cannot access Exchange Server from Outlook 2000 but only on first try

[hostis]

Windows 200 server with Outlook 2000 on desktops. When users log in in the mornings and d-click on Outlook 2000,
about 95% of staff get the error that the outlook server is unavailable and they need to click on retry, work offline or help. If they click on Retry Outlook opens up no problem and they can carry on as normal. They can ping the exchange server and no network connections have been lost. The TCP/IP config is the same on all PCs. Any ideas please?

 

[BradSQLGuy]

I generally see that type of problem when network activity is very high. Is exchange running on its own box or incorporated with the domain controller? If it's on a domain controller this could happen in the mornings because everyone is trying to login to the network and authenticate. Also you may want to check the time-out time that is usually set to 30 seconds. You can increase this by going to Start, Settings, Control Panel, Mail, Microsoft Exchange Server Properties. My thought's because the communication between the Exchange server and the client takes soo long anyway it's probably timing out before it's complete. Also you may want to check and make sure that the users having that problem have a .pst file on their computer and NOT the server. If the .pst is located on the server this could have an effect too. -Does that help ya?

 

[hostis]

Thanks for the idea but I don't think that this is the case with regards to network traffic. The error occurs when ever anyone logs on at any time (Friday afternoons, evenings and even weekends when only one or 2 people are here), apart from 3 people in the company who go in straight away, and one of them is on 98, one 2000 and the other on ME so its not even down to the O/S.
I've tried changing the timeout to 60 seconds but then it still happens the same way. thanks anyway... )

 

[BradSQLGuy]

The only other thing I can think of is if the users have Offline folders set up or a .pst is saved on the server. When Outlook opens it will sync everything they did while they weren't on the network (if they have laptops and are configuared to do so). Also if there is a .pst on the server it's going to load that everytime they try to open Outlook. I've seen that take 30 minutes or more depending on how large the personal folder is. Other than that I'm stumped. -Brad
A+, MCSE NT4, MCDBA SQL7

-Best cartoon of all time :-D 'Spongebob Squarepants' :-D

 

[joegz]

Out of curioisty have you tried adding the DNS name and IP address to the HOSTS file to see if the machines having the problem find the server with more efficiency? joegz
"Sometimes you just need to find out what it's not first to figure out what it is."

 

[joegz]

Out of curioisty have you tried adding the DNS name and IP address for the server to the HOSTS file to see if the machines having the problem find the server with more efficiency? joegz
"Sometimes you just need to find out what it's not first to figure out what it is."

 

[cbergmark]

Hey Hostis,
I have the same issue with our email. Windows 2000, Exchange 2000 server. Outlook 2000 on clients using everything from Windows 95 to Windows XP. All the same TCP/IP config. Tried increasing the timeout time. Added the DNS and IP address to the hosts files. Some users have .pst files on their harddrive, a few have them on the network - most don't have .pst files.

When they try to open Outlook - any time, any day - they will get the "server is unavailable" retry, work offline or help. They click on retry once, then outlook will open.

The only other suggestion I heard anywhere was that our network wiring is only 10 base T - and that might be slow enough to cause this. I am looking for anymore information.
Thanks,
cbergmark

 

[buztwet]

I am also having this problem. But only with one user on the network. We're running about 40 workstations off of the server. The user said this just started happening recently. I've switched her to a different computer and we still have the problem - must be something wrong in exchange? Any ideas?

 

[FirmAdmin]

I'm also having this problem with only one user. It has happened within the past week and affects no other users. I'm using Windows XP on the desktop. This user also lost the ability to print to the network printer. I can browse the network and run other Microsoft Applications with no problems. Did anyone find a solution to this problem??

 

[AXISPNOC]

We are also having the same problem, Windows 2003 Server, Exchange 2003, users with Outlook XP/2003 have no issues, but users with Outlook 2000 get the error that the server is unavailable, the only thing we have found that works is rebooting the Exchange server. Since the Exchange server is being used internally and we only have 25 users on it, this is not a big deal, but it seems strange to me that only Outlook 2000 users are having the problem.

I have searched hi and low for answer, to no avail.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Jim

 

[pmurphy]

I, too, am having the same problem (NT4 server, Exchange 5.5 with XP on desktops). I added camera software to one machine and it effected everyone that logs on to that machine, except the administrator. However on a different machine only a few users are effected. I've removed the software and the problem is still there. I'm also experiencing slow logons to the network, anyone have a solution for that?