XCLN: Send to Alias Name Cannot Be Resolved

• Microsoft Exchange Server versions 5.0, 5.5

SYMPTOMS

When running applications that use Simple MAPI, such as Microsoft Office or Microsoft Outlook, you may encounter a problem with resolving an alias name when sending e-mail if that alias name has a leading space. Either you cannot resolve the name, or the following error message, or similar error message, may appear:

   Unable to resolve "group"

CAUSE

Simple MAPI cannot resolve names that begin with a space. However, Exchange Server uses Extended MAPI, which allows leading spaces. Therefore, Exchange Administrators can create names with leading spaces, but Simple MAPI applications cannot use them.

WORKAROUND

In Microsoft Exchange Server, change the alias name of the distribution list, so that the alias no longer contains a leading space.

MORE INFORMATION

In Exchange Server, a distribution list has two names: the alias name and the display name. Exchange Server uses the display name for sorting the distribution lists in the address book, and with a leading space they sort to the beginning of the list. Changing only the alias name so that it does not have a leading space allows Exchange Server to resolve the name, because Exchange uses both the display and alias names to resolve the entry.