Losing Server Contact from Outlook

[pikk67]

I run Exchange 5.5 SP3 on my network and within the past few months I upgraded my domain controller to Windows 2003 Server. It appears now that every so often, Outlook clients lose contact with the Exchnage box...for no apparent reason. You may try to go to the address book and a window will pop up saying that it is trying to contact the server. Most times it does and carries on but the odd time it fails and I've had to reboot my Exchnage server several times. Now I"m not sure this is Win2K3 Server's fault but it never did this when it was on the old NT 4.0 domain. My plan is to upgrade to Exchange 2003 but not for at least a few months.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance!

Pikk

PS. Users are running Outlook XP (2002)

 

[Zelandakh]

Cut some services from the Exchange box if at all possible. It is often lack of access to the disk that is at fault.

 

[pmurphy]

I'm having similar problem. NT4.0 server with Exchange 5.5, desktops using XP. My first problem is some users are experiencing slow network logons. When attempting to open Outlook, it hangs about 3 minutes them they get message "Exchange Server not available: Retry, Cancel, Offline. When Retry is selected after 2 or so minutes it connects. When you say cut some services from the Exchange box, can you give me some suggestions which services to cut? Also this is not happening to everyone just a few users on certain machines.

 

[dennisbbb]

The odd times you get "Exchange Server not available" is due to network traffic. Try to plug that user into another port to see if the problem goes away, or move your server to a faster line.

 

[pikk67]

To add....

Yes, it seems only on certain systems here too. I'm wondering though, would an upgrade to 2003 resolve these issues? Is this inherent in Exchange 5.5? Also, good question...what services?

Thnx again!

P'

 

[bchizary]

i had a problem like this on my win98 machines accessing exchange 5.5 on an nt4 server. What have you got set up for dns on the client machines? are they using a dns server (an nt machine for example) or just using your web router?

Our machines were using our adsl router as a dns server as well. great for using the net but 80% of the time would time out before finding the exchange server. Change it so it uses your nt machine as a dns server (set up dns on the server) and it should be ok using the net and accessing exchange as well.

 

[pikk67]

Hi bchizary

Thanks for the info but DNS is not an issue here. I'm running a Windows 2003 Server as my primary domain and it's setup as a DNS server as well.

I'll keep poking around.

Thanks to all who replied!!

P