This page contains frequently asked questions about Exchange Online in Office 365. It's updated frequently, so check back regularly for new information. [Last update: January 16, 2012]
Also, be sure to check the Forum Issues page.
Connectivity Issues
Why can’t I connect to my account from my mobile device or desktop e-mail program after resetting or changing my password?
You need to update the password value in the settings on your mobile device or desktop e-mail program (for example, Apple Mail, Mozilla Thunderbird, Microsoft Outlook, or Windows Live Mail) each time your password changes.
To resolve this, make sure that the password entered on your mobile device settings or desktop e-mail program settings matches the most current password that you use to sign in to Outlook Web App. For more information, see Update the password setting on your mobile device and desktop email programs after changing your Office 365 password.
As a person that manages accounts for my company, what do I need to know before I reset a user password?
When you reset a user’s password, the user needs to update the password setting on any mobile devices or desktop e-mail programs that they use to connect to their accounts. We recommend that you notify your users of this requirement. For information, see Update the password setting on your mobile device and desktop email programs after changing your Office 365 password.
Other Issues
I’m trying to access my mailbox at mail.office365.com. If I use http://mail.office365.com, it works fine. But if I use https://mail.office365.com, I get certificate errors. What’s wrong?
You can’t use https with mail.office365.com. Even though the URL starts with http, you are immediately redirected to use https for the entire session, including authenticating and accessing your mailbox in Outlook Web App. For more information about Exchange Online URLs, see Configure Sign-In URLs for Outlook Web App.
Do you support a catch-all mailbox that accepts all incoming mail for invalid e-mail addresses?
No, we don't support a catch-all mailbox.
How do I set up conference rooms or other facilities to accept meeting requests?
Exchange Online uses resource mailboxes to provide a centralized calendar to manage reservations for things that people want to use. There are two types of resource mailboxes:
Room mailboxes Use these for physical locations, like conference rooms, auditoriums, and training labs. To create room mailboxes:
In the Exchange Control Panel, select Manage My Organization > Users & Groups > Mailboxes.
Click New and in the drop-down list, select Room Mailbox. (For details, see Create a Room Mailbox.)
Equipment mailboxes Office 365 for enterprises admins can use Windows PowerShell to create equipment mailboxes for items that don’t have a physical location, such as portable computers, audio-visual equipment, or vehicles. For details, see Create Equipment Mailboxes.
After you create a resource mailbox, users can immediately create conflict-free reservations for the room or equipment. However, if you want to refine who can reserve the resource, when they can reserve it, and for how long, there are many options available to fine-tune the resource mailbox and the reservation process. For more information, see Configure Resource Mailbox Options. Remember: after you create a resource mailbox, it’s added to the Mailboxes list in the Exchange Control Panel: Manage My Organization > Users & Groups > Mailboxes.
How do I set up a meeting? Users can set up meetings using the Scheduling Assistant. In Outlook or Outlook Web App, just create a new appointment or meeting request, and then click the Scheduling Assistant tab. And users can reserve a room by creating a meeting and including the room mailbox. For details, see Select a Meeting Room.
How do I set up Exchange Online Archiving?
For a complete list of the requirements for and step-by-step instructions on how to configure Exchange Online Archiving, see Configure Exchange Online Archiving.
Compliance
What compliance features are available in Office 365 for professionals and small businesses vs Office 365 for enterprises?
In Compliance Features in Exchange Online, check out the "Compliance feature availability" table.
How do I configure litigation hold? I can’t find it!
In Exchange Online for 365 Beta for enterprises, admins set up litigation hold, also known as legal hold, on the individual user’s mailbox. To learn how litigation hold works and how to put a mailbox on litigation hold in Exchange Online, see Put a Mailbox on Litigation Hold.
Note: Litigation hold isn’t available to Office 365 Beta for professionals and small businesses, so you won’t see the Litigation hold option on a user’s mailbox in Office 365 Beta for professionals and small businesses.
How do I run a discovery search?
In Exchange Online for 365 Beta for enterprises, admins use Multi-Mailbox Search in the Exchange Control Panel to search the mailboxes in their organization for e-mail and other message types that contain specific keywords. In the Exchange Control Panel, select Manage My Organization > Mail Control > Discovery > New. To learn more, see Multi-Mailbox Searches.
Note: Multi-Mailbox Search isn’t available to Office 365 Beta for professionals and small businesses, so the Discovery tab isn’t available in the Exchange Control Panel. Also, in Exchange Online for 365 Beta for enterprises, to search mailboxes, you must be a member of the Discovery Management role group. If you’re not a member of that group, the Discovery tab isn’t available in the Exchange Control Panel. To learn how to assign membership, see Give Users Access to Multi-Mailbox Search. For more information about role groups, see Administrator Role Groups in Exchange Online.
How do I track messages? Where are delivery reports in the Exchange Control Panel?
Outlook Web App users can check the status of e-mail delivery by clicking Options > See All Options > Organize E-Mail > Delivery Reports from their Outlook Web App e-mail. See Use the Delivery Reports Tab to Get Delivery Information About Messages.
Exchange Online admins can use Delivery Reports in the Exchange Control Panel to track delivery information about messages sent by or received from any mailbox in their organization. See Delivery Reports for Administrators.
Exchange ActiveSync
How can I help my users synchronize their mobile devices?
Point your users to the Mobile Phone Setup Wizard. Also, check out Patricia DiGiacomo Eddy's blog post: Go Mobile! - Set up your mobile phone on Office 365.
How can I control which mobile devices my users use to synchronize to Exchange Online?
Use device access rules. Here’s how: Create a New Device Access Rule
I’ve set my organization-wide Exchange ActiveSync Access settings to quarantine mobile devices, but I’m getting too many quarantine messages. How do I make them stop?
If you’re getting too many quarantine messages, you may want to create device access rules to allow or block specific device families so you minimize the number of quarantine notifications you have to handle. Follow the instructions for Configuring ActiveSync in a large organization here: Configuration Recommendations for Exchange ActiveSync
I want to allow one person to use a device that’s normally blocked. How do I do that?
You create a personal exemption to device access rules for that person. Here’s how: Exempt a User from Device Access Rules
How do I configure Connected Accounts so I get all my e-mail in my Office 365 mailbox?
See Connected Accounts for instructions about how to set up a connected account and Darcy Jayne's Getting Started with Connected Accounts blog for tips about setting the default reply address and details about how Connected Accounts works with Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, and Gmail.