We have staff members that retire and sometimes return. In the past when we used Novell GroupWise it was no big deal, just create a new account with the same username as before, and all is well. But it is a total disaster trying to re-use old usernames with Exchange 2010. When trying to send messages to the reused username, outlook web access throws up bizarre error messages about the user not being found, with errors like this: Delivery has failed to these recipients or groups: IMCEAEX-_O=FIRST+20ORGANIZATION_OU=EXCHANGE+20ADMINISTRATIVE+20GROUP+20+28FYDIBOHF23SPDLT+29_CN=RECIPIENTS_CN=Matt+20Amundson@cornell.k12.wi.us Apparantly that gibberish is being used to identify the user in the OWA contact list, rather than the totally irrational and ridiculous method of simply using "somebody@site.com" in the contact list. I mean, using such a simple naming method is just crazy talk, right? So, why is it so difficult re-use old usernames with Exchange 2010? When I delete a user, I expect the username to be available for re-use again someday. Is there a differnet method I should be using to remove people from Exchange 2010, other than simply deleting the Active Directory user object and mailbox?

If the user has been removed and flushed from the OAB, then the username can be reused. Where this is usually a problem is not Exchange, but Outlook. If the old username was cached and someone tries to use that cached address then it would fail because the account is different. The key point being that the user account has gone from the GAL, has gone from the OAB and is removed from any Outlook cache. You need to remember that Exchange isn't just an email address, there is a reference to the AD object, and the username is just a friendly name for that AD object. Therefore John Smith deleted and then recreated may appear to be the same John Smith, but the underlying account is different. Simon.Simon Butler, Exchange MVP Blog | Exchange Resources | In the UK? Hire Me.

If the user has been removed and flushed from the OAB, then the username can be reused. Where this is usually a problem is not Exchange, but Outlook. If the old username was cached and someone tries to use that cached address then it would fail because the account is different. The key point being that the user account has gone from the GAL, has gone from the OAB and is removed from any Outlook cache. You need to remember that Exchange isn't just an email address, there is a reference to the AD object, and the username is just a friendly name for that AD object. Therefore John Smith deleted and then recreated may appear to be the same John Smith, but the underlying account is different. Simon.Simon Butler, Exchange MVP Blog | Exchange Resources | In the UK? Hire Me.

Where are instructions for flushing deleted domain users out of everyone's outlook addressbook? These are "system" users in the domain and I am under the impression that system users should auto-delete from all Outlook contact lists with the user object is deleted in the domain. We use a combination of the Outlook that is part of Microsoft Office, as well as the Outlook web access that is part of Exchange 2010. I need to clear the deleted users out of both forms of Outlook. There is no rational reason for the Outlook addressbook to be designed to hold onto expired system user accounts that don't exist in the domain anymore, other than this situation was overlooked by Microsoft programmers.

On Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:37:00 +0000, DaleMahalko wrote: >Where are instructions for flushing deleted domain users out of everyone's outlook addressbook? They'll disappear from the GAL once they've been "disabled" in the EMC or EMS. They'll disappear from the OAB after they've been "disabled" in the EMC or EMS, the OAB as been regenerated, and the changes downloaded by Outlook. They'll disappear from the Outlook address completion cache when the individual users remove them. >These are "system" users in the domain and I am under the impression that system users should auto-delete from all Outlook contact lists with the user object is deleted in the domain. Not sure what a "system" user is. If you mean an a mail- or mailbox-enabled object in the AD, then you're correct -- provided the OAB isn't the problem, or the clients not downloading the OAB. >We use a combination of the Outlook that is part of Microsoft Office, as well as the Outlook web access that is part of Exchange 2010. I need to clear the deleted users out of both forms of Outlook. There's nothing for you to do with OWA. >There is no rational reason for the Outlook addressbook to be designed to hold onto expired system user accounts that don't exist in the domain anymore, You're correct. And they aren't. But if the OAB is used and it's not being regenerated or downloaded by the clients it's the local admin, not the programmers, that are at fault. >other than this situation was overlooked by Microsoft programmers. The Outlook address completion cache has nothing to do with Exchange. It's managed by the mailbox owner and the Outlook client. --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP

On Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:37:00 +0000, DaleMahalko wrote: >Where are instructions for flushing deleted domain users out of everyone's outlook addressbook? They'll disappear from the GAL once they've been "disabled" in the EMC or EMS. They'll disappear from the OAB after they've been "disabled" in the EMC or EMS, the OAB as been regenerated, and the changes downloaded by Outlook. They'll disappear from the Outlook address completion cache when the individual users remove them. >These are "system" users in the domain and I am under the impression that system users should auto-delete from all Outlook contact lists with the user object is deleted in the domain. Not sure what a "system" user is. If you mean an a mail- or mailbox-enabled object in the AD, then you're correct -- provided the OAB isn't the problem, or the clients not downloading the OAB. >We use a combination of the Outlook that is part of Microsoft Office, as well as the Outlook web access that is part of Exchange 2010. I need to clear the deleted users out of both forms of Outlook. There's nothing for you to do with OWA. >There is no rational reason for the Outlook addressbook to be designed to hold onto expired system user accounts that don't exist in the domain anymore, You're correct. And they aren't. But if the OAB is used and it's not being regenerated or downloaded by the clients it's the local admin, not the programmers, that are at fault. >other than this situation was overlooked by Microsoft programmers. The Outlook address completion cache has nothing to do with Exchange. It's managed by the mailbox owner and the Outlook client. --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP