in 1 of our child domains only if we create a user in the child domain, the user setup is successful and you are prompted to select the server and mailbox store as default when creating any user account. the user is created successfully. The RUS for that child domain updates the object fine and assigns it the correct format email address and x400. The strange thing is, the user dont show in the GAL, and the mailbox is not detected when setting up the user profile on outlook. Under further inspection the mailbox does not even show up in the ESM in the store that i created the user in. Another test i did was: Create a test user in the root domain, let the RUS update it and tested i have access to it and its in the GAL etc used ADMT to move the user account to the child domain as soon as that is done the test account disappears from the GAl and i can no longer resolve the name when setting up the outlook profile. In the ESM the mailbox that was created for the test user is marked wit ha red X as if it has been deleted, when i try to reconnect the user account i cant because the test user account dont show up as it thinks it has a mailbox attached to it still. in the child domain i removed the mailbox and exchange attributes from the test user account then in the ESM reconnected it back to the test user which just freezes the ESM and just goes back to square one! please any advice on what to test and try, this is the only child domain of all this is happening too! thanks michael

Hi, It does sound like a recipient update problem (not adding the showinaddressbook parameter. http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;288807 Leif

Many thanks for your reply but i solved it today! i found an event on the root dc that said the kcc removed the connection to the child domain to better perform and save replication traffic! i manually added the connections in the NTDS in sites and services for the 2 root dc's and replication is now fine. thanks!