I'm trying to install Exchange 2003 onto a new Windows 2003 SP1 server, and it is failing with... "Setup failed while installing sub-component Required machine-level setttings with error code 0xc00708ac..." Then it gives me the option to Retry or Cancel. Checking the Exchange Server Setup Progress.log, the part where it's failing is below... "...[20:31:25] Checking to see if machine account BOS-MAIL$ is a member of group Exchange Domain Servers[20:31:25] 'BOS-MAIL$' to group 'Exchange Domain Servers' on DC '\\BOS-FS01' CSecurity:cIsAccountMemberOfGroup (f:\titanium\admin\src\libs\logic\security.cxx:2322) Error code 0XC00708AC (2220): The group name could not be found.[20:31:25] CAtomSharedMachineSettings:cWriteRegistryKeys, while calling CSecurity:cIsAccountMemberOfGroup (f:\titanium\admin\src\udog\exsetdata\components\server\a_fos.cxx:161) Error code 0XC00708AC (2220): The group name could not be found.[20:31:25] CAtomSharedMachineSettings:cWriteRegistryKeys (f:\titanium\admin\src\udog\exsetdata\components\server\a_fos.cxx:218) Error code 0XC00708AC (2220): The group name could not be found.[20:31:25] Leaving CAtomSharedMachineSettings:cWriteRegistryKeys[20:31:25] CAtomSharedMachineSettings:cAddRegistryKeys (f:\titanium\admin\src\udog\exsetdata\components\server\a_fos.cxx:92) Error code 0XC00708AC (2220): The group name could not be found.[20:31:25] Leaving CAtomSharedMachineSettings:cAddRegistryKeys[20:31:25] CBaseAtom:cAdd (f:\titanium\admin\src\udog\setupbase\basecomp\baseatom.cxx:939) Error code 0XC00708AC (2220): The group name could not be found.[20:31:25] Service = '' CBaseServiceAtom:cAdd (f:\titanium\admin\src\udog\setupbase\basecomp\basesvcatom.cxx:210) Error code 0XC00708AC (2220): The group name could not be found.[20:31:25] Leaving CBaseServiceAtom(Required machine-level settings):cAdd[20:31:25] mode = 'Install' (61953) CBaseAtom:cSetup (f:\titanium\admin\src\udog\setupbase\basecomp\baseatom.cxx:842) Error code 0XC00708AC (2220): The group name could not be found." I've run Domain Prep a number of times with no errors. The 'Exchange Domain Servers' group is there. In fact, if I manually add the server to this group, then hit the Retry button on the error message, the setup program removes the server from that group, then gives the same error. So it does apprarently find the group to remove the server. But apparently it can't add it. The account I'm using is a Domain Admin, and I believe has all the other appropriate permissions. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I ended up opening a ticket with Microsoft. Turned out my "Exchange Domain Servers" group was setup as a Universal security group, when it should have been a Global security group. Not entirely sure how it got set that way or why it would cause this problem,but changing it a Global security group eliminated this error and allowed the install to complete.