You receive "permission denied" error messages when you run ExMerge in Exchange 2000 Server or in Exchange Server 2003

When you try to run the Mailbox Merge Wizard (ExMerge) on a mailbox store in Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server or in Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, you may receive one of the following error messages:

This problem may occur if the System Attendant mailbox is not accessible. The System Attendant mailbox may not be accessible if it is not mounted, or if you do not have sufficient permissions on the System Attendant mailbox store.

To resolve this problem, use the following methods in the order that they are presented in.

Mount the mailbox store that contains the System Attendant mailbox

Note By default, the System Attendant mailbox is created in the first mailbox store in the first storage group on the first Exchange Server computer.

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Exchange, and then click System Manager.
2. If Administrative Groups are not enabled, go to step 3. If Administrative Groups are enabled, expand the Administrative Groups container, and then expand the first Your_Administrative_Group container.
3. Expand the Servers container.
4. Expand the first Your_Server object.
5. Expand the First Storage Group object.
6. Right-click the Mailbox store object, and then click Mount Store.
7. Click OK.
8. Expand the Mailbox store object, and then click Mailboxes.
9. In the right pane, verify that the System Attendant mailbox exists. If you do not find the System Attendant mailbox, right-click the Mailboxes container, and then click Run Clean-up Agent. The System Attendant mailbox will appear and will be connected.

Create a security group for System Attendant mailbox access

To create a security group and to add the default Administrator account, follow these steps.

Note In the following steps, the Administrator is assumed to be the user who will run ExMerge. In practice, if it is a user other than the Administrator who is to run ExMerge, you must add that user’s account to the security group.

1. Start the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in.
2. Right-click the Users container, point to New, and then click Group.
3. In the Group name box, type Ex-Admin.
4. Click Global, click Security, and then click Next two times.
5. Click Finish.
6. Right-click the Ex-Admin group object, and then click Properties.
7. Click the Members tab.
8. Click Add, click Advanced, and then click Find Now.
9. In the Search Results list, click Administrator, and then click OK three times.
10. Quit the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in.

Grant rights to the security group

To grant the Send As right and the Receive As right to the security group on the System Attendant mailbox, follow these steps:

1. Start Exchange System Manager.
2. If Administrative Groups are not enabled, go to step 3. If Administrative Groups are enabled, expand the Administrative Groups container, and then expand your first Your_Administrative_Group container.
3. Expand the Servers container.
4. Expand the first Your_Server object.
5. Expand the First Storage Group object.
6. Right-click the Mailbox store object, and then click Properties.
7. Click the Security tab.
8. Click Add, click Advanced, and then click Find Now.
9. In the Search Results list, click Ex-Admin, and then click OK two times.
10. In the Permissions for Ex-Admin list box, click to select the Send As and Receive As check boxes under the Allow column. Additionally click to select all other permissions.
11. Click OK.
12. Close Exchange System Manager.
13. Run ExMerge.

For additional information about ExMerge, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: