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Q317627: XWEB: Troubleshooting HTTP 401.x Errs in Outlook Web Access 5.5

Article: Q317627
Product(s): Microsoft Exchange
Version(s): 5.5
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 06-AUG-2002

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

- Microsoft Outlook Web Access, version 5.5 
- Microsoft Outlook Web Access, version 5.5 Service Packs 1, 2, 3 
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SUMMARY
=======

This article describes some of the various reasons that you may receive a "401
Unauthorized" error message when you are using Microsoft Outlook Web Access
(OWA). This article also provides some common methods that you can use to try to
resolve such an error. This article contains the following sections:

- Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0

   - 401.1 - Unauthorized: Logon Failed

   - 401.3 - Unauthorized Due to ACL on Resource

- Microsoft Windows 2000 Server

   - 401.1 - Unauthorized: Logon Failed

   - 401.3 - Unauthorized Due to ACL on Resource

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

Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
-------------------------------

401.1 - Unauthorized: Logon Failed:

This error may occur for the following reasons:

- Local security policies. Every OWA user requires access to two local security
  policies:

   - The first local security policy is "Log On Locally." To make sure that
     your users have this setting enabled:

     1. Start User Manager for Domains.

     2. On the Policies menu, click User Rights.

     3. In the User Rights dialog box, click "Log on Locally".

     4. In the Grant To box, add a domain group that your users belong to.
        Typically, this group is the Domain Users group. Adding such a domain
        group ensures that your users have access to log on locally.

   - The second local security policy is "Access This Computer From the
     Network." To make sure that your users have this setting enabled:

     1. Start User Manager for Domains.

     2. On the Policies menu, click User Rights.

     3. In the User Rights dialog box, click "Access This Computer From the
        Network".

     4. In the Grant To box, add a domain group that your users belong to.
        Typically, this group is the Domain Users group. Adding such a domain
        group allows your OWA users access through this policy.

- Basic authentication and the Windows NT domain name. OWA supports two
  authentication methods. Those methods are "Basic" and "Windows NT Challenge
  Response (NTLM)". If you use the Basic authentication method in OWA and you
  do not supply a default domain name, you may receive this error message
  because the domain is omitted in the credentials dialog box.

  To determine whether or not you are experiencing this issue, after you type
  your mailbox name in OWA, look at the credentials dialog box. If two boxes
  are displayed ("User name" and Password), you are probably using Basic
  authentication. If three boxes are displayed ("User name", Password, and
  Domain), you are probably using NTLM authentication.

  The exception to this rule is Microsoft Internet Explorer 6. If you use
  Internet Explorer 6, only the "User name" and Password boxes are displayed in
  the credentials dialog box, even if you are using NTLM authentication.

  After you determine that you are using Basic authentication, try using the
  following format for your logon information:

   - "User name":

  <Windows_NT_domain_name>\<user_name> (for example,
  microsoft\user1)

   - Password:

  <user's_password>

If you can use the preceding format to log on without receiving the 401.1 error
message, to avoid this issue in the future, either:

   - Instruct your users to log on by using that format.

-or-

   - Add a default domain in the Basic authentication section of Internet
     Information Services (IIS) for OWA:

     1. On the OWA server, start Internet Services Manager.

     2. Expand the Web site in which OWA is installed, right-click the Exchange
        virtual directory, and then click Properties.

     3. Click the Directory Security tab, and then click Edit next to
        "Anonymous access and Authentication Control".

     4. Click Edit next to "Basic authentication".

     5. Use one of the following steps, as appropriate:

         - If all of your user accounts exist in one Windows NT domain, type
           that domain name in the Default Domain box.

-or-

         - If your user accounts are spread among multiple domains, it is
           easier to type "\" (without the quotation marks) in the Default
           Domain box. If you type "\" (without the quotation marks) in the
           Default Domain box, OWA searches all of the trusted domains for the
           user name.

After you add a default domain, the users can gain access to OWA by just
supplying their user name and password, instead of typing
<domain>\<user_name>.

- File-level antivirus scanning software. A file-level antivirus scanning
  utility that is actively scanning the Exchsrvr folder on the hard disk can
  also cause this error. This issue can also manifest itself as a blank screen
  in the Web browser, instead of as an error message.

  At a minimum, exclude the Exchsrvr\Mdbdata, Exchsrvr\Webdata, and
  Exchsrvr\Webtemp folders from file-level antivirus scans. If you do not
  exclude these folders, issues may occur with both OWA and MAPI clients. Refer
  to your antivirus software's documentation for instructions about how to
  exclude files and folders.

  If you are concerned about mail-related viruses in Microsoft Exchange Server,
  obtain antivirus software which is "Exchange Server-aware". Exchange
  Server-aware antivirus software uses scanning methods for the Exchange Server
  store that are not damaging. Exchange Server-aware antivirus software uses
  the antivirus application programming interface (API) that is built into
  Exchange Server.

401.3 - Unauthorized Due to ACL on Resource:

This error is usually the result of not having the required NTFS security
permissions on a file or registry key. To determine if this error is the result
of not having the required NTFS security permissions:

1. Confirm that the Everyone group has at least the minimum permissions that are
  required on the folders in the following table. To view the permissions on a
  folder, open the properties of the folder, and then click the Security tab.
  If the Security tab is missing, the folder resides on a file allocation table
  (FAT) partition. There are no specific file-level permissions on a FAT
  partition. If the folder is on a FAT partition, skip to step 2 (registry
  permissions).

  +----------------------------------+
  | Folder              | Permission | 
  +----------------------------------+
  | X:\Exchsrvr         | Read       | 
  +----------------------------------+
  | X:\Exchsrvr\Webdata | Change     | 
  +----------------------------------+
  | X:\Exchsrvr\Webtemp | Change     | 
  +----------------------------------+
  | X:\Exchsrvr\Bin     | Read       | 
  +----------------------------------+
  | X:\Exchsrvr\Res     | Read       | 
  +----------------------------------+
  | X:\Winnt            | Read       | 
  +----------------------------------+
  | X:\Winnt\System32   | Read       | 
  +----------------------------------+

2. Confirm that the Everyone group has at least the minimum permissions required
  on the registry keys in the following table. To view security settings on
  registry keys:

  1. Click Start, and then click Run.

  2. In the Run dialog box, type "regedt32.exe" (without the quotation marks).

  3. Click the registry key that you want to view the security settings for,
     and then click Permissions on the Security menu.

  +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
  | Registry key                                                       | Permission | 
  +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
  | HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\system\currentcontrolset\services\MSExchangeWeb | Read       | 
  +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
  | HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\system\currentcontrolset\services\W3svc         | Read       | 
  +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
-----------------------------

401.1 - Unauthorized: Logon Failed:

This error may occur for the following reasons:

- Local security policies. Every OWA user requires access to two local security
  policies:

   - The first security policy is "Log On Locally." To make sure that your
     users have this setting turned on:

     1. Start the Local Security Policy snap-in.

        NOTE: If OWA is installed on a Windows 2000-based computer that is a
        domain controller, start the Domain Controller Security Policy snap-in.

     2. Expand Local Policies, and then expand User Rights Assignment.

     3. In the right pane, click "Log on Locally".

     4. In the Assign To box, add a domain group that your users belong to.
        Typically, this group is the Domain Users group. Adding such a domain
        group ensures that your users have access to log on locally.

   - The second Local Security Policy is "Access This Computer From the
     Network." To make sure that your users have this setting turned on:

     1. Start the Local Security Policy snap-in.

        NOTE: If OWA is installed on a Windows 2000-based computer that is a
        domain controller, start the Domain Controller Security Policy snap-in.

     2. Expand Local Policies, and then expand User Rights Assignment.

     3. In the right pane, click "Access This Computer From the Network".

     4. In the Assign To box, add a domain group that your users belong to.
        Typically, this group is the Domain Users group. Adding such a domain
        group allows your OWA users access through this policy.

- Basic authentication and the Windows NT domain name. OWA supports two
  authentication methods. Those methods are "Basic" and "Windows NT Challenge
  Response (NTLM)." If you use the Basic authentication method in OWA and you
  do not supply a default domain name, you may receive this error message
  because the domain name is omitted in the credentials dialog box.

  To determine whether or not you are experiencing this issue, after you type
  your mailbox name in OWA, view the credentials dialog box. If two boxes are
  displayed ("User name" and Password), you are probably using Basic
  authentication. If three boxes are displayed ("User name", Password, and
  Domain), you are probably using NTLM authentication.

  The exception to this rule is Internet Explorer 6. If you use Internet
  Explorer 6, only the "User name" and Password boxes are displayed in the
  credentials dialog box, even if you are using NTLM authentication.

  After you determine that you are using Basic authentication, try using the
  following format for your logon information:

   - "User name":

  <Windows_NT_domain_name>\<user_name> (for example,
  microsoft\user1)

   - Password:

  <user's_password>

  If you can use the preceding format to log on without receiving the 401.1
  error message, to avoid this issue in the future, either:

   - Instruct your users to log on by using that format.

-or-

   - Add a default domain in the basic authentication section of IIS for OWA:

     1. On the OWA server, start Internet Services Manager.

     2. Expand the Web site in which OWA is installed, right-click the Exchange
        virtual directory, and then click Properties.

     3. Click the Directory Security tab, and then click Edit next to
        "Anonymous access and Authentication Control".

     4. Click Edit next to Basic authentication.

     5. Use one of the following steps, as appropriate:

         - If all your user accounts exist in one Windows NT domain, type that
           domain name in the Default Domain box.

