You receive a misleading error message when you add a distribution group to public folder permissions (317685)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server
This article was previously published under Q317685

SYMPTOMS

When you try to add client permissions for a public folder for a Microsoft Windows distribution group (not a security group), you receive error messages that may seem misleading.

If you use Exchange System Manager to try to add the client permissions for the distribution group, you receive the following error message:
The operation failed.

ID no: 80004005
Exchange System Manager
If you use a Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI) client such as Microsoft Outlook to try to add the client permissions for the distribution group, you receive the following error message:
The modified permissions could not be saved. The client operation failed.

CAUSE

This problem occurs because you cannot add a Windows distribution group to the client permissions for a public folder in Exchange 2000. By design, you can only add a security group.

The error messages that are described in the "Symptoms" section of this article may seem misleading; in this situation, you might expect to receive an error message such as:
You cannot specify a distribution group for public folder permissions, please use a security group instead.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about these error messages and the relation of these error messages to Windows 2000 running in Native mode, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

274046 You cannot add a distribution group to permissions of a public folder in Exchange 2000

"Distribution list" is a synonym for a distribution group in Windows. Distribution list is the terminology that is used in Microsoft Exchange Server 4.x and Microsoft Exchange Server 5.x. Distribution group is the terminology that is used in the Active Directory Users and Computers Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in.

For additional information about distribution groups and security groups, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

231273 Group type and scope usage in Windows

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:4/28/2005
Keywords:kbbug kbnofix KB317685
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