How to configure Outlook to a specific global catalog server or to the closest global catalog server (319206)

WORKAROUND

Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

How to set the closest global catalog server

Use the following steps to force Outlook to identify and use the closest global catalog server.

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type regedit.exe, and then click OK.
3. Locate and then click the following key in the registry:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Exchange\Exchange Provider

   Note You may have to create the registry path.
   
   
4. On the Edit menu, click Add Value, and then add the following registry value:

   Value name: Closest GC
   Data type: REG_DWORD
   Radix: Hexadecimal
   Value data: 0x00000001

5. Quit Registry Editor.

How to set a specific global catalog server

In other topologies, you may want to force Outlook to communicate with a specific global catalog server, not necessarily the global catalog server that is closest to the Outlook client.

Note that although you can manually change the registry parameter in the MAPI profile, it is overwritten the next time that you start Outlook.

To force Outlook to use a pre-defined global catalog server, use the following steps to set the following special registry parameter to point to the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN). Doing this over-rides any setting in the MAPI profile.

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type regedit.exe, and then click OK.
3. Locate and then click the following key in the registry:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Exchange\Exchange Provider
   
   Note You may have to create the registry path.

4. On the Edit menu, click Add Value, and then add the following registry value:

   Value name: DS Server
   Data type: REG_SZ (string)
   Value data: FQDN of the global catalog server

5. Quit Registry Editor. If Outlook stops responding after you set the closest global catalog server or set a specific global catalog server, Outlook returns to the DSProxy process on the Exchange 2000 server and requests a new referral. The following are two possible limitations if you configure Outlook to a specific global catalog server:

• The client-detected global catalog server may be out of date or semi-functional. If the global catalog server is having problems but still responds to Named Service Provider Interface (NSPI) requests, Outlook may not stop responding and return to the DSProxy for a new referral.
• In multi-domain environments, the global catalog server that you select may not be in the same domain as Active Directory group objects. Therefore, users cannot update group membership because the local global catalog server has a read-only copy of the group.