Hi folks, I am encountering this error message when installing Exchange 2010. We are replacing our current Exchange 2010 server with a new physical server and trying to bring them up side by side so we can move the mailboxes over to the new server. However we keep getting this error. I've seen many posts on this subject all explaining to remove the Exchange object from the domain via ADSI. What I don't understand is what object am I removing from AD, The old Exchange box or the new exchange box? I can't remove the old box from AD as it's in live production. Removing the new box from AD don't makes sense as it needs to be part of the domain and tells me so during setup so I am confused. Could this error be because we are running Exchange 2010 Std vs. Ent versions? Also we are running Windows Server 2008 R2 Ent... Thanks in advance.....!

Ok, I have a few assumptions: You installed Exchange 2010 on a new server and that installation did not complete properlyThere are no live, production resources running on the new installation of ExchangeAny attempt to re-run setup fails with the above error Most likely, setup failed to complete and will require you to either carefully troubleshoot and resolve the problem or to completely wipe and rebuild this problem server. Personally I prefer having a production server with no setup issues. Thus I would consider the following to be done against the NEW Exchange server: Re-run Exchange setup and UNINSTALL all of Exchange (clear all values)If uninstallation is successful, disjoin/remove this server from Active Directory (remove computer account)Clear any DNS records that this server may have created from your production DNS serverRebuild the operating system on this server (from scratch) -- Windows 2008 R2 Ent is OK!Rejoin this computer to the domain, add back any Exchange pre-reqs and re-run Exchange server setup If the uninstallation of Exchange does not work, then you will most likely need to run Exchange setup using the /M:recoverserver option. See http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd876880.aspx for more details. If you want to try to troubleshoot the Exchange installation, you would want to start with the Event Logs and Exchange Setup logs (folder in root of C:)