Exchange Email Password Issue.

[Kitten Kong]

Hi everyone, I have to admit, I know Jack Sh!t, about exchange, and could do with some help here please.

A client of mine, has a email password issue. Apparently they have had this issue, for the past 3 months.

Anyhow, I have a server address of 10.0.11
User name of xxx
Password of xxxx

I have 'located' the password, using asterisk pw viewer, and have attempted to input this into the network password box. However it is coming up as incorrect password. ( I found the password in the tools, email accounts).

Client is adamant that they have not changed the password. They do NOT have a log of user names and passwords. Their usual IT tech has all of these!. And keeps them off site!. Client has attempted to contact their usual tech, but have received no answer to emails, or calls.

All other email accounts on each other machine is fully working, it is only this one, which is not.

Could anyone please pass over some words of wisdom, as to how I can get this working for them.

They are looking to get out of their support contract with the usual guy, and are looking to me, to become their new support company.

Many thanks for any help. I am a complete newb when it comes to exchange i'm afraid.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Is this Hosted Exchange (offsite?) Or is this local on the network? If it's local on the network...should be easy, ensure that their profile can log into the network...assuming the workstation is a "Pro" version of Windows...this should be black and white clear. If it's a butchered job with "Home" version of Windows...well, welcome to one of the many quirks and issues you can run into with a half bred improper setup that the prior IT people did.

Also a quicker way to test different passwords....use Outlook Web Access.

 

[Kitten Kong]

It's local on the network. Pc is running XP Pro sp3.

As far as I know, they can log into the network. However in windows network, there are 3 groups. Company, mshome, and workgroup.

mshome, shows 1 machine. C6. Attempting to connect to this machine, causes a user / password box. Both are blank. Using clients 'email login' allows me access to the machine.
workgroup - 1 machine C1. Same as C6.

Under the company (presuming domain), it has C2, C3, C8, and a n other name. Again using the email credentials, I can access, all but other another name.

 

[Peter@ifix]

Nige,

Try creating a new email profile, then launch outlook & create a new email account. Select manually configure server settings & then choose Microsoft Exchange as the service, on the next page, if it's correctly configured on the domain it should auto populate the server and user name. You shouldn't need to input the password.

Peter

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Sounds like the XP workstations are not setup to log into the domain. Any that are in separate workgroups...are simply logging in under workgroup (local user) mode, and not logging into the domain. Note..when you boot up a computer and get to the ctrl+alt+del screen...hit options and look at that 3rd line..it toggles between the Domain name....or the local computers host name.

Outlook with a local Exchange server relies on the user account authenticating with active directory...typically done during the login process assuming the workstation is a client on the domain and setup properly...logging into the domain.

Having local user accounts and logging in under workgroup mode does not satisfy active directory. And it doesn't give you any idea of if the user/password is correct for that users account in ADUC either. You mention you have their password....from some viewer tool...but I bet it's a local user password..and not the domain account password. So you're stuck with just a guessing game...and you'll spin your wheels for hours upon hours until it's time for dinner and you want to head home. A waste of your time, and this clients money.

Can you go to a workstation that is correctly setup on the domain...and log into the domain (not locally) using the username/password that you "think" you have? This will be an indicator of if you have the correct password or not.

 

[Kitten Kong]

Thanks Peter, I'm working on creating a new profile for this user.

Will report back if it works or not.

 

[Kitten Kong]

Sounds like the XP workstations are not setup to log into the domain. Any that are in separate workgroups...are simply logging in under workgroup (local user) mode, and not logging into the domain. Note..when you boot up a computer and get to the ctrl+alt+del screen...hit options and look at that 3rd line..it toggles between the Domain name....or the local computers host name.

I'm currently remoted into this machine, so can not verify the ctrl+alt process

Can you go to a workstation that is correctly setup on the domain...and log into the domain (not locally) using the username/password that you "think" you have? This will be an indicator of if you have the correct password or not.

Client is currently on lunch. However when he returns, I will get him to close this connection, and allow me access to another machine on the domain, and try logging in.

 

[Kitten Kong]

The new profile has worked.. to a degree. In as much, as send / receive show 0 errors. RSS feeds have all failed.

