Thursday, October 26, 2006

NDR List of Codes and their meanings

The key to any troubleshooting is to isolate the problem. In the case of an NDR, discover if the fault lies with the sender, the recipient or the Exchange 2003 server. To gather more clues, send more emails to the same recipient but from different accounts. In addition, send emails to different accounts from the original sender.

Expand the search area by sending email to different sites, or to internet users. Does this tactic narrow the problem to a particular Server, Mailstore or Routing Group Connector?

If it's just one email address that produces the Non-Delivery report, do you type in the SMTP address manually, or do you click the user account in the GAL?

NDR List of Codes and their meanings

NDR
Code Explanation of Non-Delivery Report error codes for Exchange Server

4.2.2 The recipient has exceeded their mailbox limit. It could also be that the delivery directory on the Virtual server has exceeded its limit. (Default 22 MB)
4.3.1 Not enough disk space on the delivery server. Microsoft say this NDR maybe reported as out-of-memory error.
4.3.2 Classic temporary problem, the Administrator has frozen the queue.
4.4.1 Intermittent network connection. The server has not yet responded. Classic temporary problem. If it persists, you will also a 5.4.x status code error.
4.4.2 The server started to deliver the message but then the connection was broken.
4.4.6 Too many hops. Most likely, the message is looping.
4.4.7 Problem with a timeout. Check receiving server connectors.
4.4.9 A DNS problem. Check your smart host setting on the SMTP connector. For example, check correct SMTP format. Also, use square brackets in the IP address [197.89.1.4] You can get this same NDR error if you have been deleting routing groups.
4.6.5 Multi-language situation. Your server does not have the correct language code page installed.
5.0.0 SMTP 500 reply code means an unrecognized command. You get this NDR when you make a typing mistake when you manually try to send email via telnet.
More likely, a routing group error, no routing connector, or no suitable address space in the connector. (Try adding * in the address space)
This status code is a general error message in Exchange 2000. In fact Microsoft introduced a service pack to make sure now get a more specific code.
5.1.x Problem with email address.
5.1.0 Often seen with contacts. Check the recipient address.
5.1.1 Another problem with the recipient address. Possibly the user was moved to another server in Active Directory. Maybe an Outlook client replied to a message while offline.
5.1.2 SMTP; 550 Host unknown. An error is triggered when the host name can’t be found. For example, when trying to send an email to bob@ nonexistantdomain.com.
[Example kindly sent in by Paul T.]
5.1.3 Another problem with contacts. Address field maybe empty. Check the address information.
5.1.4 Two objects have the same address, which confuses the categorizer.
5.1.5 Destination mailbox address invalid.
5.1.6 Problem with homeMDB or msExchHomeServerName - check how many users are affected. Sometimes running RUS (Recipient Update Service) cures this problem. Mailbox may have moved.
5.1.7 Problem with senders mail attribute, check properties sheet in ADUC.
5.2.x NDR caused by a problem with the large size of the email.
5.2.1 The message is too large. Else it could be a permissions problem. Check the recipient's mailbox.
5.2.2 Sadly, the recipient has exceeded their mailbox limit.
5.2.3 Recipient cannot receive messages this big. Server or connector limit exceeded.
5.2.4 Most likely, a distribution list or group is trying to send an email. Check where the expansion server is situated.
5.3.0 Problem with MTA, maybe someone has been editing the registry to disable the MTA / Store driver.
5.3.1 Mail system full. Possibly a Standard edition of Exchange reached the 16 GB limit.
5.3.2 System not accepting network messages. Look outside Exchange for a connectivity problem.
5.3.3 Remote server has insufficient disk space to hold email. Check SMTP log.
5.3.4 Message too big. Check limits, System Policy, connector, virtual server.
5.3.5 Multiple Virtual Servers are using the same IP address and port. See Microsoft TechNet article: 321721 Sharing SMTP. Email probably looping.
5.4.0 DNS Problem. Check the Smart host, or check your DNS. It means that there is no DNS server that can resolve this email address. Could be Virtual Server SMTP address.
5.4.1 No answer from host. Not Exchange's fault check connections.
5.4.2 Bad connection.
5.4.3 Routing server failure. No available route.
5.4.4 Cannot find the next hop, check the Routing Group Connector. Perhaps you have Exchange servers in different Routing Groups, but no connector.
5.4.6 Tricky looping problem, a contact has the same email address as an Active Directory user. One user is probably using an Alternate Recipient with the same email address as a contact.
5.4.7 Delivery time-out. Message is taking too long to be delivered.
5.4.8 Microsoft advise, check your recipient policy. SMTP address should be cp.com.
NOT server.cp.com.
5.5.0 Underlying SMTP 500 error. Our server tried ehlo, the recipient's server did not understand and returned a 550 or 500 error. Set up SMTP logging.
5.5.2 Possibly the disk holding the operating system is full. Or could be a syntax error if you are executing SMTP from a telnet shell.
5.5.3 More than 5,000 recipients. Check the Global Settings, Message Delivery properties.
5.5.5 Wrong protocol version
5.6.3 More than 250 attachments.
5.7.1 Permissions problem. For some reason the sender is not allowed to email this account. Perhaps an anonymous user is trying to send mail to a distribution list.
Check SMTP Virtual Server Access Tab. Try checking this box: Allow computers which successfully authenticate to relay
User may have a manually created email address that does not match a System Policy.
5.7.2 Distribution list cannot expand and so is unable to deliver its messages.
5.7.3 Check external IP address of ISA server. Make sure it matches the SMTP publishing rule.
5.7.4 Extra security features not supported. Check delivery server settings
5.7.5 Cryptographic failure. Try a plain message with encryption.
5.7.6 Certificate problem, encryption level maybe to high.
5.7.7 Message integrity problem.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Joke of the week: Think before you speak...

