Fixing “Outlook(R) Mobile Access is supported only on Microsoft(R) Exchange Server 2003. Currently your mailbox is stored on an older version of Exchange server.” on Outlook Mobile Access under Server 2003
This article is now 14 years old! It is highly likely that this information is out of date and the author will have completely forgotten about it. Please take care when following any guidance to ensure you have up-to-date recommendations.
So I was testing the configuration on my Exchange 2003 server in preparation for the roll out of some Windows Mobile devices when I recieved the following error:
Outlook(R) Mobile Access is supported only on Microsoft(R) Exchange Server 2003. Currently your mailbox is stored on an older version of Exchange server. Please contact your system administrator for additional assistance.
“That’s odd”, I thought, “I only have Exchange Server 2003 in my organisation, how can I have an older version of Exchange?” It turns out that this has nothing to do with the version of Exchange you are using. I have set up my Exchange OWA to require SSL (see previous article on SSL and Integrated Authentication) and apparently this can cause issues for OMA.
The Microsoft-Server-ActiveSync and Outlook Mobile Access virtual directories
cannot access the contents of the user’s mailbox if the Exchange virtual
directory is configured to require SSL. The Microsoft-Server-ActiveSync and
Outlook Mobile Access virtual directories only try to connect with the Exchange
virtual directory over TCP port 80 (HTTP), not over TCP Port 443 (HTTPS).
To resolve this, you need to follow these steps from MSKB 817379
1.
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Open Exchange Manager.
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Expand <strong class="uiterm">Administrative Groups</strong>,<br /> expand the first administrative group, and then expand <strong class="uiterm">Servers</strong>.
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Expand the server container for the Exchange Server 2003 server<br /> that you will be configuring, expand <strong class="uiterm">Protocols</strong>,<br /> and then expand <strong class="uiterm">HTTP</strong>.
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Under the HTTP container, right-click the <strong class="uiterm">Exchange Virtual Server</strong> container, and then click <strong class="uiterm">Properties</strong>.
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Click the <strong class="uiterm">Settings</strong> tab, clear the<br /> <strong class="uiterm">Enable Forms Based Authentication</strong> check box, and<br /> then click <strong class="uiterm">OK</strong>.
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Close Exchange Manager.
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Click <strong class="uiterm">Start</strong>, click <strong class="uiterm">Run</strong>, type <span class="userInput">IISRESET/NOFORCE</span>,<br /> and then press ENTER to restart Internet Information Services<br /> (IIS).
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Additionally, you must use Internet IIS Manager
to create this virtual directory for Exchange ActiveSync and Outlook Mobile
Access to work. If you are using Windows Server 2003, follow these steps:
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Start Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
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Locate the Exchange virtual directory. The default location is as<br /> follows:</p>
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Web Sites\Default Web Site\Exchange
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Right-click the Exchange virtual directory, click <strong class="uiterm">All Tasks</strong>, and then click <strong class="uiterm">Save<br /> Configuration to a File</strong>.
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In the <strong class="uiterm">File name</strong> box, type a name.<br /> For example, type <span class="userInput">ExchangeVDir</span>. Click <strong class="uiterm">OK</strong>.
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Right-click the root of this Web site. Typically, this is Default<br /> Web Site. Click <strong class="uiterm">New</strong>, and then click <strong class="uiterm">Virtual Directory (from file)</strong>.
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In the <strong class="uiterm">Import Configuration </strong>dialog<br /> box, click <strong class="uiterm">Browse</strong>, locate the file that you<br /> created in step 4, click <strong class="uiterm">Open</strong>, and then click<br /> <strong class="uiterm">Read File</strong>.
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Under <strong class="uiterm">Select a configuration to import<br /> </strong>, click <strong class="uiterm">Exchange</strong>, and then click <strong class="uiterm">OK</strong>.</p>
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A dialog box will appear that states that the<br /> "virtual directory already exists."</td> </tr>
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8.
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In the <strong class="uiterm">Alias</strong> box, type a name for<br /> the new virtual directory that you want Exchange ActiveSync and Outlook Mobile<br /> Access to use. For example, type <span class="userInput">exchange-oma</span>.<br /> Click <strong class="uiterm">OK</strong>.
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9.
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Right-click the new virtual directory. In this example, click<br /> <span class="userInput">exchange-oma</span>. Click <strong class="uiterm">Properties</strong>.
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10.
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Click the <strong class="uiterm">Directory Security</strong><br /> tab.
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Under <strong class="uiterm">Authentication and access<br /> control</strong>, click <strong class="uiterm">Edit</strong>.
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12.
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Make sure that only the following authentication methods are<br /> enabled, and then click <strong class="uiterm">OK</strong>: </p>
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•
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<strong class="uiterm">Integrated Windows<br /> authentication</strong>
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•
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<strong class="uiterm">Basic<br /> authentication</strong>
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13.
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On the <strong class="uiterm">Directory Security</strong> tab,<br /> under <strong class="uiterm">IP address and domain name restrictions</strong>,<br /> click <strong class="uiterm">Edit</strong>.
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14.
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Click the option for <strong class="uiterm">Denied access</strong>,<br /> click <strong class="uiterm">Add</strong>, click <strong class="uiterm">Single<br /> computer</strong> and type the IP address of the server that you are<br /> configuring, and then click <strong class="uiterm">OK</strong>.
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15.
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Under <strong class="uiterm">Secure communications</strong>, click<br /> <strong class="uiterm">Edit</strong>. Make sure that <strong class="uiterm">Require<br /> secure channel (SSL)</strong> is not enabled, and then click <strong class="uiterm">OK</strong>.
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16.
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Click <strong class="uiterm">OK</strong>, and then close the IIS<br /> Manager.
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Click <strong class="uiterm">Start</strong>, click<strong class="uiterm"> Run</strong>, type <strong class="uiterm">regedit</strong>, and then<br /> click <strong class="uiterm">OK</strong>.
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18.
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Locate the following registry subkey: </p>
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HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MasSync\Parameters
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19.
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Right-click <strong class="uiterm">Parameters</strong>, click to<br /> <strong class="uiterm">New</strong>, and then click <strong class="uiterm">String<br /> Value</strong>.
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20.
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Type <span class="userInput">ExchangeVDir</span>, and then press<br /> ENTER. Right-click <strong class="uiterm">ExchangeVDir</strong>, and then click<br /> <strong class="uiterm">Modify</strong>.</p>
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<strong>Note</strong><span class="userInput">ExchangeVDir</span> is case-sensitive. If you do not type <span class="userInput">ExchangeVDir</span> exactly as it appears in this article,<br /> ActiveSync does not find the key when it locates the <strong>exchange-oma</strong> folder. </td> </tr>
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In the <strong class="uiterm">Value data</strong> box, type the<br /> name of the new virtual directory that you created in step 8. For example, type<br /> <span class="userInput">/exchange-oma</span>. Click <strong class="uiterm">OK</strong>.
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22.
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Quit Registry Editor.
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23.
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Restart the IIS Admin service. To do this, follow these steps: </p>
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a.
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Click <strong class="uiterm">Start</strong>, click <strong class="uiterm">Run</strong>, type <span class="userInput">services.msc</span>, and<br /> then click <strong class="uiterm">OK</strong>.
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b.
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In the list of services, right-click <strong class="uiterm">IIS<br /> Admin service</strong>, and then click <strong class="uiterm">Restart</strong>.
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Sam McGeown