Exchange Management Console pointing to wrong server “The attempt to connect to http://server.domain.com/PowerShell using "Kerberos" authentication failed”
I came across this error during an Exchange 2010 Unified Messaging deployment. The EMC would not connect:
"The attempt to connect to http://server.domain.com/PowerShell using "Kerberos" authentication failed: connecting to remote server failed with the following error message : The WinRM client cannot complete the operation within the time specified. Check if the machine name is valid and is reachable over the network and firewall exception for Windows Remote Management service is enabled. For more information, see the about_Remote_Troubleshooting Help topic."
There are various blog posts on the internet around how to fix the connectivity problem to the server, but in this case the server EMC was pointing to had been decommissioned properly and was no longer listed in AD. EMS would connect fine to a different working server.
In my case I had to take two actions to fixed it.
Close EMC
Under C:\users\<specific user>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\MMC\Exchange Management Console\ there is a config file. Delete it
In the registry under HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Exchangeserver\v14\AdminTools\NodeStructureSettings delete the value NodeStructureSettings
Only after both of these are done, did the EMC correctly rediscover an active Exchange 2010 server. If one or there other is done, the incorrect server information is retained.
Also as a workaround I could add a “new” Exchange forest and connect, but I wanted to actually fix the issue.
Tom Arbuthnot
@tomarbuthnot
Latest posts by Tom Arbuthnot (see all)
- Lync 2013 client “Network Password Required to Connect” Proxy Issue - 21/05/2013
- Installing a New Lync 2010 Pool into an environment with an existing DFS Lync Share - 21/05/2013
- Lync Location Database (LIS) is Not Available Externally via Reverse Proxy - 13/05/2013
- Lync 2013: An error occurred during the screen presentation (KB2760556 issue) - 13/05/2013
DUDE!!!! Thank you so much for this! I was going around in circles thinking that it was IIS or DNS. I ran the EMC troubleshooter and it came back without any errors. I have no idea why, but I get more corrupt profiles on this server than I have in my whole life. hal the time when I do a standard reboot, I get the nice message telling me that my profile is running in temp mode or whatever and I have to delete the registry key so it will allow me to create a new profile upon login.
Your welcome. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Always nice to know the blog posts are helping people.
Tom,
The above fixed my EMC and it launches now, but the Shell still gets the same error. Any ideas?
Hi there, Nothing comes to mind off hand, can you start a thread on technet forums with the details. That is the best place to go. I will try to take a look there too.
I had the same problem and followed this post and the problem is now resolved.
Thank you kindly for this fix.
This fixed the issue for me after searching for 2 hours. Thank you much for posting this. What a pain this was.
Thanks again
Great. Thanks for the comment.
Tom
Thanks a lot. This post helped me a lot!!!
Great
Thanks a lot dude. Your quick fix did it!!!!!
Great, thanks for the comment
Another thank you!!!
Cheers Matt!
Tom
Outstanding Sir, out standing in the rain….. Hooah. Saved me a ton of time after a “server” rename to match the previous technicians certificate subject alternate names
Kudos and thanks…..
Unfortunately I was not as lucky as the above readers, my problem persists – been going though plenty troubleshooting guides from TechNet and the like, and about to pull my hair outta my skull.
Any further ideas would be appreciated !
Have you posted a thread on technet?
thanks
I am actually going through some more guides – Technet thread will be next – what a pain !
Also unable to open the Exchange Management Console for some reason..
Will keep digging, but omw im getting short of temper now :’(
Thanks. Worked for me on server 2008 r2 standard and exchange 2010 sp2. will post a link to this on my blog if you dont mind. thanks
Glad it worked. More than happy for you to link to the article.
Cheers
Tom
This help me too. EMC in my DR site was trying to connected to a server in Production site when the it was not accessable.
My EMS worked fine.
Thanks
Great. Thanks for the comment
Spot on! After removing an Exchange 2010 server I couldn’t start the Exchange management console on the other server (failed to connect to the removed server). This post fixed the issue!
Many thanks!
Great, cheers
Your article saved me a ton of frustration. I banged my head on the wall for a couple of hours trying to figure out why my console kept pointing to a server that had been decomissioned.
I even opened a trouble ticket with MS and the Exchange Engineering team had no clue. I can’t necessarily blame them. Exchange is such a monster and this particular issue appears to be uncommon.
In any case, it’s a long shot but if you ever find yourself in Las Vegas, Nevada USA. I will buy you a beer.
Thanks for the comment
My favourite comments are the ones that offer me beer
All the best
Tom
Heyyy !! I had the same error. I perfromed the above operation but its not resolved .. Help me out please!! When again reconnet my EMC I get the same error again :S :S
Does the CP work in another server? Prob best to post a thread on Technet Forums and I’ll try to take a look. Thanks
Thanks. I’m sitting here with a client (who’s annoying) and this popped up just at the end of a very long day. Your fix worked and I will soon be able to leave
Glad it worked for you
thanks for the comment
Hallelujah! Eureka!
Thanks
Thanks – worked a treat
Great. Thanks for the comment
Tom
Perfection! We installed the first exchange server for a client and then they told us to rename the server. I uninstalled Exchange, renamed the server and reinstalled. After reinstalling, EMC was still using the old name. This fixed the issue perfectly.
I owe you a beer.
Always happy to take payment in beer
cheers
Big Mahalos to you!!!
So I don’t see a config file I only see eventvwr, Exchange Mangement Console, and SerManager files in the C:\Users\administrators.Domain\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\MMC folder. I did not seem to have a Exchange Mangement Console folder. I did go into the registry and deleted the Node Structure settings and still not working. I now get the following.
You cannot call a methos on a null-valued expression. It was running the command “discover-exchagnserver -User WIA $true -SuppressError $true -CurrentVersino ‘Version 14.1 (bulild 218.15)’.
I did not delete the Exchange Management Console file that was present in the folder above. Should I have?
Thank you so much for this! you took away alot of my frustration with this post.
Thank you so much. It worked like a charm for me as well today.
High, thank you so much for this!!
In my case did not solve the problem, but gave orientations to solve it!
I had a support user with the EMC installed on a Win7 machine and hi got this error and after the procedures showed here, the problem was not solved, the Win7 keep finding the wrong address.
What I did was export the registry branch “AdminTools” from the server, which opens the EMC correctly, delete it on the Win7 machine, and import the registry branch, voilá, worked as a charm!!!
Many tnaks again
Thanks for posting, i spent ages troubleshooting this issue
Glad it helped!
Thank you! Worked a treat!
Great!
hi sir,
I have one question ,,
I have main forest in city and more servers in another city I have exchange server 2010 in the forest can I install exchange server 2010 in the other city with all rules and connect it to the main exchange server in the forest and how if it possible?