Outlook 2000 Not Finding Exchange 2003 Server (All other clients work)

[David Reed]

Good Morning,

Desktop: Windows 2000 SP4
Email Client: Outlook 2000
Exchange Server: Exchange 2003

I have a user who's Outlook 2000 (Corporate/Workgroup mode) is unable to
contact the Exchange server, and open the mail store for that user. It is
only this clinet on this computer. It was working previously.

I have tried to use Add/Remove Programs, and run the Office Setup, and
manually "re-installed" MS Outlook 2000. No luck.

Next, I re-ran the same set-up, and removed all MS Office 2000 applications.

I have run the MS Office Removal Utility.

I then re-installed MS Office to see if that worked. It didn't.

The computer has network connectivity, I can PING the Exchange server both
by IP and by resolved name.

I remember that once, a couple years ago, MS sent me a link to an MS "DOS"
MS Office removal utility that seems to have worked each time I used it...It
seems to have removed all files and registry entries. But I don't have that
utility anymore (I lost it somewhere...I sure wish I had it right now).

I re-re-installed MS Office 2000.

I tried deleting the users .DAT file. No joy

I DID Upgrade from Office 2000 to Office 2003, thinking maybe it would
re-register or something. I don't quite understand what is the problem, you
know? It says it can't find or connect to the Exchange 2003 Server (which
everyone else is using just fine). When I drop to the command prompt, I can
ping the Exchange server both by IP and by FQDN. And that same user CAN log
in to her email through the web browser version of Outlook, to our webmail.

I logged in under my domain account, which hadn't been on the computer
before, and set myself up, that that didn't work either...I still couldn't
access the Exchange server even under my newly
made profile.

I used:

ipconfig /releasedns
ipconfig /renewdns
ipconfig /registerdns

Twice each.

This was in the Application Event Log

Specifically, this one:

Ø Event Type: Warning

Event Source: LoadPerf
Event Category: None
Event ID: 2002
Description:
The MOF file created for the Outlook service could not be loaded. The
error
code returned by the MOF Compiler is contained in the Record Data. Before
the
performance counters of this service can be collected by WMI the MOF file
will need to be loaded manually. Contact the vendor of this service for
additional information.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

EventID.net says to refer to Symantec Article: "I had this problem after
reinstalling Symantec Antivirus Client. I had some errors while updating so
I had to remove it and reinstall it again, after that I kept getting this
error. See the link to "Symantec Support Document ID:2004060116454248" to
fix this problem. "


Which I did, and they had a Fix for it. But the fix didn't fix THIS
problem.


I just re-installed Symantec Anti-Virus, and it detected two virus: (This
was BEFORE I did the steps above.)

Trojan.Lodear.C (and)
Trojan.Lodav.B

Cleaned up those two virus', and it's symantec was running fine since then.

I uninstalled MS Office 2000 with the Office Removal Utility, rebooted,
re-installed MS Office 2000. No go.

I upgraded from MS Office 2000 to MS Office 2003 Pro (Retail Upgrade).
STILL can't make a connection with Exchange Server.

I noted that when I upgraded from Office 2000 to Office 2003, it asked me
which previous versions of Office software I wanted to remove. ALL Office
applications were checked (including Outlook), but Outlook 2000, and Outlook
alone, was "grayed out", so I couldn't make any changes to the checkbox.

I uninstalled Symantec Anti-virus 10.x

I eliminated all non-critical processes, and tried again. No connection.
Then I looked through the Services list, for MSSQL$MICROSOFTBCM, that, is
NOT in the list.Not even IN the list, never mind started.but then again,
this client isn't using Business Contact Manager

Upon realizing that MSSQL$MICROSOFTBCM wasn't in the Services list.I did
some research on it.I came up with the following:


http://support.microsoft.com/?id=840018


Upon review of this, I looked for the folder it describes:


C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL$MICROSOFTBCM\Data


That folder does not exist on this Windows 2000 SP4 computer.

I found this article on Experts Exchange, but I don't have a subscription to
it, so I am unable to view the solution.

http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/WinNT/Q_21229275.html

Anybody got any ideas???

-David

 

[John Oliver, Jr. [MVP]]

Can you login to OWA from this computer? Did you try recreating the users
Outlook Profile? Any newly installed Firewall App on the computer?

 

[David Reed]

Hi there,

I forgot to mention that. Yes, the user CAN log into OWA from that
computer.

