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Article ID: 979177 - Last Review: February 8, 2010 - Revision: 1.0
You cannot use Outlook 2003 to connect to an Exchange 2003 server by using RPC over HTTPS
You try to connect a Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 client to a server that is running Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 by using RPC over HTTPS. However, the connection attempt fails, and you do not receive an indication of why connection failed.
This issue occurs because there is a problem with the certificate that is assigned to the server that is running Exchange 2003. Because you tried to connect to the server by using RPC over HTTPS, the server cannot display a dialog box that tells you that there is a problem with the certificate.
One of the most common explanations for the inability of client computers to reach an Exchange 2003 server when you use Outlook 2003 together with RPC over HTTPS is that the certificate is invalid. The certificate is invalid for one of three common reasons:
- The certificate name does not match the Internet fully qualified domain name
(FQDN) of the server being accessed. For example, the certificate is issued to "server.domain.local", and the network administrators have published the site as "webmail.domain.com".
- The certificate root authority is not trusted by the workstation that is being used.
- The certificate has expired.
You can use the Exchange Remote Connectivity Analyzer to help diagnose and resolve this issue. To do this, visit the following Web site:
Note The Exchange Remote Connectivity Analyzer is a Web-based troubleshooting and diagnostic tool that helps identify the point of failure for Internet-based Exchange Server client connectivity scenarios. The tool simulates all the activities a client must perform to connect and then isolate the exact point of failure. Frequently, the Analyzer will point out known configuration issues and provide suggested steps for resolution. The connectivity testing across the Internet (from outside your organization) is performed by a Web site that is hosted in a Microsoft datacenter.
In addition to Exchange Remote Connectivity Analyzer, we recommend that you use the following practices to reduce occurrences of this issue:
- Make sure that the certificate shows the correct name. Even if your local Active Directory domain is "domain.local," you can still generate a Windows Certification Authority certificate for "webmail.domain.com" by following the wizard in Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
- Make sure that the root certificate exists in the "Trusted Root Certification Authorities" folder on the local computer. The server certificate does not necessarily have to be imported to the computer, but the computer must trust the root authority. Those computers that are part of an Active Directory domain should always trust the root certificate, but home computers and computers that are not part of the corporate Active Directory forest could just as easily use RPC over HTTPS.
- Make sure that network administrators renew the certificate before it expires.
For more information about how to troubleshoot client RPC over HTTPS connection issues, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
827330Â
(http://kbalertz.com/Feedback.aspx?kbNumber=827330/
)
How to troubleshoot client RPC over HTTP connection issues in Outlook 2003
For more information about how to import and trust a root certificate, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
297681Â
(http://kbalertz.com/Feedback.aspx?kbNumber=297681/
)
Error Message: This Security Certificate Was Issued by a Company that You Have Not Chosen to Trust
For more information about RPC over HTTPS, visit the following MSDN blog posts:
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Standard Edition
- Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Enterprise Edition
- Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 Standard Edition
- Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Standard Edition Service Pack 1 (SP1)
- Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Premium Edition Service Pack 1 (SP1)
- Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
| kbhttp kbdigitalcertificates kbrpc kbtshoot kbexpertiseinter kbsurveynew kbprb KB979177 |
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