Windows SharePoint Services does not synchronize a new name change to Active Directory

Consider the following scenario. You create a Microsoft Windows NT group. Additionally, you assign permissions to the group and then add it to a Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services site. Then, you perform the following actions:

• You rename the Windows NT group in the Active Directory directory service.
• You remove the original Windows NT group name on the Windows SharePoint Services site.
• You add the new Windows NT group on the Windows SharePoint Services site.

In this scenario, Windows SharePoint Services does not synchronize the new Windows NT group name change to Active Directory. The Windows NT group still displays the original name.

This issue occurs because Windows SharePoint Services does not synchronize the new name change in Active Directory when you rename the Windows NT group in Active Directory. Instead, Windows SharePoint Services creates an entry for that specific Windows NT group name. Windows SharePoint Services does not go back to Active Directory to change the name of the Windows NT group. This behavior occurs because the information is stored in the Windows SharePoint Services UserInfo table.

To delete this Windows NT group, you must remove it from the Manage Site Collection Users page. Then, you can add the Windows NT group that you want on the Manage Users page. This process is required when you modify an account name, a display name, or a friendly name. Follow these steps:

1. On the home page for the Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server site that you want to manage, click Site Settings.
2. On the Site Settings page, click Go to Site Administration in the Administration section.
3. Click Go to Top-level Site Administration.
4. On the Top-level Site Administration page, click View site collection user information in the Site Collection Administration section.
5. On the Manage Site Collection Users page, click the name of the group that does not exist any longer, and then click Remove Selected Users.
6. On the Manage Users page, click Add Users to add the Windows NT group.

For more information, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: