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Changing primary email address - Why so hard?

Changing primary email address - Why so hard?

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  • This post has 3 verified answers |
Answered (Verified) This question is answered

Under BPOS changing the primary email address for a user was trivial and done through the web interface.

 

With Office 365 this task now requires use of powershell, and this needs download and installation of several bits of software onto the desktop. Finding the software means following a labyrinth of web links nested 4-5 links deep. All-in-all extremely non-trivial, time consuming, and dependent on the particular desktop.

 

For what is supposed to be a cloud-based service, why has this been made so hard?

 

Verified Answer
  • Hi SMP,

    Thanks for posting here.
    From your description, I understand that you would like to user’s primary e-mail address.

    In general, to change a user’s e-mail address, we are able to achieve it in Microsoft Online Portal (MOP) or use Exchange Online PowerShell.
    ============
    In Microsoft Online Portal:
    1. Log on to the MOP.
    2. Click Users, and then click the user you would like to change e-mail address.
    3. Click Details tag, and locate the User name section. From the drop down list, select the preferred domain name, as in the following example:

    4. Click Save.

    In Windows PowerShell:

    1. Install and configure Windows PowerShell.
    2. Connect Windows PowerShell to Exchange Online.
    3. Run the command prompt to change the e-mail address for the specific user account:
    Set-mailbox –Identity “user@contoso.onmicrosoft.com” -EmailAddress “SMTP: user@yourdomain.com

    Thanks,
    Grace Shi

    • Top 25 Contributor
  • Hi Sean,

    Thanks for your update.
    In general, Exchange Online administrators can take some administrative tasks both in Exchange Control Panel (ECP) and in Windows PowerShell, for example, modify the settings of a user’s mailbox, or create a distribution group and modify its settings.

    However, some tasks could not be taken in ECP, and it needs to achieve in Windows PowerShell. For example, change a user's primary email address. In this situation, we need to do more management tasks that aren’t available or practical in the ECP, with Windows PowerShell .

    For more information about Exchange Online PowerShell, please refer to the article below:
    http://help.outlook.com/en-us/140/dd575549.aspx

    Thanks,
    Grace Shi

     

    • Top 25 Contributor
  • Hi SMP Donovan,

    Thanks for your update.
    Based on my experience, the error message may occur if the Execution policy is set to Restricted.
    To Troubleshoot this issue, please try the following steps:
    1. Run Windows PowerShell as an administrator. To do this, right-click PowerShell, and then click Run as Administrator.
    2. Type the following command, and then press ENTER:
    Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted
    3. Try to connect Windows PowerShell to the Exchange Online Service again.

    For more information about this issue, please refer to the following KB article:
    "The execution of scripts is disabled on this system" message occurs when you try to run PowerShell for Microsoft Online Services
    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2411920

    Thanks,
    Grace Shi

     

    • Top 25 Contributor
All Replies
  • Hi SMP,

    Thanks for posting here.
    From your description, I understand that you would like to user’s primary e-mail address.

    In general, to change a user’s e-mail address, we are able to achieve it in Microsoft Online Portal (MOP) or use Exchange Online PowerShell.
    ============
    In Microsoft Online Portal:
    1. Log on to the MOP.
    2. Click Users, and then click the user you would like to change e-mail address.
    3. Click Details tag, and locate the User name section. From the drop down list, select the preferred domain name, as in the following example:

    4. Click Save.

    In Windows PowerShell:

    1. Install and configure Windows PowerShell.
    2. Connect Windows PowerShell to Exchange Online.
    3. Run the command prompt to change the e-mail address for the specific user account:
    Set-mailbox –Identity “user@contoso.onmicrosoft.com” -EmailAddress “SMTP: user@yourdomain.com

    Thanks,
    Grace Shi

    • Top 25 Contributor
  • Grace,

    Your option 1 for MOP assumes that the preferred email address is the same as the user id.

    Option 2 about using Powershell is the point I was making. Installing Powershell seems to be a non-trivial task and means that you have to do it on the workstation before you can do the admin. Why is PowerShell now required for this function?

    Sean

    • Not Ranked
  • Hi Sean,

    Thanks for your update.
    In general, Exchange Online administrators can take some administrative tasks both in Exchange Control Panel (ECP) and in Windows PowerShell, for example, modify the settings of a user’s mailbox, or create a distribution group and modify its settings.

    However, some tasks could not be taken in ECP, and it needs to achieve in Windows PowerShell. For example, change a user's primary email address. In this situation, we need to do more management tasks that aren’t available or practical in the ECP, with Windows PowerShell .

    For more information about Exchange Online PowerShell, please refer to the article below:
    http://help.outlook.com/en-us/140/dd575549.aspx

    Thanks,
    Grace Shi

     

    • Top 25 Contributor
  • Hi SMP Donovan,

    I want to check if your issue has been resolved.
    If you need further assistance, please feel free to reply to me.

