My life, My work, Its always an Adventure

Ok, this seems almost to become a classic: Outlook 2007 and Exchange 2007. You try to configure your OOF (Out of Office) in Outlook and Outlook just quits it with the error that the Server is not available and you should try it later again. HA. OK this is still unfinished but there are a few tips and hints what you should check:

1. DISABLE YOUR PROXY in IE on Client (and also check on Server) This is the main problem. Check it if it works. If not, then you can go on:

2. Check if the Web Site is running and the Services for IIS is running

3. If you have .NET 1.1 installed on your system (maybe because you have software that needs 1.1 f.e. the download version of Exchange Best Practice Analysers) then you have a def. Problem with your Website incl. the EWS and OOF.

Uninstall the Programm which needs .NET Framework 1.1!
Follow this KB Artikel: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/894435 (The Part after ASP.NET 2.0, 64-bit version):

• Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
• Type the following command to disable the 32-bit mode:
  cscript %SYSTEMDRIVE%\inetpub\adminscripts\adsutil.vbs SET W3SVC/AppPools/Enable32bitAppOnWin64 0
• Type the following command to install the version of ASP.NET 2.0 and to install the script maps at the IIS root and under:
  %SYSTEMROOT%\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v2.0.50727\aspnet_regiis.exe -i
• Make sure that the status of ASP.NET version 2.0.50727 is set to Allowed in the Web service extension list in Internet Information Services Manager

4. recreate the EWS Virtual Directory in Exchange 2007 on the CAS Server. This helped a few times. Just go to the Exchange Shell on the CAS Server and type these commands in (XXXXXXX = the WebSiteName. If you are not sure, then use command get-WebServicesVirtualDirectory):

Remove-WebServicesVirtualDirectory -Identity "EWS (XXXXXXX)" -Confirm:$false
New-WebServicesVirtualDirectory

5. Does your autodiscover work? Can you test Email AutoConfiguration? To test it, open your Outlook 2007 and on the bottom right (next to the watch) press the Ctrl Key and the right mouseclick on the Outlook Symbol. Then goto Email AutoConfiguration. Type in your Email and the Password, take the Guessmart Points away and click on Test. You get the information? Great then go to next step. If not, then you have to investigate why Autodiscover does not work. Here some ideas: PROXY ? wrong certificate? IIS expects Client Certificate?

6. What happens if you run the command in the Exchange Shell:
Test-OutlookWebServices

and you also have some Problems to see the Free/Busy? Then you should check this KB Article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/958934

7. More KB Articles:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;954574
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;970123

8. If you are now here, then you should also check if your config files are ok. Here it goes:
Make a copy of the original \Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\Client Access\Exchweb\ews\web.config file.
Run Notepad.exe
Open \Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\Client Access\Exchweb\ews\web.config
Click Edit, then Replace
On "Find What" type file:///%ExchangeInstallDir%
On "Replace with" type file:///C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\
Click Replace all
Run IISReset /noforce

9. Have you maybe played around with customized HTTP Error Codes? Tztztz. Check for this:
Absolute physical path „C:\inetpub\custerr” is not allowed in system.webServer/httpErrors section in web.config file. Use relative path instead.

f.e. (THIS IS NOT OK )
<httpErrors errorMode="DetailedLocalOnly">
<remove statuscode="500" substatuscode="-1" />
<remove statuscode="403" substatuscode="-1" />
<error statuscode="500" prefixLanguageFilePath="%Systemdrive%\inetpub\custerr" path="500.htm" responseMode="File" />
<error statuscode="403" prefixLanguageFilePath="%Systemdrive%\inetpub\custerr" path="403.htm" responseMode="File" />
</httpErrors>

Make a copy of the web.config and then delete this configuration. Does it work now?

100. (I choosed 100 that I have enough space to update this article ) Do a complete IIS and CAS reinstallation: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320202/en-us under Exchange 2007. Or if you have an SBS 2008 then you have to follow this: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd767439(WS.10).aspx


UPDATE [09/10/20]: A friend just emailed me some links. Some of them descripe the same thing as I do in this blog ... BUT some of them having some pics Maybe you'll like this more

Your Out of Office settings cannot be displayed...what's wrong?:
http://www.pro-exchange.eu/modules.php?$1&name=News&file=article&sid=686

You receive an error message when you try to start the Out of Office Assistant in Outlook 2003:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/823472/en-us

Out of Office - Abwesenheitsassistent (GERMAN):
http://www.msexchangefaq.de/konzepte/oof.htm

You may receive duplicate Out of Office messages in Outlook 2003 after your mailbox is migrated to Exchange Server 2007:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942227/en-us

Legacy client and Out of Office (OOF) interoperability:
http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2007/04/04/437544.aspx