A friend sent this to me and had me rolling.. So, I had to share!


Here are six reasons why you should think before you speak - the last one is great!
Have you ever spoken and wished that you could immediately take the words back... or that you could crawl into a hole?

Here are the Testimonials of a few people who did....

FIRST TESTIMONY:
I walked into a hair salon with my husband and three kids in tow and asked loudly, "How much do you charge for a shampoo and a blow job?" I turned around and walked back out and never went back. My husband didn't say a word...he knew better.

SECOND TESTIMONY:
I was at the golf store comparing different kinds of golf balls. I was unhappy with the women's type I had been using. After browsing for several minutes, I was approached by one of the good-looking gentlemen who works at the store. He asked if he could help me. Without thinking, I looked at him and said, "I think I like playing with mens balls"

THIRD TESTIMONY:
My sister and I were at the mall and passed by a store that sold a variety of candy and nuts. As we were looking at the display case, the boy behind the counter asked if we needed any help. I replied, "No, I'm just looking at your nuts." My sister started to laugh hysterically. The boy grinned, and I turned beet-red and walked away. To this day, my sister has never let me forget.

FOURTH TESTIMONY:
While in line at the bank one afternoon, my toddler decided to release some pent-up energy and ran amok. I was finally able to grab hold of her after receiving looks of disgust and annoyance from other patrons. I told her that if she did not start behaving "right now" she would be punished. To my horror, she looked me in the eye and said in a voice just as threatening, "If you don't let me go right now, I will tell Grandma that I saw you kissing Daddy's pee-pee last night!" The silence was deafening after this enlightening exchange. Even the tellers stopped what they were doing. I mustered up the last of my dignity and walked out of the bank with my daughter in tow. The last thing I heard when the door closed behind me, were screams of laughter.

FIFTH TESTIMONY:
Have you ever asked your child a question too many times? My three-year-old son had a lot of problems with potty training and I was on him constantly. One day we stopped at Taco Bell for a quick lunch, in between errands. It was very busy, with a full dining room. While enjoying my taco, I smelled something funny, so of course I checked my seven-month-old daughter, she was clean. The realized that Danny had not asked to go potty in a while. I asked him if he needed to go, and he said "No". I kept thinking "Oh Lord, that child has had an accident, and I don't have any clothes with me." Then I said, "Danny, are you SURE you didn't have an accident?" "No," he replied. I just KNEW that he must have had an accident, because the smell was getting worse. Soooooo, I asked one more time, "Danny did you have an accident ? This time he jumped up, yanked down his pants, bent over, spread his cheeks and yelled "SEE MOM, IT'S JUST FARTS!!" While 30 people nearly choked to death on their tacos laughing, he calmly pulled up his pants and sat down. An old couple made me feel better, thanking me for the best laugh they'd ever had!

