XADM: ForestPrep Does Not Work with Error Message: An Invalid ADSI Pathname Was Passed 80005000

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This article was previously published under Q279749

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SYMPTOMS

When you run Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Setup for the first time with the /forestprep switch, Setup may not work, the installation may not finish successfully, and you may receive the following error message:

An invalid ADSI pathname was passed.
ID no. 80005000

The following error messages may be logged in the Exchange 2000 Server Setup Progress.log file:

[14:56:33] Creating Microsoft Exchange organization
[14:56:33] Entering CAtomOrgLevelCt::ScCreateOrgCT
[14:56:33]  CAtomOrgLevelCt::ScCreateOrgCT
(K:\admin\src\udog\exsetdata\components\server\a_orglevelct.cxx:846)
Error code 0X80005000 (20480): An invalid ADSI pathname was passed.
[14:56:33] Leaving CAtomOrgLevelCt::ScCreateOrgCT 
[14:56:33]  CAtomOrgLevelCt::ScAddDSObjects
(K:\admin\src\udog\exsetdata\components\server\a_orglevelct.cxx:324)
Error code 0X80005000 (20480): An invalid ADSI pathname was passed.
[14:56:33] Leaving CAtomOrgLevelCt::ScAddDSObjects
[14:56:33]  CAtomOrgLevelCt::ScAdd
(K:\admin\src\udog\exsetdata\components\server\a_orglevelct.cxx:142)
Error code 0X80005000 (20480): An invalid ADSI pathname was passed.
[14:56:33] Leaving CAtomOrgLevelCt::ScAdd
[14:56:33] mode = 'ForestPrep' (61965) CBaseAtom::ScSetup
(K:\admin\src\udog\setupbase\basecomp\baseatom.cxx:775)
Error code 0X80005000 (20480): An invalid ADSI pathname was passed.

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CAUSE

This issue can occur if you previously attempted to install Exchange 2000 Server in the site and the installation did not finish successfully.

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RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, completely remove Exchange 2000 from Active Directory and reset the Heuristics attribute on the Microsoft Exchange container.

To do so:

Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Sites and Services.
Turn on the Show Services node on the View menu.
Double-click Services.
Click Microsoft Exchange.
Under Microsoft Exchange you will see Active Directory Connections and the Exchange Organization Object. Right-click your Microsoft Exchange Organization object, and then click Delete.
Reset the Heuristics attribute on the Microsoft Exchange container. To do so, use ADSI Edit from the Windows 2000 Support Tools:WARNING: If you use the ADSI Edit snap-in, the LDP utility, or any other LDAP version 3 client, and you incorrectly modify the attributes of Active Directory objects, you can cause serious problems. These problems may require you to reinstall Microsoft Windows 2000 Server, Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server, or both. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems that occur if you incorrectly modify Active Directory object attributes can be solved. Modify these attributes at your own risk.
1. Open ADSI Edit.
2. Expand to the following location under the Configuration container:
  CN=Configuration; CN=Services; select CN=Microsoft Exchange
3. Right-click CN=Microsoft Exchange, and then click Properties.
4. On the Attributes tab, under Select which properties to view, click Both.
5. From the Select what property to view pull-down menu, select Heuristics.
6. If the value is set to 2, ForestPrep has been run.
7. To reset the Heuristics property, click Clear, and then click Apply. The Value(s) field will have a value of not set.
Run Exchange 2000 Setup with the /forestprep switch again.