The only newly installed firewall app I can THINK of might have come from
Symantec Client 10.x, which I uninstalled...

Save for the UNAUTHORIZED installation of MS AntiSpyWare...which, to the
best of my knowledge, has now been completely removed....(I was NOT happy
about that)...

I'm MEGA-stuck...

-David

 

[barbie.gee]

<all but two crossposts removed>

the fact that files seem to be missing, and that you found viruses on
the machine make me suspicious that the machine isn't fully clean just
yet.

I'd run a different virus checker tool, maybe one online, and I'd also
run some spyware detection.
(I had a user who I discovered had been hacked with a rootkit recently.
The only way I discovered it was that in trying to cloak itself, the
rootkit "hid" all files that started with the letter "c". Odd stuff
can happen if you've been hacked or infected.)

Go to all network settings and make sure that the TCP/IP settings are
exactly like everyone elses.
Is there an LMHOSTS file, or are you using WINS? is the Exchange
server listed there?
If you go to Start, Run, and type in the server's short name, do you
get an explorer window or not?
(example; "\\ourserver")

Some firewall software leaves traces of itself even if you've
uninstalled it. (zone alarm, for eg.) After you've verified the
machine is clean, you might want to very very quickly turn off all
firewall and see if you can connect to the Exchange server.
good luck.

 

[John Oliver, Jr. [MVP]]

Ok, well it seems your network setup for the client computer is correct.
This would then lead to an OS or Application issue or remote chance of
Harware issue regarding switching but highly doubt it if you can connect
using OWA. Have you tried removing Office and Business Contact Manager
completely from the computer then reboot install Outlook 2003 from your
Exchange Server Media Kit only?

 

[MSEngineer]

Have you tried creating a new profile on this machine and were you able to
do checkname for the outlook profile.
If checkname works then see if you are able to login with different user
account on the same machine, if not then you need to check the RPC Protocols
in the registry which are used by Outlook to communicate with exchange
server.

http://www.slipstick.com/config/nodialisp.htm

Outlook uses rpcrt4.dll file in order to communicate with Exchange server.

AL!

 

[Daniel Tate]

Check the DNS and WINS settings on that PC. Make sure the DNS Search
order or suffix matches your domain and that your local DC is the
primary DNS Server.

Recreate your exchange profile - completely delete it and recreate it

 

[David Reed]

Good Morning John,

Indeed, I think it is more likely something like an OS or Application issue,
or some sort of firewall or something that has installed for email only, and
I can't find it...

I HAVE tried removing Office 2000 (repeatedly, and also run the Office
Removal Utility), as well as upgrading to Office 2003. My copy of Office
2003 is a Retail Upgrade copy. Forgive me, but, I don't know what you mean
by the Outllok 2003 from the Exchange Server Media Kit? (More info on that
appreciated).

I'm at the point here where I don't even know what to try next...

-David

 

[David Reed]

Good Morning,

I have checked the DNS and WINS settings, and they are correct. And I have
full network and internet connectivity, with the exception of connecting the
Outlook 2003 client to the Exchange 2003 Server.

When you say delete the Exchange profile...do you mean the users email
profile in Outlook 2003? If so, I have done that. No joy.

-David

 

[David Reed]

Good suggestions...I will go try them out in a few minutes, and report
back...Thank-you!

-David

 

[John Oliver, Jr. [MVP]]

What I was suggesting was to remove Office 2000/3 completely and install
just Outlook. Your Exchange License includes Outlook 2003 in this case,
which should be with your Media Kit when you purchased Exchange 2003. Now
with this all being said, at this point I might just as well reinstall the
OS fresh or go back to a Windows Restore Point to when it was working as you
stated before. The time to do this is minimal and will most likely get you
working again.

 

[Art]

David,
Try to telnet to port 135 on the Exchange server. If this fails,
then most likely there port 135 is blocked by a router or firewall.
This could be the result of a virus fix (such as the Blaster a year ago).

Art

 

[MSEngineer]

Have you tried creating a new profile on this machine and were you able to
do checkname for the outlook profile.
If checkname works then see if you are able to login with different user
account on the same machine, if not then you need to check the RPC Protocols
in the registry which are used by Outlook to communicate with exchange
server.

http://www.slipstick.com/config/nodialisp.htm

Outlook uses rpcrt4.dll file in order to communicate with Exchange server.

AL!