How to reset the default virtual directories for Outlook Web Access in Exchange Server 2003

MS has recently released a KB article on how to reset the default virtual directories  for OWA 2003. In OWA 2000, if they got damaged or accidentally deleted, the SA would automagically recreate them on restart, but with E2K3, this function does not work the same. 

INTRODUCTION

Sometimes you must re-create the Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) virtual directories when you experience problems with Microsoft Outlook Web Access on your Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 computer. By default, Exchange Server 2003 creates the following six IIS virtual directories: Exadmin, Exchange, ExchWeb, Microsoft-Server-ActiveSync, OMA, and Public.

However, if you delete the IIS virtual directories that are used by Outlook Web Access, the virtual directories are not automatically re-created when you restart the Exchange System Attendant service. This article describes two methods that you can use to delete and to re-create the virtual directories that are used by Outlook Web Access.

Note In Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server, after you delete the virtual directories for Outlook Web Access, the virtual directories are re-created when you restart the Exchange System Attendant service.

For additional information about the virtual directories for Outlook Web Access in Exchange Server 2003, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

821898 Virtual Internet Information Services (IIS) directories that are used by Outlook Web Access in Exchange Server 2003

MORE INFORMATION

To delete and to re-create the virtual directories for Outlook Web Access, use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Use Metabase Explorer from the IIS 6.0 Resource Kit Tools

1. Install the IIS 6.0 Resource Kit Tools. To obtain the IIS 6.0 Resource Kit Tools, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

   http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=56FC92EE-A71A-4C73-B628-ADE629C89499&displaylang=en

   Note If you do not want to install all the IIS tools on your computer, you can install only the Metabase Explorer 1.6 component. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Double-click iis60rkt.exe, and then follow the instructions that are on your screen until you reach the Setup Type page of the IIS 6.0 Resource Kit Tools Setup Wizard.
   2. On the Setup Type page, click Custom, and the click Next.
   3. Click to clear all the IIS Resource Kit Tools and components check boxes except the Metabase Explorer 1.6 check box.
   4. Click Next, and then click Finish.
2. Back up your IIS metabase. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Start IIS Manager.
   2. Right-click Default Web Site, point to All Tasks, and then click Save Configuration to a File.
   3. In the Save Configuration to a File dialog box, type a configuration name in the File name input box, and then click OK.
3. Delete the virtual directories for Outlook Web Access. To do this, expand the Default Web Site in the left pane of IIS Manager, right-click Exadmin, and then click Delete. Click Yes when you are prompted with the question of whether you want to delete this item.
   
   Repeat this step for the following virtual directories:
   • Exchange
   • ExchWeb
   • Microsoft-Server-ActiveSync
   • OMA
   • Public
4. Quit IIS Manager.
5. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to IIS Resources, point to Metabase Explorer, and then click Metabase Explorer.
6. Expand LM, right-click DS2MB, and then click Delete. Click Yes when you are prompted with the question of whether you want to delete this key and all subkeys.
7. Quit IIS Metabase Explorer.
8. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Services.
9. Right-click Microsoft Exchange System Attendant, and then click Restart. Click Yes when you are prompted with the question of whether you want to restart these services. The Microsoft Exchange Information Store service will probably be listed as one of the services that restarts.
   
   The virtual directories are re-created. To verify that the virtual directories are re-created, start IIS Manager, and then view the Default Web site folder.
   
   Important If the virtual directories are not re-created after 15 minutes, restart your computer.
10. Reset the access permissions to Anonymous. To do this, follow these steps:
    1. Start IIS Manager, right-click ExchWeb, click Properties, and then click the Directory Security tab.
    2. Under Authentication and access control click Edit, and then verify that the Enable anonymous access check box is turned on.
    3. Click to select the Integrated Windows authentication check box, click OK, and then click Apply.
    4. If you an Inheritance Overrides dialog box appears, click Select All, and then click OK.
    5. Under Authentication and access control, click Edit, and then click to clear the Integrated Windows authentication check box.
    6. Click OK two times, and then quit IIS Manager.

Use your Web browser to verify that you can connect to your Outlook Web Access server.

Method 2: Use Adsutil.exe

1. Back up your IIS Metabase. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Start IIS Manager.
   2. Right-click Default Web Site, point to All Tasks, and then click Save Configuration to a File.
2. Delete the virtual directories for Outlook Web Access. To do this, right-click Exadmin in the left pane of IIS Manager, and then click Delete. Click Yes when you are prompted with the question of whether you want to delete this item.
   
   Repeat this step for the following virtual directories:
   • Exchange
   • ExchWeb
   • Microsoft-Server-ActiveSync
   • OMA
   • Public
3. Quit IIS Manager.
4. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then press ENTER.
5. Change to the following folder. In this example, Drive is the hard disk drive where Windows is installed:

   Drive:\inetpub\adminscripts

6. Type adsutil, and then press ENTER.
   
   Important By default, CScript is not the default scripting host for Windows Server 2003. To run the adsutil command, CScript must be configured as the default scripting host. To do this, click Yes if you are prompted to register CScript as you default host for VBscript, and then click OK.
   
   Note If you receive a list of adsutil command options, CScript is already configured as the default scripting host for VBscript.
7. Type adsutil delete ds2mb, and then press ENTER.
   
   Note To set the default scripting host to WScript, type WScript //H:WScript at the command prompt, press ENTER, and then click OK.
8. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Services.
9. Right-click Microsoft Exchange System Attendant, and then click Restart. Click Yes if you are prompted with the question of whether you want to the restart other services. The Microsoft Exchange Information Store service will probably be listed as one of the services that restarts.
10. Reset the access permissions to Anonymous. To do this, follow these steps:
    1. Start IIS Manager, right-click ExchWeb, click Properties, and then click the Directory Security tab.
    2. Under Authentication and access control click Edit, and then verify that the Enable anonymous access check box is turned on.
    3. Click to select the Integrated Windows authentication check box, click OK, and then click Apply.
    4. If an Inheritance Overrides dialog box appears, click Select All, and then click OK.
    5. Under Authentication and access control, click Edit, and then click to clear the Integrated Windows authentication check box.
    6. Click OK two times, and then quit IIS Manager.

Use your Web browser to verify that you can connect to your Outlook Web Access server.