    Thanks,
    Grace Shi

    • Top 25 Contributor
  • Hi Grace,

    This functionality was available through the web admin interface with BPOS but is not available through the web interface in Office 365. So.clearly, it was practical in the previous version (but not practical now?).

    What was trivial and easy through the web interface is now not so.

    It seems functionality is moving backwards from "cloud enabled" toward "not cloud". This is one of a number of retrograde steps in the current release of online services that don't seem to be well (if at all) justified.

    Regards,

    Sean.

    • Not Ranked
  • Following the instructions for connecting powershell gives the following exciting and cryptic result:

    PS C:\Users\seand> $LiveCred = Get-Credential

    cmdlet Get-Credential at command pipeline position 1

    Supply values for the following parameters:

    Credential

    PS C:\Users\seand> $Session = New-PSSession -ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange -ConnectionUri https://ps.outlook.com/

    powershell/ -Credential $LiveCred -Authentication Basic -AllowRedirection

    WARNING: Your connection has been redirected to the following URI:

    "pod51024psh.outlook.com/PowerShell-LiveID "

    PS C:\Users\seand> Import-PSSession $Session

    Import-Module : There were errors in loading the format data file:

    Microsoft.PowerShell, , C:\Users\seand\AppData\Local\Temp\tmp_9ab3963f-6c2e-4810-9fc0-0e161e2c9720_2hug1pe3.ryt\tmp_9ab

    3963f-6c2e-4810-9fc0-0e161e2c9720_2hug1pe3.ryt.format.ps1xml : File skipped because of the following validation excepti

    on: File C:\Users\seand\AppData\Local\Temp\tmp_9ab3963f-6c2e-4810-9fc0-0e161e2c9720_2hug1pe3.ryt\tmp_9ab3963f-6c2e-4810

    -9fc0-0e161e2c9720_2hug1pe3.ryt.format.ps1xml cannot be loaded because the execution of scripts is disabled on this sys

    tem. Please see "get-help about_signing" for more details..

    At line:3 char:30

    +                 Import-Module <<<<  -Name $name -Alias * -Function * -Prefix $prefix -DisableNameChecking:$disableNam

    eChecking -PassThru -ArgumentList @($session)

       + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (:) [Import-Module], RuntimeException

       + FullyQualifiedErrorId : FormatXmlUpateException,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.ImportModuleCommand

    • Not Ranked
  • you need to change PowerShell Execution Policy to RemoteSigned

    Use this Cmdlet to change

    Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned

    • Top 150 Contributor
  • Changing primary email address -

    Why so hard?  

    Really

    The easiest way to work together

    Office 365 is simple to administer. Get up and running and start adding users in minutes.

     

    Pasted from <http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/online-software.aspx#fbid=C2JaBKJjsD-

    Just look at: 

    Sorry, BuildItOn365 website has expired. Links to and instructions - no longer exist.

    • Top 50 Contributor
    • Male
  • Hi SMP Donovan,

    How are things going? Is there any update on the status of the issue?

    Thanks,
    Grace Shi

    • Top 25 Contributor
  • This may be a silly question, but which version of Windows 7 does this work with?

    • Not Ranked
  • If I ignore the errors previously noted, using the command you suggested for changing the default mail give:

    The term 'Set-mailbox' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program. Check the

    spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.

    • Not Ranked
  • Thanks but this gives:

    Set-ExecutionPolicy : Access to the registry key 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PowerShell\1\ShellIds\Microsoft

    .PowerShell' is denied.

    At line:1 char:20

    + Set-ExecutionPolicy <<<<  RemoteSigned

       + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [Set-ExecutionPolicy], UnauthorizedAccessException

       + FullyQualifiedErrorId : System.UnauthorizedAccessException,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.SetExecutionPolicyComma

      nd

    • Not Ranked
  • Hi SMP Donovan,

    Thanks for your update.
    Based on my experience, the error message may occur if the Execution policy is set to Restricted.
    To Troubleshoot this issue, please try the following steps:
    1. Run Windows PowerShell as an administrator. To do this, right-click PowerShell, and then click Run as Administrator.
    2. Type the following command, and then press ENTER:
    Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted
    3. Try to connect Windows PowerShell to the Exchange Online Service again.

    For more information about this issue, please refer to the following KB article:
    "The execution of scripts is disabled on this system" message occurs when you try to run PowerShell for Microsoft Online Services
    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2411920

    Thanks,
    Grace Shi

     

    • Top 25 Contributor
  • Hi SMP Donovan,

    I'd like to check if your issue has been resolved.
    If you need further assistance, please feel free to contact me.

    Thanks,
    Grace Shi

    • Top 25 Contributor
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