Fail PrepareAD Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
Hello All, We originally had exchange 2000 installed on Server 1, and did a coexistence upgrade to 2007 on Server 2. Due to problems with the initial implementation of exchange 2007, we then downgraded to a coexistence Ex2003 on Server 1 and uninstalled 2007. A new server specifically for exchange 2007 has been added as Server 3. This is a fresh install of Server 2003 R2 with all available updates, and all preqreqs for Exchange 2007 SP1have been met. During the setup of 2007 SP1, the organizational prereqs fail. This happens at the /prepareAD even though we previously had exchange 2007 installed in this forest. The exchangesetupwatson.log reveals [6/30/2008 10:54:49 AM] [2] Group CN=Exchange Servers,OU=Microsoft Exchange Security Groups,DC=mydomain,DC=com already exists.[6/30/2008 10:54:49 AM] [2] Used domain controller TR-SRV1.mydomain to read object CN=Exchange Organization Administrators,OU=Microsoft Exchange Security Groups,DC=mydomain,DC=com[6/30/2008 10:54:49 AM] [2] Used domain controller TR-SRV1.mydomain.com to read object CN=Exchange Organization Administrators,OU=Microsoft Exchange Security Groups,DC=mydomain,DC=com[6/30/2008 10:54:49 AM] [2] [WARNING] An unexpected error has occurred and a Watson dump is being generated: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.[6/30/2008 10:54:49 AM] [2] [ERROR] Object reference not set to an instance of an object.[6/30/2008 10:54:49 AM] [1] Exception : System.Management.Automation.CmdletInvocationException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. ---> System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.Tasks.InitializeExchangeUniversalGroups.CreateGroup(ADOrganizationalUnit usgContainer, String groupName, Guid wkGuid, String groupDescription) at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.Tasks.InitializeExchangeUniversalGroups.InternalProcessRecord() at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.ProcessRecord() at System.Management.Automation.Cmdlet.DoProcessRecord() at System.Management.Automation.CommandProcessor.ProcessRecord() --- End of inner exception stack trace --- at System.Management.Automation.Internal.PipelineProcessor.SynchronousExecuteEnumerate(Object input, Hashtable errorResults, Boolean enumerate) at System.Management.Automation.Parser.PipelineNode.Execute(Array input, Pipe outputPipe, ArrayList& resultList) at System.Management.Automation.Parser.StatementListNode.Execute(Array input, Pipe outputPipe, ArrayList& resultList)[6/30/2008 10:54:49 AM] [1] [WARNING] An unexpected error has occurred and a Watson dump is being generated: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.[6/30/2008 10:54:49 AM] [1] [ERROR] Object reference not set to an instance of an object.[6/30/2008 10:54:49 AM] [1] [ERROR] Object reference not set to an instance of an object. I also get EVENT ID 2152 MSExchangeADAccess and 4999 MSExchangeCommon with no descriptions other than M.E.Management, M.E.M.T.InitializeExchangeUniversalGroups.CreateGroup, System.NullReferenceException, c4f6, 08.00.0685.024. for 4999. I can only assume during the uninstall of exchange 2007 during the original implementation it left null pointer references in AD. It looks like an old universal group exists but is pointing to nothing considering the old exchange install doesn't exist either. Where can i alter/delete/fix this ?
June 30th, 2008 7:20pm

Adding information for anyone else who experiences this error. It seems this problem has existed since the original production of exchange 2007 beta and has not been resolved in future releases. This KB article references the specific .net error that shows up as object reference not set but did not solve the issue for me. BUG: An "Object reference not set to an instance of an object" error occurs when you try to access data by using ADO Interop on an ASP.NET page http://support.microsoft.com/kb/810098 During PrepareAD: EventID 2152 MSExchangeADAccess Category Devices The description for Event ID ( 2152 ) in Source ( MSExchange ADAccess ) cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display messages from a remote computer. You may be able to use the /AUXSOURCE= flag to retrieve this description; see Help and Support for details. The following information is part of the event: ExSetup.exe, 3476, 1753, Error 6d9 from HrGetServersForRole. I found a random post about a corrupt administrator's profile. You can try deleting your administrator profile by: 1). Logon the Exchange server by using another admin account.2). Open Control Panel, select System.3). Select Advanced tab and click the Settings button of User Profile.4). Delete the Profile of user which encounters this issue.5). Click OK.6). Restart the server and logon it by using Administrator account. Microsoft also references this specifically as a network binding error: This error may occur due network adapter binding error issue or/anddisable File and Print Sharing on the network adapter. I have the most recent network drivers available. I disabled file and print sharing and checked the bindings. No problems. Neither of these worked for me. Followed by: EventID 4999 MSExchangeCommon Category Devices The description for Event ID ( 4999 ) in Source ( MSExchange Common ) cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display messages from a remote computer. You may be able to use the /AUXSOURCE= flag to retrieve this description; see Help and Support for details. The following information is part of the event: 3476, E12, RTL-AMD64, 08.00.0685.020, ExSetup, M.E.Management, M.E.M.T.InitializeExchangeUniversalGroups.CreateGroup, System.NullReferenceException, c4f6, 08.00.0685.024. Still working on it. I'll keep everyone updated so hopefully no one else has to go through this again.
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July 2nd, 2008 1:42am