LAST BUT NOT LEAST TESTIMONY:
This had most of the state of Michigan laughing for 2 days and a very embarrassed female news anchor who will, in the future, likely think before she speaks. What happens when you predict snow but don't get any! We had a female news anchor that, the day after it was supposed to have snowed and didn't, turned to the weatherman and asked: "So Bob, where's that 8 inches you promised me last night?" Not only did HE have to leave the set, but half the crew did too they were laughing so hard!

Now, didn't that feel good?
Pass it on to someone you know who needs a laugh and remember we all say things we don't really mean, so think before you speak

Letter from Jorge

Jorge Zelaya was my last manager at Corillian Corporation. (I went through 3 in my tenure there.) He is a really great guy and one of the best managers thus far. He started out as a grunt and worked his way up the food chain while at Corillian. This gives him a very unique perspective about issues that are facing an IT Department and Customer Service as a whole. Personally, There are some people here at ACS that need to go back and get a job in retail to “reacquire” the art of Customer Service. However, that is not the case with Jorge. He has excelent people skillz. (That is with a 'Z', as he would say) Well, he sent me a letter of recommendation that I would like to share. It shows his quality as a Manager and a Person.

To whom it may concern:

I would like to recommend Steve Shaff as a candidate for a position with your organization. In his position as AD Administrator, Steve did an excellent job and was an asset to our organization. He has excellent written and verbal communication skills, is well organized, can work independently and is able to follow through to ensure that the job gets done.

During his tenure with Corillian Corporation, Steve was responsible for managing the Exchange Server and Active Directory infrastructure. Steve was always willing to offer his assistance and had an excellent rapport with the many constituents served by our department.

He would be an asset to any employer and I recommend him for any endeavor he chooses to pursue.

Regards,
Jorge Zelaya
Manager
of Corporate IT
Corillian Corporation



Thanks Jorge.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Release Date Pulled!

Halo 3 release date has gone from March of 2007 to sometime in 2007. This is upsetting, but expected. I will keep you informed when I have a new date. I have also pulled my pre-order from Amazon. I am hoping to keep enough $$ on those gift cards to buy Halo 3 when it finally gets released.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Trying out Blogger's Beta

Well, I have made the technology leap and have converted my Blog to Blogger Beta. It was really simple. Everything moved from old to new with very little configuration effort on my part. It feels a lot like Sharepoint, where everything is done with "parts". Click and Drag.. It is so easy.

I also like the added feature in the management console, you are able to view all of your posts and also view the contents from a down arrow. Very Cool. Also, the fact that all changes are done in real-time. Once you change something, you no longer have to republish and then wait. This was a real problem if you had a really large blog. Sometimes, I had problems where it would click at 0%, until I stopped it and restarted the Re-Publish.

Gotta Love It!

Delegate issue -

When someone sends a meeting request to a user, they receive an NDR from another user. The unknown user was at one time a delegate for the user the meeting request was sent to and has had their user account deleted. This happens when the delegate’s user account is removed from Active Directory before being removed from the delegates list.

To resolve the issue, please follow the steps below:
1. Take note of any delegates you currently have, and remove them.
2. Take note of any rules you currently have, please note that the rules will be removed and you will need to recreate them when you are done.
3. Go to Start > Run and type in “outlook.exe /cleanrules” without the quotes and click OK.
4. This will open Outlook and remove all rules, including the invisible rule that is forwarding the message to the old delegate.
5. Go back in and re-assign delegates as needed.
6. Go back in and recreate rules as needed.

Create Auto Responder for Group Mailbox

To configure Outlook to open the GROUP mailbox as if you are that user follow these steps:
  1. Go to Start > Control Panel and open Mail.
  2. Click the Show Profiles… button.
If you do not already have a profile for the shared mailbox, follow these steps:
Click the Add… button.
  1. Give the profile the same name as the shared mailbox and click OK.
  2. This is going to be an Exchange account.
  3. The server should be Exchange Mailbox Server and the name should be the username of the shared mailbox.
  4. Click the Check Name button, it should resolve and become underlined.
  5. Click through the rest of the process to create the new profile.
  6. In the bottom half of the window you can select Prompt for a profile to be used and click OK.
  7. Once you have this setup Outlook will always prompt you for the profile, you can change this back to stop prompting you after you create the rule.

To create the rule follow these steps, please not that you are using Outlook XP so some of the items may be named slightly differently.

  1. Login to Outlook as the mailbox you want the rule for.
  2. Go to Tools > Rules Wizard.
  3. Click the New Rule button.
  4. Follow the steps in the wizard, use the following settings as a guide.
  • Select Check messages when they arrive and click Next.
  • Check the "where my name is in the To box" option and click Next.
  • Check "have the server reply using a specific message" and then click the "a specific message" link.
  • Only enter the subject and body that you want and click Save and Close.
  1. Click the Finish button.
  2. Close Outlook.

Friday, October 13, 2006

I Have A New Job

As you know, My position here at ACS is being outsourced to Malaysia. Yes, the outsourcing company that I work for is outsourcing my position, I think that there is a joke in that… but it is escaping me at this point.

Yesterday, I was offered a position with Comcast Cable as a Senior Information Technology Analyst. (Fancy title for Systems Administrator) I will be one of a handful of guys dealing with server administration, patching, troubleshooting, diagnosing network issues, and troubleshooting/implementing various Microsoft Products.

Today, I had to sign some paperwork and pee in a cup. :P Comcast is the only company that has asked to do a background check, drug screen, or reference check performed on me. I don’t recall ever doing this for Corillian or even ACS. I certainly don’t remember peeing in a cup.

So, I am “officially” a Comcast Employee.

wireless calendar does not synchronize properly for multiple users

Problem Description:

  1. The wireless calendar does not synchronize properly for multiple users.
  2. A configuration error between Microsoft® Outlook® and the handheld is disrupting wireless calendar synchronization.

Instructions:

  • Go to Start > Run.
  • Type regsvr32 CDO.DLL in the field.
  • Click OK.
  • Restart the BlackBerry Enterprise Server.
  • Create a new Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI) profile.

For instructions on how to create a new MAPI profile, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 195718. For instructions on how to configure BlackBerry Desktop Manager to use the new MAPI profile, see Support Knowledge Base article KB-03650. Note: If you are using Microsoft® Outlook® 2003, disable Cached Exchange Mode.

  • Create a contact entry in Outlook and verify that it synchronizes with Outlook
  • On the handheld home screen, open the Calendar.
  • Click the trackwheel and select Options > Wireless Synchronization > Change Option > No.
  • Connect the handheld to your desktop and open BlackBerry Desktop Manager.
  • Go to Backup and Restore > Advanced, select the calendar database, and choose Clear.
  • Go to Intellisync > Configure PIM > Calendar > Choose > MS Outlook > OK.
  • On the main Intellisync page, select Synchronize now.
  • On the handheld, open the Calendar again.
  • Click the trackwheel and select Options > Wireless Synchronization > Change Option > Yes.
  • If the user still encounters errors when performing a wireless synchronization, verify the CDO.DLL and MAPI32.DLL files.

Blackberry Deleted Emails Do Not Synchronize with Mailbox

Problem Description:
This article describes where to change the setting to force emails deleted on the Blackberry to Synchronize with Outlook. When the user deletes an email on their Blackberry handheld device, it does not automatically delete the email in Outlook.


Troubleshooting Steps/ Resolution:
By default, the Blackberry is set to not Synchronize any emails deleted on the Blackberry with the users mailbox. A setting must be set to force any e-mail deletions done on the handheld to also delete in Outlook. This setting can be found in the following:

  1. On the Blackberry device, go into the mail (the icon looks like three envelopes).
  2. Single click the trackwheel to display the menu
  3. Select Options
  4. At the bottom of the 'Message List Options', under the 'Email' subheader, highlight 'Handheld' next to 'Delete On:'
  5. Single click the trackwheel and choose 'Change Option'
  6. Select one of the following options:

'Handheld' - deletes the e-mail on the handheld only

'Mailbox & Handheld'- deletes the email on the handheld as well as in Outlook

'Prompt'- Prompts the user to choose whether they want the email deleted in their Mailbox each time they delete an email on the Blackberry.

  1. Click the trackwheel once and choose 'Save' to save your settings.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Duplicate messages on your BlackBerry

Problem:
You received duplicate messages on your BlackBerry Wireless Handheld™.
Duplicate messages might be caused by one of the following:
  • handheld is not in an area of sufficient wireless network coverage
  • rules or filters are forwarding duplicate messages to multiple folders
  • multiple instances of the BlackBerry Desktop Redirector are running for the same mailbox, or the desktop redirector and BlackBerry Enterprise Server are enabled for the same mailbox.
  • Desktop Redirector is running but you are running using a BlackBerry account.
Cause
The handheld is not in an area of sufficient wireless coverage, therefore it cannot send an acknowledgement to the BlackBerry Enterprise Server or the BlackBerry Desktop Redirector, to confirm it has received the message.

Resolution
The issue will be resolved one the handheld returns to an area of sufficient wireless network coverage.

Cause
Filters are configured to forward duplicate messages to more than one folder.

Resolution
Modify or delete the filters by performing the following steps:
  • Any filters configured on the server, Inbox or the BlackBerry Desktop Software. Save and delete.
  • Re-create the filter and send test messages that meet the filter criteria.

Cause
Multiple instances of the BlackBerry Desktop Redirector are configured and running for the same mailbox or the BlackBerry Desktop Redirector and the BlackBerry Enterprise Server are configured for the same mailbox.

Resolution
Use only one source of message redirection, such as the following:

  • Use only one instance of the BlackBerry Desktop Redirector for the mailbox.
  • Use either the BlackBerry Enterprise Server or the BlackBerry Desktop Redirector.

Cause
You are running the BlackBerry Desktop Redirector, which is installed with the BlackBerry Desktop Software, but you are using the BlackBerry account.

Resolution
Remove the BlackBerry Desktop Redirector service book from the handheld and modify the install of the BlackBerry Desktop Manager to prevent the service book from returning.

To remove the service book from the handheld, perform the following steps:

  • On the handheld, go to Options > Service Book
  • Highlight the Desktop [CMIME] > Click the trackwheel and select Delete from the menu.
    To modify the BlackBerry Desktop Manager install for versions 3.5 and earlier, perform the following steps:
  • Close the desktop manager
  • In Add/Remove Programs choose the BlackBerry Desktop Manager Software and click Change/Remove.
  • When the install program appears, click Modify.
  • Choose one of the following install options:
    • Integrate with an enterprise email account
    • Integrate with new or exisiting ISP account
  • Complete the installation.

To modify the BlackBerry Desktop Manager install for version 3.6.1 and later, perform the following steps:

  • Close the desktop manager
  • In Add/Remove Programs choose the BlackBerry Desktop Manager 3.6.1 and click Change/Remove.
  • When the install program appears, click Modify.
  • On the Email Integration Option screen select BlackBerry Web Client.
  • Click Next.
  • Complete the installation.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Clean install of the Blackberry software

For those of you that still use the desktop software or have not upgraded your BES infrastructure, here is a way to uninstall and install the Blackberry software cleanly.

· Troubleshooting Steps or Resolution:

Task 1 - Uninstall the BlackBerry Desktop Software

To uninstall,
  1. Close BlackBerry Desktop Manager.
  2. Open the Control Panel and double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.
  3. Select BlackBerry Desktop Software and click Change/Remove.
  4. On the InstallShield Wizard window, click the Remove option, followed by Next.
  5. On the Confirm Uninstall window, click OK.
  6. On the InstallShield Wizard window, click Finish.

Task 2 - Delete the Research In Motion Folders from the Registry

To delete the Research In Motion folders,

  1. Click Start > Run.
  2. Type Regedit, and then click OK.
  3. In Registry Editor, delete the Research In Motion folder located in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\.
  4. Delete the Research In Motion folder located in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\.
    Note: This key will not be present if you are removing Desktop Manager version 4.0.
  5. Leave the Registry Editor open to complete the next task.

Task 3 - Delete the Pumatech Shared Folders from the Registry (If Present)

Pumatech Shared folders only exist in the registry prior to Desktop Manager version 4.0 service pack 1. To delete the Pumatech Shared folders,

  1. In Registry Editor, delete the Puma Technology folder located in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\.
  2. Delete the Puma Technology folder located in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\.
  3. Close the Registry editor.

Task 4 - Delete the Research In Motion Folders from Your Hard Drive

If you are using Windows 2000 or Windows XP,

  1. Open Windows Explorer.
  2. Delete the Research In Motion folder in C:\Program Files\.
  3. Note: This key may not be present if you are removing Desktop Manager version 4.0.
  4. Delete the Research In Motion folder in C:\Program Files\Common Files (if present).
    Delete the Research In Motion folder in C:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\.
  5. Note: If you are unable to see the Application Data folder, it might be a hidden system folder.
  6. If you were using Desktop Manager version 4.0 service pack 1, delete the BlackBerry Desktop folder in C:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\.

