Troubleshooting OWA problems

Outlook Web Access is highly dependent on Internet Information Server. An improperly configured IIS server can cause OWA to malfunction for some or all of your remote users. In this article, I explain which symptoms point to potential IIS configuration issues and how to resolve them.

The symptoms

Obviously, not every OWA problem is going to be IIS-related. So the first step in the OWA troubleshooting process is to recognize the symptoms that frequently point to an IIS-related issue.

IIS is almost always to blame if users are unable to change passwords through OWA (either when they log in or from the options page after login). IIS is also typically to blame if users cannot access the OWA login screen. Of course, failure to access the login screen can also be caused by a malfunctioning Internet connection or an incorrectly typed URL. Finally, if users attempt to access OWA and receive a VBScript Runtime Error, a Directory Listing Denied error, or an HTTP 500 Internal Server Error, then IIS is almost always at the root of the problem.

Verify that the default Web site is properly configured

The first step in finding a resolution is verifying that the OWA server's default Web site is configured correctly:

Configure the Exchange virtual folder

If the Default Web site seems to be configured properly, then your next step in troubleshooting OWA is making sure the Exchange virtual folder is set up properly:

Troubleshoot password change problems

If you have followed the steps that I have outlined so far, then your users should be able to access the OWA login screen. It is still possible that users may not be able to change passwords through OWA though. The number one cause of this problem is a missing I

Digg This!     StumbleUpon     Del.icio.us

RELATED CONTENT Outlook and Outlook Web Access Tips Control Outlook 2007 in cached mode settings with group policies Performing advanced search queries in Microsoft Outlook 2007 Group policy settings for Outlook 2007 in cached mode Detecting update rollup and patch failures in OWA How Windows Desktop Search works in Microsoft Outlook 2007 Troubleshoot IIS metabase corruption in Outlook Web Access How a bare-metal restore affects Microsoft Outlook 2007 performance Fix 'Service unavailable' errors and other common OWA login problems Understand data file storage in Outlook 2007 Roaming and Local folders Troubleshooting Microsoft Outlook Web Access logon issues Outlook Web Access Detecting update rollup and patch failures in OWA Troubleshoot IIS metabase corruption in Outlook Web Access Fix 'Service unavailable' errors and other common OWA login problems Troubleshooting Microsoft Outlook Web Access logon issues Tools to report on Outlook Mobile Access usage Outlook Web Access issues after an Exchange 2003 migration Top 5 Outlook Web Access (OWA) tips of 2008 Troubleshooting Outlook Web Access issues on a 64-bit system Restrict access to Outlook Web Access via Exchange System Manager Manage user rights and access to Outlook Web Access (OWA) mailboxes

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

isadmpwd folder. IIS 5.0 and 6.0 do not create this folder by default. It's up to the administrator to manually create the folder:

Check your security policy

The final portion of the OWA troubleshooting procedure involves making sure that your security policy does not prohibit password changes:

About the author: Brien M. Posey, MCSE, is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for his work with Windows 2000 Server and IIS. Brien has served as CIO for a nationwide chain of hospitals and was once in charge of IT security for Fort Knox. As a freelance technical writer he has written for Microsoft, CNET, ZDNet, TechTarget, MSD2D, Relevant Technologies and other technology companies. You can visit Brien's personal Web site at http://www.brienposey.com.

What must I do if I receive the following error: "HTTP/1.1 507 Insufficient Space to Store Resource"?
—Andrej L.

******************************************

I don't know a lot about this, but I can tell you that it is an IIS error, not an Exchange error. The error is related to the DAV module not having sufficient space within a storage allocation. The most common cause is that a quota has been set.
—Brien Posey, tip author

Related information from SearchExchange.com:

Please let others know how useful this tip is via the rating scale below. Do you have a useful Exchange or Outlook tip, timesaver or workaround to share? Submit it to SearchExchange.com. If we publish it, we'll send you a nifty thank-you gift.

Rate this Tip To rate tips, you must be a member of SearchExchange.com. Register now to start rating these tips. Log in if you are already a member. Submit a Tip DISCLAIMER: Our Tips Exchange is a forum for you to share technical advice and expertise with your peers and to learn from other enterprise IT professionals. TechTarget provides the infrastructure to facilitate this sharing of information. However, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or validity of the material submitted. You agree that your use of the Ask The Expert services and your reliance on any questions, answers, information or other materials received through this Web site is at your own risk.