How to create a First Administrative Group with a different name

When you install the first Microsoft Exchange server into an organization, by default it is created in the First Administrative Group administrative group. This article describes how to create a different name for the first administrative group.

To install the first Exchange server in an organization into an administrative group other than the First Administrative Group, you need to create this administrative group before installing the first Exchange server. To do this, follow these steps:

Note It is important that these steps be performed before the first Exchange server is installed into the forest. If you have already run ForestPrep, you don't need to do Step One. If an Exchange server already exists in the organization, this article does not apply.

1. Run Exchange Setup with the /forestprep switch to create the organization name that you want.
2. Run Exchange Setup with the /domainprep switch to create the security groups for Exchange (Exchange Domain Servers and Exchange Enterprise Servers).
3. Run Exchange Setup. Click Custom in the Action list next to the Microsoft Exchange component, and then click Install in the Action list next to the Microsoft Exchange System Management Tools component.
4. Start Exchange System Manager, and then create a new administrative group that has the name that you want.
5. Run Exchange Setup. Click Change in the Action list next to the Microsoft Exchange component, and then click Install in the Action list next to the Microsoft Exchange Messaging and Collaboration Services component to install the server to the administrative group that you created in step 4.