-or-

         - If your user accounts are spread among multiple domains, it is
           easier to type "\" (without the quotation marks) in the Default
           Domain box. If you type "\" (without the quotation marks), OWA
           searches all of the trusted domains for the user name.

After you add a default domain, the users can gain access to OWA by just
supplying their user name and password, instead of typing
<domain>\<user_name>.

- File-level antivirus scanning software. A file-level antivirus scanning
  utility that is actively scanning the Exchsrvr folder on the hard disk can
  also cause this error. This issue can also manifest itself as a blank screen
  in the Web browser, instead of as an error message.

  At a minimum, exclude the Exchsrvr\Mdbdata, Exchsrvr\Webdata, and
  Exchsrvr\Webtemp folders from file-level antivirus scans. If you do not
  exclude these folders, issues may occur with both OWA and MAPI clients. Refer
  to your antivirus software's documentation for instructions about how to
  exclude files and folders.

  If you are concerned about mail-related viruses in Exchange Server, obtain
  antivirus software that is "Exchange Server-aware." Exchange Server-aware
  software uses scanning methods for the Exchange Server store that are not
  damaging. Exchange Server-aware antivirus software uses the antivirus
  application programming interface (API) that is built into Exchange Server.

- OWA is installed on Windows 2000. Users who log on to OWA from a computer
  that is running any Microsoft Windows operating system other than Windows
  2000 can gain access to OWA, but users who log on to OWA from a computer that
  is running Windows 2000 may receive a 401.1 error message.

  This issue can occur if OWA is installed on a computer that is running Windows
  2000 Server with Integrated Windows Authentication turned on as one of the
  authentication methods on the Exchange Server virtual directory.

  To resolve this issue, on the server that OWA is installed on, edit the
  Constant.inc file in the Exchsrvr\Webdata\Usa folder:

  1. Use Notepad to open the Constant.inc file.

  2. Under '--Other Strings--', locate the following line:

  bstrAuthTypesAccepted = "_BasicNTLMDPAMBS_BASIC"

  3. Change the line to read:

  bstrAuthTypesAccepted = "_BasicNTLMDPAMBS_BASICNegotiate"

  4. On the File menu, click Save.

  5. On the File menu, click Exit.

  If you use a computer that is running either Microsoft Windows 2000 Server and
  Internet Explorer 5 or Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional and Internet
  Explorer 5 to try to log on to Internet Information Service (IIS) 5.0, and
  Integrated Windows Authentication is enabled, a negotiation is performed to
  determine if the Kerberos protocol or Windows NT Challenge/Response will be
  used for authentication.

  If you use a computer that is running either Windows 2000 Server and Internet
  Explorer 5 or Windows 2000 Professional and Internet Explorer 5, the server
  variable AUTH_TYPE is set to Negotiate. When you use a computer that is
  running any other Windows operating system, the server variable is set to
  NTLM. OWA checks what this variable returns against the bstrAuthTypesAccepted
  value that is modified. This check ensures that the authentication type is
  acceptable before OWA allows a user to log on.

401.3 - Unauthorized Due to ACL on Resource:

This error is usually the result of not having the required NTFS security
permissions on a file or registry key. To determine if this error is the result
of not having the required NTFS security permissions:

1. Confirm that the Everyone group has at least the minimum permissions that are
  required on the folders in the following table. To view the permissions on a
  folder, open the properties of the folder, and then click the Security tab.
  If the Security tab is missing, the folder resides on a FAT partition. There
  are no specific file-level permissions on a FAT partition. If the folder is
  on a FAT partition, skip to step 2 (registry permissions).

  +----------------------------------+
  | Folder              | Permission | 
  +----------------------------------+
  | X:\Exchsrvr         | Read       | 
  +----------------------------------+
  | X:\Exchsrvr\Webdata | Change     | 
  +----------------------------------+
  | X:\Exchsrvr\Webtemp | Change     | 
  +----------------------------------+
  | X:\Exchsrvr\Bin     | Read       | 
  +----------------------------------+
  | X:\Exchsrvr\Res     | Read       | 
  +----------------------------------+
  | X:\Winnt            | Read       | 
  +----------------------------------+
  | X:\Winnt\System32   | Read       | 
  +----------------------------------+

2. Confirm that the Everyone group has at least the minimum permissions that are
  required on the registry keys in the following table. To view security
  settings on registry keys:

  1. Click Start, and then click Run.

  2. In the Run dialog box, type "regedt32.exe" (without the quotation marks).

  3. Click the registry key that you want to view the permissions for, and then
     click Permissions on the Security menu.

  +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
  | Registry key                                                       | Permission | 
  +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
  | HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\system\currentcontrolset\services\MSExchangeWeb | Read       | 
  +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
  | HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\system\currentcontrolset\services\W3svc         | Read       | 
  +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbOutlookSearch kbOWASearch kbOWA550 kbOWA550SP1 kbOWA550SP2 kbOWA550SP3
Version           : :5.5
Issue type        : kbhowto

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

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