XADM: "The Directory Is Busy. Wait a Few Minutes and Try Again" Message When Adding New Mailboxes (261091)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5
This article was previously published under Q261091

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to add users to the directory, the following message is displayed:

The directory is busy. Wait a few minutes and try again.

Even if you wait several hours, this behavior still occurs. No events are logged in the application event log that coincide with this message.

CAUSE

This issue can occur if the Exchange Server Administrator program tries to make a change to the directory when the busy flag of the directory is set. The busy flag is set when a section of code requires that no changes be made to the directory during a that time.

If a thread stops responding or "hangs" in a critical section, the directory does not allow changes.

WORKAROUND

To work around this issue, cycle the directory service.

MORE INFORMATION

Note that if you are experiencing the issue that is described in this article and you change the registry values as outlined in the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base

160850 XADM: DS_E_BUSY After Directory Service Restore

the change has no effect.

The issue that is described in this article is not related to the inability to make directory changes while the directory makes copies of all of the objects that the directory replicated to other computers after the directory was backed up (this process is back synchronization, or "backsync") that is described in Q160850.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:4/21/2005
Keywords:kbprb KB261091
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