Exchange Server 2003 Computer Takes Longer Than You Expect to Shut Down

It takes longer than you expect to shut down your Windows Server 2003 domain controller computer when Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 is installed.

This issue may occur when the following conditions are true:

• The Microsoft Active Directory directory service closes before Exchange 2003 services are fully stopped during the computer shut down process.
• Exchange 2003 is installed on a domain controller computer that is also a global catalog server.
• No other domain controller or global catalog server is available in the forest.

Active Directory shuts down before Exchange 2003 services are fully stopped during the computer shut down process. When this issue occurs, the Exchange DSACCESS component may continue to try to contact the Active Directory and wait for a response.

Performance changes in Windows Server 2003 permit Windows services to shut down faster than they do in Microsoft Windows 2000.

To make a Windows Server 2003 domain controller computer that has Exchange 2003 installed shut down faster, manually stop the Exchange 2003 services before you shut down Windows.