Kind of embarrased to admit it, but this is what the client has and it is unlikely to change. I recently had to restore and recover an Exchange 5.5 server on a Windows 2000 server in a Windows 2003 AD. I know it isn't supposed to work, but it does. The only hiccup I have is getting the Exchange Internet Mail connector to install. It gets through most of the installation, then fails because the IMC didn't start in a timely fashion, then backs out the install. I suspect is has something to do with the 2003AD but am not 100% sure and wondered if way back in the dark ages anyone came across a similar issue and managed to resolve it? Thanks for any assistance.

Hello Andrew, Can you see anything in application log, any event related to it?Gulab | MCITP: Exchange 2010-2007 | Skype: Gulab.Mallah | Blog: www.ExchangeRanger.Blogspot.com

Nothing of interest or value. The usual uninformative message of "the service failed to start....." (I am not in front of the server and cannot get remote access to it, sorry). Believe me, I have searched the logs, eventid.net and googled every variant of the error I could find to no avail. I am hoping the broad pool of knowledge here might prove fruitful.

Hi, If there is any firewall/anti virus installed, please disable it then and install the IMC once again. Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread. Thanks Gen Lin-MSFT

No firewall installed, though I do have an installation of Trend Micro, an old one. I will uninstall this and see what it does. Thanks.

I disabled Trend Micro - AV and scan mail - and tried another installation of the Internet Mail Service. Again, it gets almost to the end where it starts the IMC Service and displays the error: While attempting to start the Microsoft Exchange Internet Mail Service service, the following error was encountered: The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion. Microsoft Windows NT ID no: 0xc002041d after OK'ing the error message, the only choice I have is Cancel at which time it removes the IMS service and backs out the installation. Googled the above with not much benefit. Cheers.