Hi, 1. Please use ADSIedit.exe to remove the Remove the MicrosoftExchange Security Groups from the ActiveDirectorydirectory service Note: The ADSIEdit.exe tool is an MMC snap-in that you can use to edit objects in the Active Directory database. For more information about ADSIEdit.exe, in Help and Support Center for Windows Server2003, click Tools, and then click Install Windows Support Tools 2. Please uninstall and then reinstalled .net framework 2.0 x64 on the server. Microsoft .NET Framework Version 2.0 Redistributable Package (x64) http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=B44A0000-ACF8-4FA1-AFFB-40E78D788B00&displaylang=en Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Service Pack 1 (x64) http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=029196ED-04EB-471E-8A99-3C61D19A4C5A&displaylang=en After that, please Installed KB926776 http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;926776 Note: Please do a full backup before you do any change of AD. Active Directory Backup and Restore http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727048.aspx Besides, Id like to share the below article: How to Completely Remove Exchange 2007 from a Server http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb123893.aspx How to Remove an Exchange 2007 Organization http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa998313(EXCHG.80).aspx Hope it helps. Xiu
July 2nd, 2008 6:00am

Your articlestates that: Completely removing Exchange2007 from your organization includes removing Exchangefrom all servers in the organization. You want me to remove the microsoft exchange system objects container while exchange 2003 is still running in an organization? Does that container hold ONLY exchange 2007 information? If i use the advanced view under AD Users I see Exchange install domain servers group, and the systemMailbox(disabled) user. Will this also destroy my system mailbox? I had gone through how to completely remove exchange 2007 from an organization KB previously when I had uninstalled exchange 2007 the first time. The setup completed successfully on the uninstall, and I also at the time deleted the exchange 2007 routing group from exchange 2003. This was a fresh new complete server install. I will try removing and reinstalling .net 2.0. I have 1.1 2.0 3.0 3.5 and all applicable service packs installed already. Should I change any/all of those?
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July 2nd, 2008 6:55am

I figured that out just now actually and deleted that just before reading your last post. I now get a more familiar Organization Preparation ......................... FAILED The well-known object entry B:32:A7D2016C83F003458132789EEB127B84:CN=Exchange Servers\0ADEL:03179d8c-2555-43f1-8c3b-8952ccca4507,CN=Deleted Objects,DC=mydomain,DC=com of the otherWellKnownObjects attribute on container object CN=Configuration,DC=mydomain,DC=com points to an invalid DN or a deletedobject. 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. Going into ADSIEDIT, right clicking on CN=Configuration, DC=mydomain,DC=COM and selecting properties... finding the "otherWellKnownObjects" Attribute DN BINARY is clean and has a value of <Not Set>. The "wellKnownObjects" Attribute DN BINARY has a value of ; When I try to blank the data it says the server is unwilling to process the request. I cannot find the deletedobjects container. Will AD Purge this container soon after replication? My above problem is referenced in an older post http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=775135&SiteID=17 however my otherwellknownobjects attribute is already not set.
July 2nd, 2008 7:25am

Okay, For everyone in the future, the solution to this problem is rather quite simple for the headache it caused. The Microsoft Exchange Security Groups object container needs to be deleted from the advanced view of AD Users and Computers or ADSIEDIT. Then the otherWellKnownObjects error happens. Navigate in ADSI edit to Configuration, CN- Configuration, DC=Mydomain,DC=com CN-Services CN=Microsoft Exchange Right click on Microsoft Exchange hit properties. Find the otherWellKnownObjects attribute which should be something like ;;;; and edit it. Press add (adding blank data). Then hit okay. Give it a few to replicate or force AD replication using your support tools or replication monitor. Restart your server before attempting the GUI install. This should allow you install or reinstall exchange 2007 SP1. Thanks anyone who looked at this.
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July 2nd, 2008 8:02am

Glad to hear it works now.
July 2nd, 2008 8:27am

Well it ALMOST worked. Client Access Role fails GUI setup Summary: 2 item(s). 0 succeeded, 1 failed. Elapsed time: 00:00:13 Client Access RoleFailed Error:Exchange server "mydomain.com/Configuration/Deleted Objects/ServersDEL:58d2240c-c282-4726-a06b-bdce44be2bdb/TR-SRV3EDEL:09e2fbb8-893a-411d-ba42-a5ac2c9e1bfb" was not found. Please make sure you have typed it correctly. Elapsed Time: 00:00:13 Mailbox RoleCancelled I can only assume the tombstone objects still exist in AD. How do i manually remove old tombstones? Moving this question to a new thread. http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=3566028&SiteID=17&mode=1 If anyone else has this problem after correcting the previous ones listed in this thread when reinstalling exchange 2007 on a different server within the same forest.
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July 2nd, 2008 8:35am

Thanks a lot, you made my day!The solution worked for me as well. Very simple indeed cost me 3 days of headace. Just a hint: Don't try to use ASDIedit from a Windows2008 Server. You can not edit the fields, error is something like "no editor is set for this attribute". Using the Windows2003 ASDIedit on the DC worked without any problems.
July 2nd, 2008 5:07pm

............... The exchangesetupwatson.log reveals [6/30/2008 10:54:49 AM] [2] Group CN=Exchange Servers,OU=Microsoft Exchange Security Groups,DC=mydomain,DC=com already exists. I had a previous CAS install that crapped out on me and I uninstalled. I then kept getting prompted to rerun /preparead when trying to reinstall the CAS role. I was getting the "already exists" error during the /preparead mode. I found the objects referenced in the Lost and Found container (after 2 hours of looking through ASDIEDIT and LDP)...deleted them all from here and all was well.
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February 10th, 2011 8:13am

Oh ok, In this case what you do for server 2008?
July 26th, 2011 10:43am

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