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Q249641: XADM: Exchange Admin Cannot Display Over 65535 Public Folders

Article: Q249641
Product(s): Microsoft Exchange
Version(s): winnt:5.5
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): exc55 kbExchange550preSP4fix kbExchange550sp4Fix
Last Modified: 06-AUG-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Exchange Server, version 5.5 
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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 examine the Instances tab in the properties of the public information
store and there are over 65,535 public folders, the following error message may
be displayed:

  An unexpected unknown error has occurred. MAPI or an unspecified service
  provider. ID no: 80040403-0000-00000000

CAUSE
=====

This issue can occur because the Exchange Server Administrator program relies on
MAPI to retrieve information about public folders. MAPI architecture only allows
65,535 rows in a table. If more than 65,535 public folders exist, the table is
unable to hold all of the entries and the error message in the "Symptoms"
section of this article may be displayed.

RESOLUTION
==========

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Exchange Server 5.5.
For additional information, click the following article number to view the
article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q191014 XGEN: How to Obtain the latest Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack


STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Microsoft Exchange Server
version 5.5. This problem was first corrected in Exchange Server 5.5 Service
Pack 4.

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

After this fix is applied, the Exchange Server Administrator program generates a
dialog box that informs you that more than 65,535 public folders exist but only
the first 65,535 are displayed. The following is sample text from the dialog
box:

  Public Folder Instances
  Exchange is unable to display more than 64K of public folders.
  Folders 1 to 65,535 out of a total of 80,004 are displayed. To change the
  range of folders displayed you must set a key in the registry.

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.

To add the registry key mentioned in the dialog box:

1. Start the Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).

2. Locate the following key in the registry:

  HKEY_Current_User\Software\Microsoft\Exchange\MSExchAdminCommon

3. On the Edit menu, click Add Value, and then add the following registry
  value:

  Value Name: Public Folder Skip Count
  Data Type: REG_DWORD
  Value: <number of folders to skip>

  This registry value sets the number of public folder entries to skip from the
  beginning of the list. For example, if the dialog box text indicates a total
  of 80,004 entries, to display the additional entries set the value to 14469
  (80,004 total entries - 65,535 base entries). This allows public folder
  entries 14,469 through 80,004 to be displayed.

4. Quit the Registry Editor.

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : exc55 kbExchange550preSP4fix kbExchange550sp4Fix 
Technology        : kbExchangeSearch kbExchange550 kbZNotKeyword2
Version           : winnt:5.5
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbfix

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