Microsoft Exchange Server Tip

You have two methods of changing setting for Exchange Server. The first is Exchange Management Console a nice GUI program, the second is Exchange Management Shell a command line program. You would think that both programs would at least be similar in their operation but they are not. I prefer Management Console as it does not involve alot of typing. I avoid using Management Shell because you have to know the commands and options which are long and complicated and I often have to repeat the command because of a stupid spelling mistake. The problem I had involved mailbox access rights.

The company I was working for originally wanted everyone to have access to everyoneelse's emails incase they were not in that day and needed access, however the manager did not want anyone seeing his emails. All users were in a given group so I applied that group to all users. You can do this individually through Management Console via recipient configuration, mailbox then select a user and rightclick for manage full access permissions, but it is quicker via Management Shell. I used Management Console to remove this group from the managers email and thats when the trouble started. No one had access to the mailbox, including the manager. I looked at full access permissions in Management Console for the manager and another user I had not changed and they were the same so why was it not working? I found out when I used Management Shell and saw that not only had Management Console removed access to the group it had applied denied to it aswell, so anyone in that group was denied access to the mailbox, and as the manager was in that group thats why his mailbox was locked out.

Now to fix this I could have used Management Shell, but a far better way is to use PowerGUI by quest.com . Its a free tool which allows you to view access rights a bit better and gives a dialog when changing stuff. You still need to know how acces rights work but its alot easier than a command line.