Task 5 - Delete the Pumatech Shared Folder from Your Hard Drive (If Present)

The Pumatech Shared folder exists prior to Desktop Manager version 4.0 service pack 1. To delete the Pumatech Shared folder from your hard drive, open Windows Explorer and delete the Pumatech Shared folder in C:\Program Files\Common Files\.


If you were using Desktop Manager 4.0.1, remove Pumatech software from your hard drive by opening Windows Explorer and navigating to: C:\Program Files\Research In Motion\BlackBerry\Pumatech Desktop Setup.


Note: Any synchronization software for other personal digital assistants (PDAs) that use the Pumatech Shared folder must be reinstalled after the BlackBerry Desktop Software is uninstalled.


If you are unable to delete the Pumatech Shared folder, rename it by completing the following steps:

  1. Right-click the Pumatech Shared folder and select Rename.
  2. Rename the folder. For example, Pumatech Shared_old.
  3. Press Enter.

Task 6 - Restart the Computer

The desktop software should now be fully uninstalled. Restart the computer and attempt to re-install the desktop software.

Password (account) Locks out several times a day

In my many years of working in IT, I have had my fair share of complaints about "my password keeps locking" or "Why does this keep happening?". Various programs cache passwords- and when the users password changes on the domain the applications continue to make (old) bad password attempts.

Please remember just how many things are NT authenticated and you can see how easy it is to forget that something has been left open. Common examples:

  • Any program that automatically reaches out over the Internet on a periodic basis (e.g., Webshots screen saver, Gator, Napster, Morpheus, ICQ, Instant Messaging clients, Offer Companion, Bearshare, GoZilla)
  • Logged onto multiple PC's
  • Logged onto a server and forget to log off
  • Citrix sessions
  • pcAnywhere sessions
  • Terminal Server sessions
  • Outlook sessions
  • VPN'ed into the network or dialed into the network from another location
  • Somebody else was given the password (e.g., secretary) to "help" an important user process his or her email
  • Active OWA (Outlook Web Access) session on someone's desk
  • Scheduled tasks. Look in Control Panel for the "Scheduled Tasks" applet. Scheduled tasks require userid and password.
  • User created scripts to automate tasks.

NOTE:

The IT Group cannot "fix" the user's account from the backend. Somebody (user) needs to locate all systems that the user has logged into and reset those sessions by logging out or restarting the computer. In some cases, a script or scheduled task will have to be modified by the user to account for the user's new password.

Monday, October 09, 2006

Blackberry Enterprise Activation

Many people it seems are having problems with the Blackberry Enterprise Activation for the handheld. Here is a way to enable this function.


· Problem Description:
This process will enable the handheld to wirelessly synchronize with Outlook. Decreasing the dependance on using the Desktop Manager to communicate between the Blackberry and Outlook


NOTE: A Blackberry must being running OS 4.0 or higher and be on BES 4.0 / 4.1 Server for Enterprise Activation to work.

· Instructions:
The Enterprise Activation can be completed a couple ways. After we are satisfied that the handheld has the proper OS version.

1. Contact RIM to set the Enterprise Activation password.
2. Click the Enterprise Activation icon on the handheld. If the icon is not present, find Enterprise Activation under Options.
3. Enter the your email address and the password.
4. Click the trackwheel and select Activate.
5. The Enterprise Activation progress bar appears and the process completes after several minutes.

Friday, October 06, 2006

BlackBerry Not Getting External Email

Problem Description:

  • User is not receiving external mail and possibly some of the internal.

Troubleshooting Steps/ Resolution:

  1. On the user's desktop open the Desktop Manager icon.
  2. Double click on the icon that says Redirector Settings.
  3. Click on the Filters tab.
  4. Make sure the setting for Forward messages to the handheld is selected.
  • If this is not selected then the user will not see mail from outside of the organization on the handheld.

On installation of the software this is not the default. It has to be changed after the installation has been completed.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Common Problems: User receives NDR (Non Delivery Report)

I noticed that I have not posted anything regarding mail or messaging for a while now. SO.. Here is a common issue that plagues most people.

What is an NDR and why am I getting it….!!!

