We have two Surface RT machines. Neither will connect to our 2003 Exchange Server with the Exchange ActiveSync setup (EAS) option in Mail. We have lots of other Smartphones and tablets connected. After many hours, Microsoft Surface Technical Support has not been able to resolve. Errors received: "Unable to connect. Ensure the information entered is correct" A brief error message in the upper right corner of the screen that says ******@myOUTSIDEdomain.com is unavailable Data Entered: Using: Mail Tile/add your mail accounts/view all in set.../Other Account/ Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) /show more details setup screen: Email address: ******@myOUTSIDEdomain.com Server address: webmail.myOUTSIDEdomain.com Domain: myINSIDEdomain Username: johnsmith Password: mypassword Please let me know if you see something wrong with the above data - it works for about 40 other mobile device.

BOTTOM LINE: it's ridiculous to expect IT managers to modify server settings to get Surface to work. Surface should be the device to be modified. Most requests to modify a server will be met with, "You should have bought an iPad." New devices come out all the time. Just because some work with an existing configuration doesn't mean that configuration should work with everything. Back in the day when Blackberry was the only way to get secure remote e-mails, people made the same argument with ActiveSync: "Why should my IT staff have to enable or buy ActiveSync when Blackberry already has it working? Everyone should just be compatible with the BES." Same situation. We know the Surface RT client does work with Exchange servers (perhaps Exchange 2003 is an exception). Is the right solution for MS to patch a functional mail client, or for the IT staff in a company to make a single line change to ActiveSync so it is Surface RT compatible? Again, possible Exchange 2003 issues aside, this is a problem that could potentially be quickly fixed by opening an IT ticket, or (unfortunately) using a device that is "supported" by your IT department. If anyone that has an open ticket with MS on the issue now can share what exactly MS found, and which version(s) of Exchange server and which policies it pertains to, I would appreciate it.

Hello, All. Last week, MS Support said they were "escalating" my support ticket on this issue. But, I have not heard back. I called over the weekend, and they said "Monday" (today) they would call. But, the notes in the computer seemed to recognize this is indeed a Surface problem, and they are working on a resolution. BOTTOM LINE: it's ridiculous to expect IT managers to modify server settings to get Surface to work. Surface should be the device to be modified. Most requests to modify a server will be met with, "You should have bought an iPad."

Ok, I did some digging... I found this MS KB article: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb430769.aspx Within, it says the following: If you have Windows Phone 7 mobile phones in your organization, these phones will experience synchronization problems if certain Exchange ActiveSync mailbox policy properties are configured. To allow Windows Phone 7 mobile phones to synchronize with an Exchange mailbox, either set the AllowNonProvisionableDevices property to True or only configure the following Exchange ActiveSync mailbox policy properties: PasswordRequired MinPasswordLength IdleTimeoutFrequencyValue DeviceWipeThreshold AllowSimplePassword PasswordExpiration PasswordHistory DisableRemovableStorage DisableIrDA DisableDesktopSync BlockRemoteDesktop BlockInternetSharing My guess is if this information doesn't also apply to the Win8 Metro Mail client, there is probably another set of similar information. In this article: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/exchange2010/thread/d1c280b1-f6e0-44b9-aef8-797d223da5bb There is an issue supporting encryption on the SD Card on the Surface. For those having an issue with Exchange, do you have an SD card? What happens if you remove it and try again? Keep in mind, these apply to current Exchange server environments, so no guarantee these settings even exist in Exchange 2003. If anyone can try without SD Cards, or verifying the Exchange policies are setup per the first link so they are compatible with Windows Phone 7 that would be helpful/

Yes, the Lenovo was already set-up for the company domain (for VPN access) prior to the Win7 to Win8 Pro software upgrade. After the upgrade at my home, I connected to my WiFi AT&T U-Verse network, opened the Win 8 Mail APP, and connected (without a VPN) to Exchange Server 2003 on the first try. But the machine was already part of your domain. Even without the VPN active your machine, machine account, and passwords were already compliant with corporate security standards. There may have also been some registry changes made by IT to tweak the mail client. Also, for the Surface, are you linking it to your Online account (live.com) or did you configure the Surface as standalone? I'm curious if there is a clean, "personal" build of Windows 8 that works while the Surface client doesn't. I have both a clean personal build of Win 8 Pro and a MS Surface, and with the same account info both work in exactly the same way.

NEED HELP - EXCHANGE ACTIVESYNC (EAS) will not connect to Exchange Server

Anonymous

We have two Surface RT machines. Neither will connect to our 2003 Exchange Server with the Exchange ActiveSync setup (EAS) option in Mail. We have lots of other Smartphones and tablets connected. After many hours, Microsoft Surface Technical Support has not been able to resolve.

