XADM: You Cannot Access Public Folder Data (323732)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5
This article was previously published under Q323732
IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS

Public folders may be visible, but you cannot view the folder properties or you may not have access to the folder. If you run the DS/IS consistency adjuster, you may receive the following error message:
The Public Folder eforms reg/org forms does not exist in the directory service. The time delay before it will be created has not expired.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if the public folder does not have a replication on any other computer running Exchange Server; the public folder is a "ghost" object. This means that the public folder is visible in Microsoft Exchange Administrator, but you cannot access or delete it.

After a public folder is created, the hierarchy is replicated to all servers in the organization. This hierarchy is stored in the Pub.edb file, and an entry is created in the Automoves table for the folder. If a computer running Exchange Server is shut down without all of the connections first being broken properly, the folders are not marked for future removal from the public folder hierarchy or the Automoves table.

This can occur when an Exchange Server computer or site is removed from an organization before all connections are broken. Public folders from that site may still appear in the hierarchy of other servers in the organization. These public folders do not rehome when you run the DS/IS consistency adjuster, and the properties for these public folders do not appear.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this behavior, follow these steps:
  1. Stop the Exchange Information Store service. To do so:
    1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
    2. Double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Services.
    3. In the Service list, click Microsoft Exchange Information Store, and then click Stop.
    4. Click Yes when you are prompted to confirm the action.
    5. Click Close.
  2. Add the Secure Folder Aging Latency and Automatic Folder Move Age Limit values to the registry.

    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.

    To add the the Secure Folder Aging Latency and Automatic Folder Move Age Limit registry values:
    1. Click Start, and then click Run.
    2. In the Open box, type regedt32, and then click OK.
    3. Locate, and then click the following registry key:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS\ParametersPublic

    4. On the Edit menu, click Add Value.
    5. In the Add Value box that appears, type Secure Folder Aging Latency in the Value Name box.
    6. In the Data Type box, click REG_DWORD, and then click OK.
    7. In the DWORD Editor dialog box that appears, type 600 in the Data box, click Decimal, and then click OK.
    8. Locate, and then click the following registry key:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS\ParametersPublic

    9. On the Edit menu, click Add Value.
    10. In the Add Value box that appears, type Automatic Folder Move Age Limit in the Value Name box.
    11. In the Data Type box, click REG_DWORD, and then click OK.
    12. In the DWORD Editor dialog box that appears, type 600 in the Data box, click Decimal, and then click OK.
    13. Click Exit on the Registry menu to quit Registry Editor.
  3. Start the Exchange Information Store service. To do so:
    1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
    2. Double-click Services.
    3. In the Service list, click Microsoft Exchange Information Store, and then click Start.
    4. Click Close.
  4. Allow the scheduled information store maintenance to occur. By default, information store maintenance tasks are scheduled to run daily between 12:00 midnight and 6:00 A.M. You can set the information store maintenance schedule to Always, which means that tasks are scheduled to run every 15 minutes, but make sure that you set it back to your original schedule after the "ghost" objects are removed from the public folders hierarchy.
  5. Repeat step 1 to stop the Exchange Information Store service.
  6. Remove the registry values that you added in step 2. To do so:
    1. Click Start, and then click Run.
    2. In the Open box, type regedt32, and then click OK.
    3. Locate, and then click the following registry values:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS\ParametersPublic\Secure Folder Aging Latency

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS\ParametersPublic\Automatic Folder Move Age Limit

    4. For each value, click Delete on the Edit menu, and then click Yes to confirm the deletion.
    5. Click Exit on the Registry menu to quit Registry Editor.
  7. Repeat step 3 to start the Exchange Information Store service.
  8. Run the DS/IS consistency checker. For more information about how to do this, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    182979 XADM: Function and Effects of Running the DS/IS Consistency Adjuster

    NOTE: Make sure that no connectivity issues exist before you do this step. If any connectivity issues exist, public folders from sites to which you cannot connect are rehomed on your server.
  9. Restart all Exchange servers in your site.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about Information Store maintenance tasks, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

159196 XADM: Tasks Controlled by the IS Maintenance Schedule

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:10/1/2003
Keywords:kberrmsg kbprb KB323732
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.