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"The primary SMTP address must be specified when referencing a mailbox" error when you use impersonation in Exchange Server 2019 and 2016

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Symptoms

In Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 or Exchange Server 2016, consider the following scenario:
  • User 1 is an Active Directory (AD) user whose UPN is as same as User 2's SMTP address.
  • User 2 is a mailbox user who has different UPN and SMTP addresses.
  • You try to impersonate User 2 by using his primary SMTP address.
In this situation, the impersonation fails, and you may receive the following error message:
The primary SMTP address must be specified when referencing a mailbox.

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Resolution

To fix this issue, install one of the following updates:
For Exchange Server 2019, install the Cumulative Update 2 for Exchange Server 2019 or a later cumulative update for Exchange Server 2019.
For Exchange Server 2016, install the Cumulative Update 13 for Exchange Server 2016 or a later cumulative update for Exchange Server 2016.

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References

Learn about the terminology that Microsoft uses to describe software updates.

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Keywords: "the primary SMTP address must be specified when referencing a mailbox" error during impersonation, kbfix, kbqfe, kbHotfixAuto, CI101725

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Article Info
Article ID : 4502155
Revision : 8
Created on : 6/18/2019
Published on : 6/18/2019
Exists online : False
Views : 313