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Office 365 Migration Error Recipient Not Found Permanent Exception: Quick Fixes

Maarten ~ Modified: July 2nd, 2024 ~ Microsoft Office 365 ~ 7 Minutes Reading

Migrating to Office 365 is beneficial for organizations, but it requires careful planning and implementation. It offers scalability, reliability, and high availability, which is necessary for an organization’s productivity. The journey for Exchange Online migration is not easy, as many obstacles can lead to migration failure. The main reasons for failure can be authentication errors, invalid permissions, mailbox constraints, network errors, and more. During the Exchange Online migration, a common error users encounter is the permanent exception when trying to reach a recipient. In this article, we will find the cause of the recipient’s permanent exception error and the reasons behind the cause of the error.

Table of Content

  1. Common Causes of Office 365 Migration Error
  2. What is a Recipient Not Found Permanent Exception Error?
  3. Causes of Recipient Not Found Permanent Exception Error
  4. Steps to Resolve the Recipient Not Found Permanent Exception Error
  5. Some Other Common Errors Faced by Users During Office 365 Migration
  6. Conclusion
  7. FAQs

Common Causes of Office 365 Migration Error

Improper Mailbox Permissions- Make sure the account has required access to both the source and destination mailboxes. Improper permissions can cause migration failures.

Connectivity Reasons- Lower network bandwidth and firewall restrictions can impact migration and communication. Ensure the connectivity between your on-premises and Microsoft 365 cloud environment.

Corrupted Mailboxes- If corrupted mailboxes are on the server, they can cause migration failures. Use mailbox repair tools for corrupted mailboxes.

Incorrect Configurations- There can be configuration errors like server settings and migration endpoints.

Inconsistent Mailbox Data Size- Check mailbox size and set migration limits accordingly. For such problems, use the Exchange Best Practices Analyzer tool to identify and fix inconsistencies.

What is a Recipient Not Found Permanent Exception Error?

The recipient not found exception error comes during the migration between your on-premises Exchange and Exchange Online. The error indicates that during the migration process when you try to move a mailbox that is created in Exchange Online to an on-premises Exchange environment, you will receive the following error:

Error: MigrationPermanentException: Cannot find a recipient that has mailbox GUID ‘<GUID>’. –> Cannot find a recipient that has mailbox GUID ‘<‎GUID>’.

It means you are migrating a mailbox from Exchange Online but can’t find a matching recipient based on the mailbox GUID (a unique identifier) in your on-premises environment.

Causes of Recipient Not Found Permanent Exception Error

By seeing the error message, we can understand that there is an issue with the GUID(a unique identifier). A GUID (globally unique identifier) that represents an identification (ID). Organizations generate unique reference numbers in the form of GUIDs when they require identification for information on a computer or network. An Active Directory object in the Exchange Server is associated with its mailbox in the Active Directory Schema on the Active Directory servers. Let’s find out the main reasons.

  • Use administrative tools to open the Active Directory Users and Computers on the Active Directory Server.
  • Click on “Advanced Features” from the view section. Open the “Attribute Editor”.
  • Find the “msExchMailboxGuid” option in the attributes section. Here, you can see the attribute value <set> or set as <not set>.

Exchange Online has attempted to move an online mailbox to an on-premises Exchange mailbox. The user does not match a set mailbox GUID. The mailbox is not associated with the user, and the migration process cannot proceed.

Steps to Resolve the Recipient Not Found Permanent Exception Error

Set the ExchangeGUID on the associated mailbox before migrating the mailbox to an on-premises environment. Use the Exchange Management Shell on the on-premises server.

  • Run the below command to check whether the Exchange GUID property is set:

           Get-RemoteMailbox <alias of cloud mailbox to move> | Format-List ExchangeGUID

If the property returns all zeros, it means the property is not set. Then, connect to Exchange Online. If the property is set, run the next command.

  • Run the following command to retrieve the value ExchangeGUID property:

          Get-Mailbox <MailboxName> | Format-List ExchangeGUID

  • Set the ExchangeGUID property on the retrieved mailbox from the above commands. Follow the command:

           Set-RemoteMailbox <MailboxName> -ExchangeGUID <GUID>

  • Run the ExchangeGUID command.

           Set-RemoteMailbox<MailboxName>-ExchangeGUID “jfuj90i9b-4e95-49b5-9736-14fgfg” 

For ex if ExchangeGUID is “jfuj90i9b-4e95-49b5-9736-14fgfg”.

  • Force the directory synchronization.

Also Read: How to Delegate Access in Outlook 365?

Some Other Common Errors Faced by Users During Office 365 Migration

1. Timeout Error Transient Exception Error- The error says that a communication attempt between your on-premises server and Exchange Online timed out before completion.

Resolve

  • Follow the troubleshooting tips for your networks or firewalls. Make sure there is a reliable connection between your on-premises and Exchange Online Server.

2. Management Object Not Found Exception Error-  This error determines that EXO cannot find a specific object, usually a mail-based one of provided identity such as username or email address. There can be several reasons for the cause error such as permission issues, incorrect identity, and deleted mailbox.

This exception is thrown because the object is not found.

[System.Runtime.Serialization.KnownType(typeof(Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Common.ObjectNotFoundException))]

[System.Serializable]

publicclassObjectNotFoundException: Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Common.EnterpriseManagementException

Resolve

  • Use quick troubleshooting and ps, and review the mailbox identity used for the migration.
  • Verify the existence of the mailbox that you want to migrate from the on-premises Exchange Server.
  • Make sure the account has the necessary permissions for mailbox management and recipient management.

3. Not Accepted Domain Exception Error- The error comes when the mailbox users trying to migrate have an email address with a domain that has yet to be added and verified as an accepted domain within your Exchange Online organization.

Resolve

  • Verify your Exchange Online domain using Microsoft Exchange Center. the
  • If the Exchange Online environment does not accept the domain, follow Microsoft’s instructions to activate it ourselves.
  • Review migration logs for specific details about the domain issue.

Note: We have discussed the Office 365 migration recipient not found permanent exception error and its causes. Also, discussed the steps to resolve the error. The manual methods for migration are very complex and error-prone. They are time-consuming, and if there is any error occurs, you have to follow the long troubleshooting steps. To avoid these complexities it’s better to use automated software that can perform migration quickly while reducing the complexities. We recommend using a secure and professional Office 365 to Office 365 Migration software.

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Conclusion

The article covers Office 365  migration recipient not found permanent exception error and their causes. We also covered the common issues faced by the users while performing migration and steps to resolve these errors. The manual migration methods are very complex and error-prone which can lead to data loss and other security concerns.

FAQs

1. What should I do if a mailbox is inactive or deleted?

If a mailbox is inactive, make sure it is reactivated or in case of deletion, restore it. You can only restore deleted mailboxes for a certain period using the “Admin Center” and “PowerShell” commands.

2. How do you verify that email addresses are correct?

Check the email addresses in source and destination environments and double-check for any typing errors. If you are dealing with many recipients, use PowerShell commands to list and compare the email addresses.

3. What precautions can I take to prevent future migration errors?

To prevent future migration errors, you should implement regular directory synchronization, and perform pre-migration checks. Make sure your IT team is well-trained to identify and resolve common migration issues. Regularly update and maintain your directory information to ensure it is current.