XADM: Client Hangs or Prompts for Domain Credentials

• Microsoft Exchange Server, version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to start the Microsoft Exchange client, the client may temporarily stop responding or you may be prompted multiple times for domain credentials. These credentials are for the domain where the Microsoft Exchange site that owns the Organization Forms folder is located (for example, let's call it Site B). The domain credentials dialog box also appears when you attempt to open a read receipt, delivery receipt, or non- delivery report (NDR). (For a more complete description of the symptoms, see the More Information section below.)

CAUSE

This behavior is by design. When the client logs on to Site A, there is an attempt to locate a forms library and to bind to it if it exists within the Microsoft Exchange Organization. If the only instance of the Forms Library exists in Site B and affinity is set, the Microsoft Exchange client attempts to connect to a server (containing the Forms Library) in Site B.

NOTE: If no Organization Forms folder instances are available in the Site, but there is at least one Site available with instances, the affinity to the Sites is used to rank the order in which connections to the Sites will be attempted. The affinity is set on the site Public Folder Affinity page. Clients must have RPC connectivity to the servers in the affinity sites. Otherwise, the clients will not be able to access the Public Folders in the other sites, even though the affinity has been correctly set, thus causing possible client slowdown.

WORKAROUND

Do one of the following:

• Remove the affinity to the site that owns the Organization Forms folder (Site B).

• Create a local site instance of the Organization Forms folder by replicating the folder from Site B to Site A.

MORE INFORMATION

You will be prompted for domain credentials when all of the following conditions are met:

• An Organization Forms Folder has been created.
• A Public Folder Affinity has been established between the sites.
• No local instance of the Organization Forms folder exists.

• Microsoft Exchange clients in Site A are slow when attempting to open a read receipt, delivery receipt, or non-delivery report but Microsoft Exchange clients in Site B open them at normal speed.
• When affinity is set to Site B, but the Microsoft Exchange client in Site A has no physical LAN connection to servers in Site B, Microsoft Exchange clients in Site A and Site B are slow when attempting to open a read receipt, delivery receipt, or non-delivery report.
• When the server containing the only instance of the Organization Forms folder is not available. Microsoft Exchange clients in Site A are prompted for Domain credentials but Microsoft Exchange clients in Site B are not prompted.
• When a trust does not exist between Site A Windows NT Domain and Site B Windows NT Domain, the following symptom occurs. When a Site A client attempts to access the Organization Forms folder on a server in Site B, it is prompted for domain credentials for a valid Windows NT account in Site B.

REFERENCE

For more information, refer to the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q152958
   TITLE    : Organizational Forms Unavailable to Other Servers in Site

   ARTICLE-ID: Q154941
   TITLE     : How to Determine Which Public Folder Replica is Used