The following error occured while searching for on-premises exchange server

Question

I've previously posted this under the Exchange Forums - Exchange Server 2010
I look after a company where I installed a new DELL server last year, The server is running Windows Small Business Server 2011 which we installed. Exchange 2010 was installed as part of the Windows Small Business Server 2011 installation. At the time we
did not configure Exchange because they use external POP accounts for email. Eventually they wanted to move over to Exchange
When we created the user accounts using Windows SBS Console, it created a local mailbox for each user
No problems - [email protected]
Since late last year every time I create a new user within SBS Console, it errors creating the mailbox
Add a user account and assign a user role
Getting "Unexpected error occurred" when Setting up an e-mail account for user
Looking at the error "Unexpected error occurred" & MessagingManagement "Unexpected error occured"
The user account is created ok just no e-mail address is created for the user
I never thought much about this at the time as we weren't using Exchange email accounts. I decided to have a look at this issue over weekend
When I try to open Microsoft Exchange Management Console I'm getting "Initialization failed"
The following error occurred when searching for the On-Premises Exchange server
When I try to open Microsoft Exchange Management Shell, I get a similar error
I've download & run EMTShooter which just identifies there is an error & gives me the same error
I've installed & re-installed WinRM IIS Extensions
I've checked all the settings in IIS, Default Web Site, PowerShell, Modules & Paths...
Still cannot connect to Exchange
I've trawled through the internet for two days checking & testing every solution but no luck
I've checked every setting against another Windows SBS 2011 Server we've installed & works
I cannot find a difference
Can someone help me or point me in the right direction?
Peter Ralphs

Answer 1

Thanks for the reply Larry
I've added more detail about the error, this server is exactly how I initially installed it. This was a clean install not a migration so Exchange was a new installation. I have not applied any service packs as I did not want to confuse matters
or compound the issue. I was wondering whether to install Server 2008 Service Pack 1 & the Exchange Service Packs. I will check the event logs & report back with what I find.
Here's the original error I was getting when opening Exchange Management Console
Initialization failed
The following error ocurred while searching for the on-premises Exchange server:
[server.myd.local] Connecting to remote server failed with the following error message : The WinRM client cannot process the request. It cannot determine the content type of the HTTP response from the destination computer. The content type is absent or invalid.
For more information, see the about_Remote_Troubleshooting Help topic. It was running the command 'Discover-ExchangeServer -UseWIA $true -SuppressError $true -CurrentVersion 'Version 14.1 (Build 218.15)
I got similar error when trying to access the Exchange Management Shell
VERBOSE: Connecting to SERVER.myd.local
[server.myd.local] Connecting to remote server failed with the following error message : The WinRM client cannot process the request. It cannot determine the content type of the HTTP response from the destination computer. The content type is absent or invalid.
For more information, see the about_Remote_Troubleshooting Help topic.
    + CategoryInfo : OpenError: (System.Manageme....RemoteRunspace:RemoteRunspace) [],                          
PSRemotingTransportException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : PSSessionOpenFailed
When I opened the Exchange Management Console this week, the error had changed slightly
Initialization failed
The following error ocurred while searching for the on-premises Exchange server:
[server.myd.local] Connecting to remote server failed with the following error message : The WinRM client received an HTTP server error status (500), but the remote service did not include any other information about the cause of the failure. For more information,
see the about_Remote_Troubleshooting Help topic. It was running the command 'Discover-ExchangeServer -UseWIA $true -SuppressError $true -CurrentVersion 'Version 14.1 (Build 218.15)
I could only run Exbpa from a command prompt (obviously no access from Exchange Management Console)
This is the result of the Health Check Scan
Organization: First Organization
Default Global Address List Changed
The 'msExchQueryFilter' attribute of the default Global Address List 'Default Global Address List' has been changed. Default: '(Alias -ne $null -and (ObjectClass -eq 'user' -or ObjectClass -eq 'contact' -or ObjectClass -eq 'msExchSystemMailbox' -or ObjectClass
-eq 'msExchDynamicDistributionList' -or ObjectClass -eq 'group' -or ObjectClass - eq 'publicFolder'))'. Current: '((Alias -ne $null) -and (((ObjectClass -eq 'user') -or (ObjectClass -eq 'contact') -or (ObjectClass -eq 'msExchSystemMailbox') -or (ObjectClass
-eq 'msExchDynamicDistributionList') -or (ObjectClass -eq 'group') -or (ObjectClass -eq 'publicFolder'))))'.
Admin Group: Exchange Administrative Group (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)
The default public folder database is remote
The default public folder database for mailbox database 'Mailbox Database' on server SERVER isn't local. Public folder database: CN=Public Folder Database 1529293969,CN=Databases,CN=Exchange Administrative Group (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT),CN=Administrative Groups,CN=First
Organization,CN=Microsoft Exchange,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=myd,DC=local.
Server: SERVER
Disk timeout changed
Disk timeout on server SERVER.myd.local is not set at the default of 10 seconds. This is normal if third-party storage software is installed. Current timeout value is 160 seconds.
Client RPC binding found
The 'Rpc_Binding_Order' is set on server SERVER.myd.local. It is possible that either the Exchange or Outlook client is installed on the server. Current registry value: ncalrpc,ncacn_ip_tcp.
One thing I've noticed from the start is that the error occurs when it is "searching" for the Exchange Server, it then goes on to name the server [server.myd.local] it knows it's there but cannot access it ?
Another thing I've noticed is that it always refers to the "remote server" this server is Windows SBS 2011, it's the Domain Controller, DHCP Server, DNS Server & Exchange Server all in the same box
I also noticed that the Health Check stated that "The default public folder database is remote"
Has this something to do with it ?
Regards
Peter