Characters that are not supported for object names in Exchange

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INTRODUCTION

This article describes characters that you cannot use in object names in Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5, Exchange 2000 Server, and Exchange Server 2003.

You may have to create names for components or objects in Exchange, import objects, or connect to objects. This article contains a list of characters that these object names might contain but that are not supported in Exchange. If you try to connect to objects or work with objects, and the names of those objects contain characters that are not supported, you may receive error messages or unexpected results.

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MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5

The following table lists characters that Exchange Server 5.5 does not support in component names or object names.

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Exchange object	Exchange scenario or component	Unsupported characters	Character limit
Mailbox name	Directory Synchronization Service (DXA)	, comma	10
Distribution group name	System Network Architecture Distribution Service (SNADS)	- hyphen
Service account password	Running the Setup program	an ALT code
Host name	Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)	_ underscore
Password	Microsoft Exchange Connector for Microsoft Mail	* asterisk Any symbol or punctuation character Any numeral

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Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server

The following table lists characters that Exchange 2000 Server does not support in component or object names.

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Exchange object	Exchange scenario or component	Unsupported characters	Character limit
Organization name, site name	Running the Setup program, moving mailboxes	~ tilde ` grave accent ! exclamation point @ at sign # number sign $ dollar sign % percent ^ caret & ampersand * asterisk () parentheses _ underscore + plus sign = equal sign {} braces [] brackets \| vertical bar \ backslash : colon ; semicolon " quotation mark ' apostrophe <> angle brackets , comma . period ? question mark / slash mark	64
Administrative group name	Running the Setup program	~ tilde ` grave accent ! exclamation point @ at sign # number sign $ dollar sign % percent ^ caret & ampersand * asterisk () parentheses _ underscore + plus sign = equal sign {} braces [] brackets \| vertical bar \ backslash : colon ; semicolon " quotation mark ' apostrophe <> angle brackets , comma . period ? question mark / slash mark
Exchange 5.5 computer name	Connection Agreements; mail flow	. period
E-mail domain field	SMTP connector	~ tilde ` grave accent ! exclamation point @ at sign # number sign $ dollar sign % percent ^ caret & ampersand * asterisk () parentheses + plus sign = equal sign {} braces [] brackets \| vertical bar \ backslash : colon ; semicolon " quotation mark <> angle brackets , comma . period ? question mark / slash
DNS namespace	Running the Setup program	_ underscore
The common name attribute, the obj-user attribute	Lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) directory information migration	. period	20
Smart host name	SMTP	Leading spaces or trailing spaces
RFAX address	Export user attributes by using the Ldifde tool or the Csvde tool	Acute accent
Script files	Exchange workflow application	Character sets that do not support double-byte characters (DBCS)
Recipient policy SMTP address	Viewing public folder hierarchy	~ tilde ` grave accent ! exclamation point @ at sign # number sign $ dollar sign % percent ^ caret & ampersand * asterisk () parentheses + plus sign = equal sign {} braces [] brackets \| vertical bar \ backslash : colon ; semicolon " quotation mark <> angle brackets , comma . period ? question mark / slash
Recipient policy SMTP address host name	Mail Flow	.. two periods
Host name of connector address space	Mail Flow	.. two periods
Recipient name	SMTP	' apostrophe " quotation mark
Exchange Server host name	SMTP	_ underscore
Organization internal directory name	Directory	~ tilde ` grave accent ! exclamation point @ at sign # number sign $ dollar sign % percent ^ caret & ampersand * asterisk () parentheses _ underscore + plus sign = equal sign {} braces [] brackets \| vertical bar \ backslash : colon ; semicolon " quotation mark ' apostrophe <> angle brackets , comma . period ? question mark / slash
Site internal directory name	Viewing the public folder hierarchy	? question mark () parentheses * asterisk

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Microsoft Exchange Server 2003

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Exchange object	Exchange scenario or component	Unsupported characters	Character limit
Organization name, site name	Running the Setup program, moving mailboxes	~ tilde ` grave accent ! exclamation point @ at sign # number sign $ dollar sign % percent ^ caret & ampersand * asterisk () parentheses _ underscore + plus sign = equal sign {} braces [] brackets \| vertical bar \ backslash : colon ; semicolon " quotation mark ' apostrophe <> angle brackets , comma . period ? question mark / slash	64
Administrative group name	Running the Setup program	~ tilde ` grave accent ! exclamation point @ at sign # number sign $ dollar sign % percent ^ caret & ampersand * asterisk () parentheses _ underscore + plus sign = equal sign {} braces [] brackets \| vertical bar \ backslash : colon ; semicolon " quotation mark ' apostrophe <> angle brackets , comma . period ? question mark / slash
Exchange 5.5 computer name	Connection agreement; mail flow	. period
E-mail domain field	SMTP connector	~ tilde ` grave accent ! exclamation point @ at sign # number sign $ dollar sign % percent ^ caret & ampersand * asterisk () parentheses + plus sign = equal sign {} braces [] brackets \| vertical bar \ backslash : colon ; semicolon " quotation mark <> angle brackets , comma . period ? question mark / slash
Domain Name System (DNS) namespace	Running the Setup program	_ underscore
Smart host name	SMTP	Leading spaces or trailing spaces
Recipient policy SMTP address	Viewing public folder hierarchy	~ tilde ` grave accent ! exclamation point @ at sign # number sign $ dollar sign % percent ^ caret & ampersand * asterisk () parentheses + plus sign = equal sign {} braces [] brackets \| vertical bar \ backslash : colon ; semicolon " quotation mark <> angle brackets , comma . period ? question mark / slash
Recipient policy SMTP address host name	Mail Flow	.. two periods
Host name of connector address space	Mail Flow	.. two periods
Recipient name	SMTP	' apostrophe " quotation mark
Exchange Server host name	SMTP	_ underscore
Organization internal directory name	Directory	~ tilde ` grave accent ! exclamation point @ at sign # number sign $ dollar sign % percent ^ caret & ampersand * asterisk () parentheses _ underscore + plus sign = equal sign {} braces [] brackets \| vertical bar \ backslash : colon ; semicolon " quotation mark ' apostrophe <> angle brackets , comma . period ? question mark / slash
Site internal directory name	Viewing the public folder hierarchy	? question mark () parentheses * asterisk
Mailbox name	Running the Setup program	/ slash
Public folder tree name	Public folder viewing or public folder creation	: colon ; semicolon

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REFERENCES

For additional information about unsupported characters in Exchange Server 5.5, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

259282 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/259282/ ) How to remove accounts with invalid characters

193842 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/193842/ ) DXA does not handle MAC mail addresses in excess of 10 characters properly

244413 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/244413/ ) Cannot reply to e-mail from MEMO because originator address is MEMOGWY(SNADS)

For additional information about unsupported characters in Exchange 2000 Server, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

329607 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/329607/ ) You can join an Exchange 5.5 site that has an invalid character in its name to an Exchange 2000 organization

289671 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/289671/ ) Invalid character error occurs when you upgrade or join an Exchange Server 5.5 site

316061 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316061/ ) The SMTP connector returns an error message when invalid characters are used

251951 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/251951/ ) Exchange System Manager does not verify smart host DNS names

266311 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/266311/ ) Workflow common script file must be saved as Unicode

311117 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311117/ ) "Recipient names cannot have quotes" error message occurs if you use Web Scheduler

884110 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/884110/ ) Mail flow stops working after you create a new recipient policy or after you configure a connector in Exchange 2000 and in Exchange 2003

822588 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822588/ ) You receive a "The object is no longer available" message when you expand Public Folders in Exchange System Manager in Exchange 2000 or in Exchange 2003

836563 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/836563/ ) You receive a non-delivery report after you send an e-mail message to an Exchange 5.5 recipient

291266 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/291266/ ) Cannot create ADC Connection Agreement if there is a dot in the Exchange Server 5.5 computer name

For additional information about unsupported characters in Exchange Server 2003, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

821757 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/821757/ ) An event sink that is registered against a mailbox does not work in Exchange Server 2003

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