KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q155027: XCON: Cannot Start Microsoft Exchange MTA: Errors 1067 and 2140

Article: Q155027
Product(s): Microsoft Exchange
Version(s): winnt:4.0,5.0,5.5
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbusage exc4 exc5 exc55
Last Modified: 11-JUN-2002

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Exchange Server, versions 4.0, 5.0, 5.5 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS
========

If you start the Exchange Server message transfer agent (MTA), it may not start,
and one of the following error messages may be displayed:

  Could not start the Microsoft Exchange Message Transfer Agent service on
  \\<servername>
  Error 1067: The process terminated unexpectedly.

  Could not start the Microsoft Exchange Message Transfer Agent service
  on\\<servername>
  Error: 2140: An internal Windows NT error has occurred.

If you use the Windows NT Event Viewer to view the application event log, the
following events are logged:

  Event ID: 137, Source: MSExchangeMTA.
  A fatal directory error occurred. Change to the maximum logging level for more
  details. [MTA MAIN BASE 1 15] (16)

After you change the logging to Maximum (open the properties of the MTA object,
and in the Diagnostics Logging page, click Directory Access and Field
Engineering), the MTA logs one of the following error messages in the Event
Viewer:

  Event Id: 2245, Type: Warning, Category: Directory Access Directory operation
  (ds_read) failed with problem DS_E_NO_SUCH_OBJECT. Attribute . Directory Name
  (string): /O=<organization>
  /OU=<site>/CN=CONFIGURATION/CN=SERVERS/CN=<server
  name>/CN=MICROSOFT MTA. [RD Server MAIN BASE 1 114] (8)

  Event 2241: Directory operation (ds_search) failed with problem
  DS_E_NO_SUCH_OBJECT. Attribute: . Root Directory Name: /
  o=<organization>/ou=<site>/cn=Configuration/cn=Connections. [RD
  Server MAIN BASE 1 116] (12)

CAUSE
=====

The value of the following registry key in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE subtree does
not match the corresponding directory entry:

  System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeMTA\Parameters\X500 DN

The wrong Organization or Site name was used when Exchange Server was reinstalled
on the server.

RESOLUTION
==========

Check the value of the registry key and edit it, if necessary, so that it
matches the corresponding directory entry, or reinstall Exchange Server using
the correct Organization and Site names.

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems
that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot
guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor
incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

1. Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).

2. Under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE subtree, go to the following subkey:

  System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeMTA\Parameters\X500 DN

3. Check the value for this key. The Organization [o=], Site [ou=], and Server
  Directory names [cn=] must exactly match the properties of the Organization,
  Site, and Server objects as they are displayed in the Exchange Server
  Administrator program.

  To see whether these objects match the value of the registry key:

  a. In the left pane of the Exchange Server Administrator program, click to
     expand the Organization object, click to expand the Site object, and then
     click to expand the Server object.

  b. On the File menu, click Properties. The Directory Name of each of these
     objects must exactly match the corresponding attributes in the registry
     setting described in step 3.

MORE INFORMATION
================

When the Exchange Server MTA starts, it checks the Distinguished Name (DN) of
the MTA object in the registry and verifies that it is exactly the same as the
one that is stored in the Exchange Server directory.



Additional query words: 2140 137 MTA

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbusage exc4 exc5 exc55 
Technology        : kbExchangeSearch kbExchange500 kbExchange550 kbExchange400 kbZNotKeyword2
Version           : winnt:4.0,5.0,5.5
Issue type        : kbprb

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1986-2002.