While try to log into an Exchange 2003 mailbox by using WebDAV program, you receive a 401 status code in IE

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When the user tried to access a Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 mailbox by using a program that uses Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV), Internet Explorer throws 401 HTTP status code. During investigation we found that we may not be able to access the mailbox.

Also we notice that the mailbox has never received an e-mail message, and a user has never logged on to the mailbox. After checking the application log, we notice the following event logged in it:

Event Type: Error
Event Source: MSExchangeIS Mailbox Store
Event Category: Logons
Event ID: 1022
Description:
Logon Failure on database "Storage Group Name\Mailbox Store (xxxxxxx)"

At end of analysis, we noticed that the mailbox is the recently created one.

By design, when a mailbox object is created in the Exchange information store, the mailbox object is not available by WebDAV until the mailbox is accessed through a client logon. If the mailbox receives an e-mail message, the mailbox object becomes available, but not in a way that permits the WebDAV program access. So, the problem still occurs.

To overcome this, log on to the mailbox by using one of the following clients before you run the WebDAV program:

  • Log on to the mailbox by using a Outlook.
  • Log on to the mailbox by using the Outlook Web Access (OWA).
  • Log on to the mailbox by using a custom application

Happy troubleshooting!