Errors received:

"Unable to connect. Ensure the information entered is correct"
A brief error message in the upper right corner of the screen that says ******@myOUTSIDEdomain.com is unavailable

Data Entered:

Using: Mail Tile/add your mail accounts/view all in set.../Other Account/Exchange ActiveSync (EAS)/show more details setup screen:

Email address: ******@myOUTSIDEdomain.com
Server address: webmail.myOUTSIDEdomain.com
Domain: myINSIDEdomain
Username: johnsmith
Password: mypassword

Please let me know if you see something wrong with the above data - it works for about 40 other mobile device.

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

Wow, there is a lot of misinformation on this board..... Surface does connect to Exchange and has since day 1. The problem is that you are using self signed certificates, and surface does not accept self signed certificates unless you install them yourself. This is done for security, it had nothing to do with joining domains or anything like that, there is no bug. Exchange mail has worked on my surface since October 26th. Make sure you install the cert under

"Trusted Root Certification Authorities"

http://www.lonecpluspluscoder.com/2012/10/how-to-make-a-self-signed-ssl-certificate-work-with-windows-rts-mail-app-on-a-microsoft-surface-rt/

http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/adding-exchange-email-account-windows-rt

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68 additional answers

Anonymous

2012-11-05T18:17:09+00:00

BOTTOM LINE: it's ridiculous to expect IT managers to modify server settings to get Surface to work. Surface should be the device to be modified. Most requests to modify a server will be met with, "You should have bought an iPad."

New devices come out all the time. Just because some work with an existing configuration doesn't mean that configuration should work with everything.

Back in the day when Blackberry was the only way to get secure remote e-mails, people made the same argument with ActiveSync: "Why should my IT staff have to enable or buy ActiveSync when Blackberry already has it working? Everyone should just be compatible with the BES."

Same situation. We know the Surface RT client does work with Exchange servers (perhaps Exchange 2003 is an exception). Is the right solution for MS to patch a functional mail client, or for the IT staff in a company to make a single line change to ActiveSync so it is Surface RT compatible?

Again, possible Exchange 2003 issues aside, this is a problem that could potentially be quickly fixed by opening an IT ticket, or (unfortunately) using a device that is "supported" by your IT department.

If anyone that has an open ticket with MS on the issue now can share what exactly MS found, and which version(s) of Exchange server and which policies it pertains to, I would appreciate it.
Was this answer helpful?

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Anonymous

2012-11-05T16:25:39+00:00

Hello, All.

Last week, MS Support said they were "escalating" my support ticket on this issue. But, I have not heard back. I called over the weekend, and they said "Monday" (today) they would call. But, the notes in the computer seemed to recognize this is indeed a Surface problem, and they are working on a resolution.

BOTTOM LINE: it's ridiculous to expect IT managers to modify server settings to get Surface to work. Surface should be the device to be modified. Most requests to modify a server will be met with, "You should have bought an iPad."
Was this answer helpful?

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Anonymous

2012-11-05T16:01:35+00:00
Ok, I did some digging...

I found this MS KB article:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb430769.aspx

Within, it says the following:

If you have Windows Phone 7 mobile phones in your organization, these phones will experience synchronization problems if certain Exchange ActiveSync mailbox policy properties are configured. To allow Windows Phone 7 mobile phones to synchronize with an Exchange mailbox, either set the AllowNonProvisionableDevices property to True or only configure the following Exchange ActiveSync mailbox policy properties:
- PasswordRequired
- MinPasswordLength
- IdleTimeoutFrequencyValue
- DeviceWipeThreshold
- AllowSimplePassword
- PasswordExpiration
- PasswordHistory
- DisableRemovableStorage
- DisableIrDA
- DisableDesktopSync
- BlockRemoteDesktop
- BlockInternetSharing
My guess is if this information doesn't also apply to the Win8 Metro Mail client, there is probably another set of similar information.

In this article:

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/exchange2010/thread/d1c280b1-f6e0-44b9-aef8-797d223da5bb

There is an issue supporting encryption on the SD Card on the Surface. For those having an issue with Exchange, do you have an SD card? What happens if you remove it and try again?

Keep in mind, these apply to current Exchange server environments, so no guarantee these settings even exist in Exchange 2003.

If anyone can try without SD Cards, or verifying the Exchange policies are setup per the first link so they are compatible with Windows Phone 7 that would be helpful/
Was this answer helpful?

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Anonymous

2012-11-05T06:10:07+00:00

Yes, the Lenovo was already set-up for the company domain (for VPN access) prior to the Win7 to Win8 Pro software upgrade. After the upgrade at my home, I connected to my WiFi AT&T U-Verse network, opened the Win 8 Mail APP, and connected (without a VPN) to Exchange Server 2003 on the first try.

But the machine was already part of your domain. Even without the VPN active your machine, machine account, and passwords were already compliant with corporate security standards. There may have also been some registry changes made by IT to tweak the mail client.

Also, for the Surface, are you linking it to your Online account (live.com) or did you configure the Surface as standalone?

I'm curious if there is a clean, "personal" build of Windows 8 that works while the Surface client doesn't.

I have both a clean personal build of Win 8 Pro and a MS Surface, and with the same account info both work in exactly the same way.
Was this answer helpful?

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