Cannot Cancel Exchange or Outlook Start when Server is Offline

• Microsoft Outlook 97
• Microsoft Exchange, version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

When starting the Exchange Client, or Outlook 97 when the Microsoft Exchange Server is unavailable, you are unable to cancel the startup of Outlook or the Exchange client. In this situation, you receive the following message:

   Your Microsoft Exchange Server is unavailable.

   You can retry connecting to the server using the network, or work
   offline and connect using dial-up networking.

   Network problems are preventing connection to the Microsoft Exchange
   Server computer. Contact your system administrator if this condition
   persists.

CAUSE

This behavior is a limitation of the Microsoft Exchange Server.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Exchange Server 4.0 for Windows NT Server. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.