Multiple MAPI public folder trees detected

[This topic is intended to address a specific issue called out by the Exchange Server Analyzer Tool. You should apply it only to systems that have had the Exchange Server Analyzer Tool run against them and are experiencing that specific issue. The Exchange Server Analyzer Tool, available as a free download, remotely collects configuration data from each server in the topology and automatically analyzes the data. The resulting report details important configuration issues, potential problems, and nondefault product settings. By following these recommendations, you can achieve better performance, scalability, reliability, and uptime. For more information about the tool or to download the latest versions, see "Microsoft Exchange Analyzers" at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=34707.]  

Topic Last Modified: 2010-04-01

The Microsoft Exchange Best Practices Analyzer examines the Exchange organization to determine whether more than one MAPI public folder hierarchies (trees) exist. If the Best Practices Analyzer detects that more than one public folder tree exists and that more than one public folder tree has its msExchPFTreetype attribute set to 1, the tool generates the following error message:

There is more than one MAPI public folder tree in administrative group '<AdministrativeGroupName>'. This may cause access denied errors when accessing public folders.

This message indicates that a problem may exist with the administrative group. If more than one MAPI public folder tree exists in the administrative group, you may experience client access issues with public folders.

A value of 1 for the msExchPFTreeType attribute indicates that a particular public folder tree is the designated public folder hierarchy for MAPI clients. If multiple public folder hierarchies are configured in Exchange, client access to public folders is denied.

To address this issue, use the Active Directory Services Interface (ADSI) Edit tool (Adsiedit.msc) to un-set the msExchPFTreeType attribute for all public folder trees except for the MAPI public folder tree.

Note

By default, the original MAPI public folder tree is named Public Folders.

To modify the msExchPFTreeType attribute

  1. Start the ADSI Edit tool. To do this, click Start, click Run, type adsiedit.msc, and then click OK.

    Note

    In Windows Server 2008, ADSI Edit is installed by default. In Windows Server 2003, ADSI Edit is included with the Windows Support Tools. To install the Windows Support Tools, double-click Suptools.msi in the Support\Tools folder on the Windows Server 2003 CD.

  2. Connect to a domain controller if ADSI Edit is not already connected.

  3. Expand the following path:

    • Configuration [<domainController>.contoso.com]

    • CN=Configuration,DC=contoso,DC=com

    • CN=Services

    • CN=Microsoft Exchange

    • CN=<OrganizationName>

    • CN=Administrative Groups

    • CN=<AdministrativeGroupName>

    • CN=Folder Hierarchies

  4. In the details pane, right-click CN=<PublicFoldersTree>, and then click Properties.

    Important

    Select a CN=<PublicFoldersTree> entry that has a Class value of msExchPFTree. However, do not select the original MAPI public folder tree (CN=Public Folders).

  5. On the Attribute Editor tab, click msExchPFTreeType, and then click Edit.

  6. Click Clear, and then click OK two times.

  7. Modify any other public folder trees as appropriate, and then exit the ADSI Edit tool.

  8. Restart the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service.

After you set the value for the msExchPFTreeType attribute of the MAPI public folder hierarchy, you may have to configure the mailbox stores on your Exchange 2003 servers to point to the MAPI public folder hierarchy as the default public folder store.

To set the default public folder store in Exchange 2003

  1. Start the Exchange System Manager tool.

  2. Expand Administrative Groups, expand your administrative group, expand Servers, expand your server, and then expand the storage group that contains the appropriate mailbox store.

  3. Right-click the mailbox store that you want to configure, and then click Properties.

  4. On the General tab, click Browse next to Default public store.

  5. In the Public stores list, click the appropriate public folder hierarchy (tree), and then click OK two times.

  6. Follow steps 3 through 5 to configure the appropriate public folder tree for each mailbox store.

  7. Exit Exchange System Manager.

For More Information

For more information about public folder hierarchies, see the following resources: