Home > Ask the Microsoft Exchange Experts > Richard Luckett: Spam and Security Questions & Answers > Forcing Outlook to use local vs. domain credentials
Ask The Exchange Expert: Questions & Answers
EMAIL THIS

Forcing Outlook to use local vs. domain credentials

Richard Luckett EXPERT RESPONSE FROM: Richard Luckett

Pose a Question
Other Exchange Categories
Meet all Exchange Experts
Become an Expert for this site


Digg This!    StumbleUpon Toolbar StumbleUpon    Bookmark with Delicious Del.icio.us   


>
QUESTION POSED ON: 28 July 2005
We use Outlook 2003 SP1 on Windows XP SP2. My users log in using cached credentials and then connect to a remote site via VPN.

When connecting over these slow links (dial-up connections) and launching Outlook, my users are prompted for domain credentials. The problem does not occur if users are connected using high-speed connections or if disabledomaincreds is set to value 1 in the registry. Is there another way, other than disabling domaincreds, to force Outlook to use local credentials instead of prompting for domain ones?


>
This is an interesting dilemma you have. I don't have an exact answer for you, so I'm going to give you a suggestion and then provide you with some Knowledge Base articles that I think will help you resolve the issue.

With the work that I do with my clients, I have to log onto a variety of forests/domains, and I use a variety of VPN clients to do so. My experience as been that, unless I configure my Outlook 2003 profiles to prompt me to log on, Outlook will only try to use the credentials I am currently logged on with (local). So it does surprise me that you are having this problem.

You can configure the User Authentication option "Always prompt for user logon name and password" in the Security tab of the Microsoft Exchange Server properties in your Outlook 2003 profiles. Now, where my scenario differs from yours is that I do not cache domain credentials, and I only log on with a local account.

What you did not mention is if your Outlook 2003 clients were configured to run in cache mode. Cache mode has a profound affect on how Outlook 2003 behaves. It was specifically designed for the type of situation you have, and if you do not have it enabled, it would be worth checking it out, as that could be a contributor to this problem. However, I'm going to assume that you do have it enabled, as that is the default setting in Outlook 2003.

Another issue that might be causing logon problems is Outlook 2003's dependence on RPC communications. RPC communications, in general, do not perform well over low bandwidth connections like dial-up. Outlook 2003 cache mode should resolve a number of these issues. To troubleshoot RPC issues use the Microsoft Knowledge Base article How to troubleshoot connectivity issues that are caused by RPC client protocol registry entries.

A couple of bugs that might be related to your problem are:

BUG: A user can logon to both the Messaging Database and the Address Book with different credentials in Outlook 2003

And

You are prompted for your logon credentials when you try to view e-mail messages in Outlook 2003


Do you have comments on this Ask the Expert Q&A? Let us know.
Related information from SearchExchange.com:

  • Step-by-Step Guide: How to set up a VPN
  • Reference Center: Outlook



  • Digg This!    StumbleUpon Toolbar StumbleUpon    Bookmark with Delicious Del.icio.us   



    RELATED CONTENT
    Richard Luckett: Spam and Security
    How effective is tracking the IP address of an email hacker?
    Why can't I grant users permissions to an Exchange public folder?
    How can I configure Exchange IMF to allow an IP address or DNS?
    Tool helps identify inbound Exchange Server email flow issues
    Configure SMTP relay restrictions in Exchange Server 2003 to stop spam
    How to lock down an SMTP relay to prevent spam in Exchange Server 2003
    Connecting an Apple iPhone to Exchange Server on Windows SBS 2003
    Why does a security alert pop up when accessing Outlook Web Access?
    Exchange email sent to a domain using SPF authentication is returned
    Selectively set email permissions for Exchange groups

    Microsoft Outlook
    Outlook 2007 shut-down problems and fixes
    Microsoft Outlook and SharePoint calendar dos and don'ts
    Free tools facilitate large-scale Outlook and SharePoint integrations
    Exchange Mailbag: POP3 settings and Outlook issues
    Pros and cons of Outlook 2007's storage engine redesign
    Fix Outlook 2007 and SharePoint synchronization breaks
    Email issues after configuring hosted Exchange server on laptop
    Avoid Outlook 2007 performance issues during repairs
    A behind-the-scenes look at Outlook 2007 and SharePoint integration
    When to use a self-signed certificate with Exchange Server 2007
    Microsoft Outlook Research

    Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
    VPN setup requirements for Microsoft Exchange Server
    Locking down Exchange Server: Securing the client
    Locking down Exchange Server: Planning for Exchange 12
    Sober strike set for January
    How to set up a VPN for Windows XP Professional
    Step-by-Step Guide: How to set up a VPN
    Firewall recommendations and VPN support
    Outlook Web Access through a firewall
    Protect Exchange from your remote users
    Strange behavior? Check the MTU

    RELATED GLOSSARY TERMS
    Terms from Whatis.com − the technology online dictionary
    bacn  (SearchExchange.com)
    email bankruptcy  (SearchExchange.com)
    offline folder file  (SearchExchange.com)
    OST file  (SearchExchange.com)

    RELATED RESOURCES
    2020software.com, trial software downloads for accounting software, ERP software, CRM software and business software systems
    Search Bitpipe.com for the latest white papers and business webcasts
    Whatis.com, the online computer dictionary



    Search and Browse the Expert Answer Center
    Search and browse more than 25,000 question and answer pairs from more than 250 TechTarget industry experts.
    Browse our Expert Advice



    Outlook Web Access (OWA) Tips and Advice
    HomeNewsTopicsITKnowledge ExchangeTipsAsk the ExpertsMultimediaWhite PapersIT Downloads
    About Us  |  Contact Us  |  For Advertisers  |  For Business Partners  |  Site Index  |  RSS
    SEARCH 
    TechTarget provides technology professionals with the information they need to perform their jobs - from developing strategy, to making cost-effective purchase decisions and managing their organizations' technology projects - with its network of technology-specific websites, events and online magazines.

    TechTarget Corporate Web Site  |  Media Kits  |  Site Map




    All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2004 - 2009, TechTarget | Read our Privacy Policy
      TechTarget - The IT Media ROI Experts