Topic Last Modified: 2007-10-17

When you try to access Microsoft Office Outlook Web Access in Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, you receive the following error message in the Web browser:

Outlook Web Access did not initialize. An event has been logged so that the system administrator can resolve the issue. Please contact technical support for your organization. Failed to access the Active Directory configuration settings for virtual directory <virtual directory name> under web site <web site name>.

When you click Show Details, you see the following information:

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Request Url: https://localhost:443/owa/auth/error.aspx?url=https://localhost/owa/&reason=0 
User host address: 127.0.0.1 
Exception 
Exception type: Microsoft.Exchange.Clients.Owa.Core.OwaInvalidConfigurationException 
Exception message: Failed to access the Active Directory configuration settings for virtual directory "owa" under web site "My Default Web Site". 
Call stack 
Microsoft.Exchange.Clients.Owa.Core.OwaConfigurationManager.CreateAndLoadConfigurationManager() 
Microsoft.Exchange.Clients.Owa.Core.Globals.InitializeApplication() 
Microsoft.Exchange.Clients.Owa.Core.Global.ExecuteApplicationStart(Object sender, EventArgs e) 
Inner Exception 
Exception type: Microsoft.Exchange.Clients.Owa.Core.OwaInvalidConfigurationException 
Exception message: Failed to access the Active Directory configuration settings for virtual directory "owa" under web site "My Default Web Site". 
Call stack Microsoft.Exchange.Clients.Owa.Core.Configuration..ctor(ADSystemConfigurationSession session, String virtualDirectory, String webSiteName, ADObjectId distinguishedName, Boolean isPhoneticSupportEnabled) 
Microsoft.Exchange.Clients.Owa.Core.OwaConfigurationManager.LoadConfiguration() 
Microsoft.Exchange.Clients.Owa.Core.OwaConfigurationManager.CreateAndLoadConfigurationManager()

Additionally, the following event is logged in the Application log on the Exchange 2007 server that has the Client Access server role installed:

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Event id: 64
Event Source: MSExchange OWA
Description: Failed to read and update the Outlook Web Access configuration settings. Virtual directory: "Virtual_Directory_Name". Web site: "Web_Site_Name". Error message: "Error_Message"

Cause

Event ID 64 is logged when Outlook Web Access does not read and update configuration settings from the Active Directory directory service for the following:

  • The Outlook Web Access virtual directory

  • The Internet Information Services (IIS) Web site that is specified in the event description

Before You Begin

To perform the following procedures, the account you use must be delegated the Exchange Server Administrator role and membership in the local Administrators group for the target server.

For more information about permissions, delegating roles, and the rights that are required to administer Exchange 2007, see Permission Considerations.

Resolution

To resolve this error, follow one of these steps:

  • Rename the Web site back to its original name.

  • Restore Internet Information Services (IIS) metabase configuration settings from backup.

Note:
For more information about how to back up and restore the IIS metabase, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 324277, How to Create a Metabase Backup by Using IIS 6.0 in Windows Server 2003.

If the Web site must use a new name, follow these steps:

  1. Remove all the Outlook Web Access virtual directories before renaming the site.

  2. Re-create all previously deleted Outlook Web Access virtual directories under the newly renamed Web site.

Note:
For more information about how to remove and replace an Outlook Web Access virtual directory, see New-OwaVirtualDirectory and Remove-OwaVirtualDirectory.

For More Information

For more information about Event ID 64, see the event description.