| Exchange Server
Welcome to our Exchange server section.
This section is maintained by our Exchange MVP, Simon Butler (blog)
Get Simon to install, maintain or upgrade your Exchange server. More Information (UK only)
Most of this information is based around the feature set and operation of Exchange 2003. Many of the techniques will also apply to Exchange 2000, and to a lesser extent Exchange 5.5. Please review our compatibility chart on each page.
Exchange 2007 - The process of reviewing and updating articles for Exchange 2007 compatibility is now under way. The list of articles that have been updated or written for Exchange 2007 can be found here. The simple rule of thumb is that if the article does specifically mention Exchange 2007 in the compatibility table, then it has not been reviewed for that version. That does not mean it is not compatible, just that it hasn't been looked at yet.
Major Exchange Sections
Many of our Exchange articles have been grouped together as they are about working with a particular function of Exchange server.
RPC over HTTP How to configure Exchange and Outlook to use this new feature of Exchange 2003. | Distribution Lists This section includes auto replies from lists, securing your lists, hiding lists and setting up a moderated list. |
Multiple Email Domains If you need to support multiple email domains on one Exchange server, advice on how to get the best out of Exchange in that scenario. Two users one domain, two domains two users etc. | SMTP As SMTP is so important to the operation of Exchange, this section brings together all of our articles on working with SMTP to ensure that your server is working correctly, is secure and is doing what you need it to. |
Outlook Web Access OWA is very powerful, this section covers some of the more commonly requests tasks that you can do with OWA. |
Outlook Please see our dedicated Outlook section for content on the Exchange client |
PDAs and Mobile Working Exchange 2003 introduced features for accessing email with a PDA and Smart Phone. This section covers that, including Exchange Active Sync and OMA. |
Public Folders Despite Microsoft's best efforts, they refuse to go away. This section provides information on managing public folders and using them as part of your email management practises. |
Doing More with Exchange and Configuring Exchange Features
NEW Post Installation Configuration What you should do with your Exchange server as soon as installation is completed.
Configuring an SMTP Connector To ensure delivery when you are blocked for various reasons
Creating a Company Wide Contact List How to use a public folder to create a companywide contact list.
Intelligent Message Filter Enabling, updating and generally using the built in spam filter.
Sharing User Folders from the Server How to share a folder in every user's Outlook without having to visit their machine
Installing Exchange Tools on a Another Machine Prerequisites for a successful install
Making the Outlook Web Access Login the Default Page on a Web Site http://domain.com instead of http://domain.com/exchange
Using Mail Enabled Contacts to Give Contractors an Email Address on Your System Even if it means email going to their own account
Using Exchange with a Dynamic IP Address DSL, Cable Modem customers etc
Two Sites, One Domain How to share a single domain with two separate Exchange servers
Dealing with a user who changes their name How to ensure the old name is not displayed, but email using the old name continues to be delivered
Tools and Applications for Managing Exchange A list of the most useful tools and applications that can help an Exchange server administrator
Migration to Exchange or to a New Exchange Server
Swing Migration to a new Server How to migrate to a new server by doing a swing migration.
Changing from POP3 to SMTP Delivery If your email currently comes in to your server or your clients from a POP3 account at the ISP, how to manage the move to SMTP delivery direct to Exchange while minimising the risk of email loss.
Working with SMTP Email - More SMTP Related Articles
Sharing a Single IP Address with another SMTP Server If you have another SMTP server on your network, how to use Exchange to relay email to it over the single connection.
Using Exchange to Provide a Backup MX Server for Another Domain How to configure Exchange to queue email when another server is down.
DNS Configuration How you should configure DNS, MX records, reverse DNS and what the server announces itself as to ensure that your email has the best chance of being delivered and not rejected by anti-spam measures.
Basic Gateway Server Build an email gateway server to put in your DMZ, that works just like Edge Services on Exchange 2007, but for any version of Exchange. Cheaper too.
Securing Exchange
Are you an Open Relay? How to check whether your Exchange server is an open relay, and what to change to secure it.
Cleaning up after an NDR attack or open relay How to clear the queues caused by attempts to use your server to send spam
Filter Out Mail to Non-Existent Users How to stop receiving email for addresses that don't exist on your network
Securing Users When Relaying Email How to tighten the security when you are allowing users to relay through your server, and trying to avoid "Authenticated User" relaying.
Restrict Users from Sending and Receiving Internet Email A quick guide on allowing users to send and receive email internally, but unable to send or receive email to the Internet.
Permissions Best Practices Some tips on how to use permissions and groups to ease the administration of your Exchange server
Email Black Hole Use a black hole to get rid of email forever
Managing email for Ex-Staff The options available to you for dealing with email belonging to a former staff member
Recovering Deleted Items How you or your users can recover deleted items, particularly Public Folder content
Mailbox Access Account How to setup a special account to access all mailboxes, for example to use exmerge.
Diagnosing Problems with Exchange
Telnet Test How to carry out a manual telnet test to verify that SMTP is working correctly
Enabling and Using Message Tracking Use the built in tool to track what Exchange has done with a message.
Internet Tools There are lots of tools that you can use on the Internet that can help with diagnosing problems with your Exchange server.
SMTP Diagnostics Use tools available in Windows and on the Internet to see why your email is not being delivered.
Resolving Specific Issues with Exchange
Stop Exchange Services with a Script A script for stopping the Exchange services gracefully - particularly useful if your Exchange server is installed on a domain controller.
Offline Address Book and Outlook 2003 Cached Mode How to resolve errors when using Outlook 2003 in cached mode
Eradicating Errors 1022 and 9548 when you disable an account. Clean up your event logs
Event ID 1221 - Clearing up the confusion What does "...SERVER has 3.4 megabytes of free space after online defragmentation has terminated" actually mean?
What has used the disk space? Identify where all of your disk space has gone on the Exchange server.
Compatibility Table
As some of the techniques on this web site are not compatible with all versions of Exchange, we have included a compatibility table. An example and definitions are shown below.
Note that "No" means it is not compatible or doesn't apply to that version
(feature doesn't exist)
Exchange Server Compatibility Information |
Meaning? |
Exchange Server Version Compatibility |
5.5 |
No* |
Compatible or not with Exchange 5.5 |
| 2000 |
No* |
Compatible or not with Exchange 2000 |
| 2003 |
Yes |
Compatible or not with Exchange 2003 |
| 2007 |
Yes |
Compatible or not with Exchange 2007 |
| * May Adapt (More Information) |
The technique shown was written using higher version of Exchange but may adapt to a previous version if you know your way around the older version. |
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