 

[Kitten Kong]

New profile has worked.

The RSS feeds, were not required, so they have all been removed.

Backed up all clients original profile, and imported it into the new one.

Tested emails, both incoming and outgoing working perfectly.

Client now wants me to call round this week, give a full report of all the machines. As mentioned they do not have any user login details what so ever. They have now cut ties with their original IT guy (from around 15 mins ago), and will now be contacting me. Their old guy, does a disappearing act, for months at a time, then comes in when he feels like it. They are not under a maint contract with the other guy, but will be seriously looking into what I come up with.

Huge thanks to stoney, and peter. +rep will be on its way to you very shortly

 

[Kitten Kong]

Follow on from this error.

Hi everyone.

Following the problem above, I have just received a call off my client.

Internal emails, are sending and receiving fine.

External emails: They appear to of been sent, ie, show in the sent box. It is received internally, but when I added my address to the email, it has not been received by me. Also, any external email, is not being received by the client.

This is happening on at least 2 of the clients machines.

I just don't know where to even start looking on this one.

If anyone could please assist I would be eternally grateful.

Cheers

 

[PBComputer]

Is if the ip address is being blacklist for any spam which might of being set. Does the eu get an error message?

Paul

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Any outbound queues building up? I'm assuming the server is setup to spit outbound outside e-mails to an outbound SMTP service. So I'd start there.

 

[Kitten Kong]

Thanks guys. I'm going onsite there tomorrow morning. Will have a far better idea of the setup, and whats happening.

Will report back

 

[nlinecomputers]

I'd check and confirm that port 25 is open. Many ISPs block it, even on business accounts. And lots of businesses don't use proper business internet connections so the ports get blocked.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Thanks guys. I'm going onsite there tomorrow morning. Will have a far better idea of the setup, and whats happening.

Will report back

No remote access? Monday morning...a business with no outbound e-mail functionality..I'd think trying to get on it asap would be key!

 

[Kitten Kong]

No remote access? Monday morning...a business with no outbound e-mail functionality..I'd think trying to get on it asap would be key!

The only person who has access to the server is currently approx 30,000ft in the sky!. Client does not have any user / password details to hand. By then, he will be on the ground, and contactable for the details.

Client requested I go in tomorrow morning, which is what I'm going to do.

I hate their previous tech. For want of a better term, for leaving them with no user details to anything. Defies belief!

 

[Kitten Kong]

Well, some good news and bad news on the 'end of this saga'.

Eventually received access to the server. Client was not using exchange, but a program called vpop3. :/

Contacted tech support of Vpop3, they went through all the settings etc, then noticed that the smtp domain, does not exist.

Following some more checks, it was noticed that the domain had lapsed on the 16th July. Client did not know it had lapsed. Emails down, but the site is currently still live. Possibly because of below.

(For some unknown weird reason, known only to the previous tech..), he had 2 domains configured.

Lets call one, ABC, and the other ABCGroup.

I noticed that some of the emails were going to ABC, and some going to ABCGroup. ABC was working, whilst ABCGroup (their main one) was not.

ABC's domain was renewed earlier in the year. ABCGroup's was not. This is the one which had lapsed.

Stoney was correct (thanks buddy), in relation to outbound queue, which helped pinpoint the issue. ( I wouldn't of known where to look..).

Client has contacted the domain peeps, and is in the process of renewing ABCGroup's domain. Once that has been sorted, then the emails should come back again.

In the meantime, checking their server, I notice it has a 2.4 Xeon, 250Gb (Not raided) hard drive, and 2Gb of ram. No backups completed!!.

So I have configured them for online backup, which is currently running, and next week, will be going in once again to complete my audit of the machines in the office, and start bringing them all up to date.

Chances are, this will cost them a small fortune, as they have 7 workstations (5 of which are on XP, the other 2 win 7), and the server. They want a maint contract with myself, but I have told them, I would only do that, once everything is up and running properly, with decent machines, all running w7, which they have agreed to.

Also a huge thanks to Peter @ Ifix, for his help in walking me through some ideas on the phone. Without your help Pete, I would still be struggling. Thanks buddy, I appreciate the assistance. Hopefully, I will be able to do the same for you one day