDGs oof

Keywords: kbhowto KB251631

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