Sounds like an old horse... Windows 2k3 R2 sp2 server, trying to run setup /preparead fails every time with: E:\>setup /PrepareAD Welcome to Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Unattended Setup Preparing Exchange Setup No server roles will be installed Performing Microsoft Exchange Server Prerequisite Check Organization Checks ......................... COMPLETED Configuring Microsoft Exchange Server Organization Preparation ......................... FAILED The well-known object entry B:32:A7D2016C83F003458132789EEB127B84:CN=Exchange Servers\0ADEL:6f38095c-616f-47b4-b6f9-98eea4b0b890,CN=Deleted Objects,DC=city,DC=alamosa,DC=local of the otherWellKnownObjects attribute on container objectCN=Configuration,DC=city,DC=alamosa,DC=local points to an invalid DN or a deleted object. Please remove the entry and rerun the task. The Exchange Server setup operation did not complete. Visit http://support.microsoft.com and enter the Error ID to find more information. Exchange Server setup encountered an error. E:\> No other running exchange servers (don't know if they tried in the past) Please help! hit the wall! ~desperate

Hi, I am facing same problem. I think that you should to delete all the entries related the previous exchange server, which is not avaialable in the AD. I am tying that by using the ldp.exe, but till now i couldn't find it. so try it. If you solved your problem, and you have any hint that can help.let me know. Good luck. Lameh

I did solve it.... Paid Microsoft to tell me what was in the forums..... " was able to eliminate the setup /preparead problem by opening adsiedit, expanding configuration, right clicking on CN=configuration,DC=(domain),DC=com and clicking properties. I then selected the otherWellKnownObjects atribute, clicked edit, just clicked the add button (essentially adding nothing) and clicking ok." This quote was ALMOST bang on... where I got lost was the way I was opening ADSIEDIT, I was using it as a snapin and that was editing local not domain level. So... Get out your win2k3 cd, install ADSIEDIT from the tools folder, then run ASDIEDIT.MSC on your exchange server. Follow the above instructions and DING.. you're set.