You receive an error message when you try to set the storage limits to 2 GB or larger for a mailbox or for a mailbox store in Exchange 2003 or in Exchange 2000

Consider the following scenario. In Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 or in Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server, you want to increase the storage limits for a user's mailbox or for a mailbox store. In the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in, you try to configure the storage limits for the user's mailbox. Alternatively, in Exchange System Manager, you try to configure the storage limits for the mailbox store.

However, when you try to configure the storage limit to a value that is larger than 2,097,151 kilobytes (KB), you receive an error message. The error message resembles one of the following error messages:Note The error message varies depending on the storage limit that you try to configure.

By default, the storage limit values are restricted to a maximum of 2,097,151 KB.

To resolve this behavior, you must programmatically modify the values of the relevant Active Directory attributes. You can do this either programmatically or by using the Active Directory Services Interface (ADSI Edit) tool.

Active Directory attributes

The following table displays the equivalent Active Directory attributes for the storage limit properties that are available in the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in interface or in the Exchange System Manager interface. Warning After you configure these attributes to a value that is larger than 2,097,151 KB, you cannot modify these properties in the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in or in Exchange System Manager.

Modify the storage limits for a user's mailbox

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 Windows Server 2003, Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server, Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, or both Windows and Exchange. 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.

To use the ADSI Edit tool to modify the storage limit values for a user's mailbox, follow these steps.

Note The following steps modify the limits for a user who is named User1.

1. On a server that has the Windows Support Tools installed, open a command prompt.
2. Move to the Drive_Letter:\Program Files\Support Tools folder.
3. Type adsiedit.msc, and then press ENTER.
4. On the Action menu, click Connect to.
5. In the Connection Settings dialog box, type the name that you want to use for this connection in the Name box.
6. In the Connection Point area, click Select a well known Naming Context, and then click Domain in the list.
7. In the Computer area, click Select or type a domain or Server, and then type the FQDN of the server in the box. Alternatively, you can click Default (Domain or Server that you logged in to), if applicable.
8. Click OK.
9. Locate the CN=User1 object in the following path:
   Domain [Server_Name.Domain_Name]\DC=Domain_Name,DC=Root_Domain\CN=Users\
10. Right-click CN=User1, and then click Properties.
11. Click to select the Show optional attributes check box.
12. In the Attributes list, double-click mDBOverHardQuotaLimit.
13. In the Value box, type the value of the limit in kilobytes that you want to set, and then click OK. For example, to set a limit of 3 GB, type 3145728, and then click OK.
14. Repeat steps 12 and 13 for any other attributes that are listed in the table in the "Active Directory attributes" section.
15. Click OK to close the properties sheet for the User1 object.
16. On the File menu, click Exit.

Modify the storage limits for a mailbox store

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 Windows Server 2003, Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server, Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, or both Windows and Exchange. 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.

To use the ADSI Edit tool to modify the storage limit values for a mailbox store, follow these steps.

Note The following steps modify the limits for the "Mailbox Store (Server_Name)" store.

1. On a server that has the Windows Support Tools installed, open a command prompt.
2. Move to the Drive_Letter:\Program Files\Support Tools folder.
3. Type adsiedit.msc, and then press ENTER.
4. On the Action menu, click Connect to.
5. In the Connection Settings dialog box, type any name that you want to use for this connection in the Name box.
6. In the Connection Point area, click Select a well known Naming Context, and then click Domain in the list.
7. In the Computer area, click Select or type a domain or Server, and then type the FQDN of the server in the box. Alternatively, you can click Default (Domain or Server that you logged in to), if applicable.
8. Click OK.
9. Click the CN=First Storage Group object in the following path:
   Configuration [Server_Name.Domain_Name]\DC=Configuration,Domain_Name,DC=Root_Domain\CN=Services\CN=Microsoft Exchange\CN=First Organization\CN=Administrative Groups\CN=First Administrative Group\CN=Servers\CN=Server_Name\CN=Information Store\
10. Right-click CN=Mailbox Store (Server_Name), and then click Properties.
11. Click to select the Show optional attributes check box.
12. In the Attributes list, double-click mDBOverHardQuotaLimit.
13. In the Value box, type the value of the limit in kilobytes that you want to set, and then click OK. For example, to set a limit of 3 GB, type 3145728, and then click OK.
14. Repeat steps 12 and 13 for any of the other attributes that are listed in the table in the "Active Directory attributes" section.
15. Click OK to close the properties sheet for the "Mailbox Store (Server_Name)" object.
16. On the File menu, click Exit.

For more information about Windows Server Support Tools, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: