Exchange Profile Update Tool

Microsoft Exchange Server Profile Redirector Tool

Published: February 2004 Updated: September 2005 Applies To: Exchange Server 2003 SP2

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Exchange Profile Update Tool

Introduction

Use the Microsoft Exchange Server Profile Redirector tool (exprofre.exe), also known as the Exchange Profile Update tool, to update Microsoft Office Outlook profiles after you move mailboxes across Exchange organizations or administrative groups. Exprofre.exe modifies the default Outlook profile so that users can successfully log on to their mailboxes after the move. Therefore, users can continue to use the same profile after a cross-administrative group or cross-organizational move.
Note If you are moving mailboxes in an Exchange organization that is set to native mode, or if you are moving mailboxes between servers in the same administrative group, you do not need to use exprofre.exe.

The Exchange Server Profile Redirector tool is supported when it is run on the following operating systems and applications: Windows 2000 (all editions) Windows XP (all editions) Windows Server 2003 (all editions) Outlook 98 to Outlook 2003
Note Exprofre.exe does not run if Outlook is currently running on a client computer. A warning appears stating that Outlook must be closed to run the tool.

Exprofre.exe uses information from Active Directory directory service and the current default Outlook profiles to perform the following steps: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Backs up the default profile. Looks for an X.500 e-mail address, which indicates that the mailbox has been moved. Updates the default profile with the new user and server properties. Resets the offline address book (OAB). If the version of Outlook is earlier than Outlook 2003, deletes or renames the offline cache (.ost) file. Deletes or renames the Favorites (.fav or .xml) file.
Note Exprofre.exe updates only the default profile. Exprofre.exe does not create new profiles; it only modifies existing profiles.

Exprofre.exe creates a backup profile before it modifies the default profile if the tool is not completed successfully. The backup profile name consists of the old profile name with "exprofre" added to the end. For example, if the default profile name is "John Smith," the backup profile name is "John Smith exprofre." If you must revert to the backup profile, ensure that any file name extensions that have been changed are changed back to their original extension and, if it is required, that the file name matches the backup profile name. For example, when the tool creates the backup profile, it renames John Smith's Favorites file to "John Smith exprofre." To revert to John Smith's backup profile, you must change extension of the Favorites file back to .fav and the name of the file to "John Smith exprofre" to match the backup profile name.

Exchange Profile Update Tool

Installation

Go the Exchange Server 2003 downloads page at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkId=21030. Click Tools for Exchange Server 2003 in the right pane, and then click Exchange Profile Update.

Using Exprofre.exe

You can run exprofre.exe after you move mailboxes from one Exchange organization to another or from one administrative group to another. You can use a logon script or Group Policy to run the tool for Outlook users.
Note It is recommended that you use a logon script to run the tool so that users' Outlook profiles are updated when they first log on after the mailbox move. See the sample command sections in this document for more information. Note Because this tool is run at logon time and requires that no other MAPI applications are running, the tool does not work on a Terminal Server that has multiple users. On a Terminal Server, all profiles must be recreated.

Note By design, additional Contact folders are removed from the offline address book (OAB) after
a mailbox migration on Outlook 2003 (profile is migrated across forests). You need to manually add the CAB again.

Table 1 describes the options that are available whether you run exprofre.exe at a command prompt or from a script. Note The server fully qualified domain name (FQDN) is now stored in the PR_Profile_Server_FQDN
property.
exprofre.exe [/?] [/targetgc=<global catalog server>] [/logfile=<path\filename>] [/v] [/f] [/a] [/r] [/o] [/p=<Front End proxy server>] [/n]

Table 1 Exprofre.exe Command Options Command Option /? /targetgc Description Displays help. Specifies the target global catalog server (required). The source and target forests should be using the same authentication method; otherwise, the tool may stop responding. Specifies the path and file name for the log file. The default is exprofre.log in the tmp directory, which is saved on the client computer. You can also redirect the log file to a server share by using the format /logfile=<path\filename>.

/logfile

Exchange Profile Update Tool

/v /f /a

Turns on verbose output. Keeps the Favorites file (.fav or .xml). If this option is not specified, the tool renames the extension of the Favorites file to .exprofre. Keeps the offline address book (.oab) files. If this option is not specified, the tool deletes the .oab files and resets Outlook to check the server for an updated set of .oab files. Specifies read-only mode. Deletes instead of renames the offline cache file (.ost). If this option is not specified, the tool renames the extension of the .ost file to .exprofre. (This option is not required for Outlook 2003 or later versions. The .ost file for Outlook 2003 or later versions is always unchanged.) Specifies the front-end proxy server if you are using Outlook 2003 with RPC/HTTP turned on. Clears the Outlook nickname cache file (.nk2 or .nick). If this option is not specified, the tool keeps the nickname file. Updates profiles based on a change in server name instead of a change in legacyExchangeDN. Suppresses pop-up notifications.

/r /o

/p /n /s /q

Sample Command for Moves across Exchange Organizations If you are moving mailboxes across Exchange organizations (cross-forest moves), it is recommended that you use only the /v and /n command options. All other options should be omitted to enable the tool to use its default settings. Because the user is moving to a new forest, most of the Outlook information stored on the user's workstation will be obsolete and must be updated with information about the new forest. By default, the tool deletes most of this obsolete information. The following is a sample command for a mailbox move across Exchange organizations:
Exprofre.exe /targetgc=<target global catalog server> /v /n /logfile=<share\path>

Sample Command for Moves across Administrative Groups If you are moving mailboxes across Exchange sites or administrative groups (in the same Exchange organization), much of the information stored on the user's computer is still valid because they have not moved to another forest. In this scenario, it is recommended that you keep the offline address book, favorites, and nickname files. The following is a sample command for a mailbox move across administrative groups:
Exprofre.exe /targetgc=<target global catalog server> /v /f /a /logfile=<share\path> /n

Sample Log File

The following is sample output from the exprofre.exe tool.

Exchange Profile Update Tool

[16:08:58] ************** Beginning exprofre run ************** [16:08:58] Starting exprofre on Windows 5.1.2600 at 16:08:58 11/20/03 Log File = "\\server1\shared\exprofre.log" Read Only = "No" OS version = 5.1.2600 Outlook 11 is installed. Default profile name = "John" Profile user = "/o=TIFOREST1/ou=First Administrative Group/cn=Recipients" Properties for the provider were successfully updated The default user profile and/or Outlook files were changed [16:08:59] !!!!!!!!!! exprofre completed!