Error message when you use Outlook Web Access in Exchange 2000 Server: "The remote procedure call failed" or "The handle is invalid"

When you use Outlook Web Access in Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server, you receive an error message in the browser.

When the browser's Show friendly error messages option is disabled, the error message that you receive resembles one of the following error messages:Note The Show friendly error messages option is located on the Advanced tab under Internet Options.

Additionally, the following events are logged in the Application log:

Event ID: 2050
Event Type: Error
Event Source: MSExchangeDSAccess
Event Category: General
Date: Date
Time: Time
User: N/A
Computer: Server_Name
Description: Process DLLHOST.EXE /PROCESSID:{3D14228D-FBE1-11D0-995D-00C04FD919C1} (PID=3124). The shared memory heap could not be created.

Event ID: 101
Event Type: Information
Event Source: DAVEX
Event Category: None
Date: Date
Time: Time
User: N/A
Computer: Server_Name
Description: DAVEX to be shutdown. Version: 6.0.6249.0

Additionally, the following event is logged in the System log:

Event ID: 37
Event Type: Warning
Event Source: W3SVC
Event Category: None
Date: Date
Time: Time
User: N/A
Computer: Server_Name
Description: Out of process application '/LM/W3SVC/1/ROOT' terminated unexpectedly. For additional information specific to this message please visit the Microsoft Online Support site located at: <http://www.microsoft.com/contentredirect.asp>.

This issue occurs when the Davex.dll and Exprox.dll files are not running in the Inetinfo.exe process.

To resolve this issue, you must add the Davex.dll and Exprox.dll files to the Inetinfo.exe process, and then restart the default Web site. To do this, follow these steps.

Warning If you edit the metabase incorrectly, you can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall any product that uses the metabase. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems that result if you incorrectly edit the metabase can be solved. Edit the metabase at your own risk.

Note Always back up the metabase before you edit it.

Step 1: Back up the metabase

1. Start Internet Services Manager.
2. Right-click Server_Name, and then click Backup/Restore Configuration.
3. Click Create backup.
4. In the Configuration backup name box, type an appropriate name, click OK, and then click Close.
5. Exit Internet Services Manager.

Step 2: Add the Davex.dll and Exprox.dll files to the Inetinfo.exe process

1. Start the MetaEdit utility.
2. Expand LM, and then click W3SVC.
3. In the right pane, click the Name column heading. Do this to sort by name.
4. Double-click InProcessIsapiApps.
5. Click Add. A new Data box appears.
6. In the Data box, type the path of the Davex.dll file.
   
   For example, type Drive_Letter:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\bin\davex.dll.
7. Repeat steps 2e to 2f for the Exprox.dll file.
8. Click OK, and then exit the MetaEdit utility.

Step 3: Restart the default Web site

1. In Internet Services Manager, expand Server_Name.
2. Right-click Default Web Site, and then click Stop.
3. After the default Web site is stopped, right-click Default Web Site, and then click Start.

To work around this issue, you must configure the Exchange and Public virtual directories to run in the "Low (IIS process)" application protection level. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Start Internet Services Manager.
2. Expand Server_Name, and then expand Default Web Site.
3. Right-click Exchange, and then click Properties.
4. On the Virtual Directory tab, view the Application Name box under Application Settings.
   
   If the Application Name box appears to be dimmed, go to step 5.
   
   If the Application Name box is populated with the legend "Exchange," go to step 6.
5. Click Create. The Application Name box is now populated with the legend Exchange.
6. In the Application Protection box, click Low (IIS process), and then click OK.
7. Right-click public, and then click Properties.
8. On the Virtual Directory tab, view the Application Name box under Application Settings.
   
   If the Application Name box appears to be dimmed, go to step 9.
   
   If the Application Name box is populated with the legend "public," go to step 10.
9. Click Create. The Application Name box is now populated with the legend "public."
10. In the Application Protection box, click Low (IIS process), and then click OK.
11. Exit Internet Services Manager.

When you install Microsoft Exchange Server, the Davex.dll and Exprox.dll files are added to the InProcessIsapiApps entry in the metabase. This entry is a global entry. The entry forces Davex.dll and Exprox.dll to run together with Inetinfo.exe as InProcess programs.

If the Davex.dll and Exprox.dll files are missing from the InProcessIsapiApps entry, Outlook Web Access functions only when the Exchange and Public virtual directories are also run as InProcess programs.

Note When a program is run as an InProcess program, it is run inside another program. Additionally, the program that is run as an InProcess program does not appear as a separate process in a process monitor such as Windows Task Manager.