Overview:
When a user sends an e-mail to an individual, a NDR’s (Non Delivery Report) can sometimes be received. NDR’s occur automatically when the e-mail system cannot locate the intended recipient. This can happen internally and externally. Each scenario requires it’s own resolution.

Symptoms of Problem:
UserA will receive an NDR when sending e-mail to a recipient. This can occur when selecting the recipient from the customers personal Contacts list, when issuing a “reply” to an existing e-mail, when sending e-mail through the internet, or having Outlook put in the email address from the cache.

Issue and Resolution:

Internal recipient:
If the user receives an NDR and it is an internal recipient, the problem is likely the internal recipient has been moved to another server or routing group within the same organization. If this occurs, have the user “forward”, not “reply”, and re-select the recipient from the GAL to send. By selecting the name from the GAL, this will also replace the name in the cache.

If it continues to happen, it is possible the recipients new address has not replicated to the global catalog server that the user is using. If this is the case, the user will have to “forward” and re-select the recipient from the GAL at a later time. A couple hours should be sufficient. (Depending on the size of your organization)

If the user has receive this from a distribution list or contact in his/her Contacts container, then the customer will have to recreate the entry in the distribution list or contact.

External recipient:
If the user receives an NDR and it is to an external address, then it is possible the user has a typo in the recipients “Send” address or the cache is wrong. Have the customer verify with the recipient the correct external address and delete the entry from the Outlook cache.

Cause of Problem:
If the recipient is an internal mailbox, (within the same organization), this generally happens when the recipient’s mailbox has moved.

If the recipient is an external mailbox, (a mailbox in a different organization), this generally happens when the recipient’s mailbox is disabled, deleted, or moved.

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Disappointed and Frustrated

I try not to let these things bother me, but I had a real positive interview last week. I thought that it was a good fit and enjoyed talking with the people. But, today, I got the thanks but we are ”interested in another candidate” email.

After being on several interviews and getting rejected, I am really feeling the strain. It has been a few weeks that my resume has been out there in the world. I have talked to lots of people, been on a handful of in-person interviews…but, it is the same story. You are really strong technically, but we are going with someone else. If I am so strong technically, then it must be my personality! I am sure that this is not the case. I bet it is all about the $$. Let's face it, I am a bit expensive. (or as my grandmother used to say.. Ain't Cheap) I bet that this is what is killing me, the other people are going to underbid me for the job and then not stick around.

Well, I guess that I will take it in stride and keep pressing forward.

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Palm stop working

Palm pilots use configuration software to define “rules” and what folders within the mailbox are tied to the palm pilot for synchronization. Some configuration software defines the rules based upon folder identifier. Others base the rules upon the folder name. You cannot determine the method that the configuration software uses to tie the palm pilot to the folder simply by looking. The folder is always displayed by name to the end user.

When a mailbox is moved to another server, new FIDs, or Folder Identifiers are created for each folder in the mailbox. If the palm pilot configuration software uses these FIDs, it will no longer be able to sync up to that folder.


Resolution:
Have the user delete/re-create the palm pilot rule within the configuration software.

Monday, October 02, 2006

Thanks to all for the Recommendations!

As most of you know, I am currently looking for a new job. I contacted a few people at Corillian to see if they were willing to give me a recommendation. The response was overwhelming. Here is just few snippets of the responses that I received from people:

  • Chris Brooks (CTO): “Steve is a very professional, competent IT professional and he was very effective during his time at Corillian. He would always do whatever it took to keep his customers delighted and has a great work ethic.”
  • Greg Hughes (Former Boss): “Steve worked with me at Corillian, where he was a talented and dedicated network and system administrator. He took charge of the systems for which he was responsible and worked hard to ensure quality of service."
  • Keith Gienty (Former SE): “Steve has extensive experience and knowledge of Exchange and Active Directory. He has strong work ethic and takes passion in his work.”
  • Josh Cyphers (Former Cori): “He truly is the epitome of excellent customer service.”
  • Rob Garrison (SE): “Great technical expertise paired with wonderful people-skills.”

You can read the full versions on my Linked in site. http://www.linkedin.com/in/steveshaff


I wish that you can put testimonials or recommendations on your resume. I guess that I will have to just point people to my linked-in site or put the address under my email address on my resume for people to use. I think that I will try that and see what kind of response I get.



Thank You to all that sent me a recommendation to my Linked-in site.