HOW TO: Work with Hidden Distribution Groups in Exchange 2000

When you work with distribution groups in Exchange 2000, you can hide the members of a group by setting special permissions in Microsoft Active Directory directory service. Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 depends on Active Directory Connector (ADC), if available, to replicate a hierarchy of directory objects between Exchange Server and Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Active Directory. You can work with the ADC and the Recipient Update Service in Exchange 2000 to make sure that these permissions are set properly. To avoid common problems that can occur when you hide group membership, use the ADC or the Exchange Tasks Wizard in Active Directory Users and Computers.

Work with Hidden Distribution Groups

When the membership of a distribution group is hidden, you cannot view or edit the permissions for that group. When you try to view permissions in Active Directory Users and Computers, you receive the following error message: These permissions are maintained automatically. If you want to make changes to a group's permissions, you must reveal that group's membership.

If your deployment includes both Exchange Server and Exchange 2000 systems that use the ADC to coexist, the ADC automatically identifies hidden distribution lists in Exchange Server, and then replicates them correctly to Active Directory.

If you have Exchange 2000, or if you want to make the membership change take effect immediately, use the Exchange Tasks Wizard in Active Directory Users and Computers.

Hide Group Membership by Using Active Directory Users and Computers

The following procedure works for Exchange 2000 organizations:

1. Click the group whose membership you want to hide.
2. Right-click the group, and then click Exchange Tasks.
3. Follow the instructions in the Exchange Tasks Wizard, and then click Hide Membership.

When you perform this procedure, Exchange 2000 immediately adds the appropriate permissions to the group to prevent users from viewing its membership.

Note: If you use Active Directory Users and Computers to view the group's Properties page, you can still see a list of the group members.

Unhide Group Membership

1. In Active Directory Users and Computers, click the group whose membership you want to hide.
2. Right-click the group, and then click Exchange Tasks.
3. Follow the instructions in the Exchange Tasks Wizard, and then click Unhide Membership.

This procedure removes the extra permissions from the group.

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