How to Fix “Cannot find a recipient that has mailbox GUID” Error in Exchange Server?

When migrating data from local Exchange Server to Exchange Online in a hybrid setup, you may encounter an error message, saying “Cannot find a recipient that has mailbox GUID”. This can hinder the migration process. In this article, we will learn about this error and discuss the possible solutions to fix this error.

Understanding the “Cannot find a recipient that has mailbox GUID” Error

In a hybrid model, you would have a local Exchange Server setup with the Entra ID Connect to synchronize the users with Exchange Online. During migration, the local GUID of the server should match the mailbox in the Exchange Server and the synchronized account. Also, Exchange Online should have the same GUID. The Exchange GUID is used to connect the local Exchange Server mailbox with the Active Directory user in the infrastructure. Without it, the mailbox will be disconnected.

During migration, if there are misconfiguration or other issues with the local Exchange Server or the GUID, the process may stop and you may get an error like the given below.

Error: MigrationPermanentException: Cannot find a recipient that has mailbox GUID

Causes of the “Cannot find a recipient that has mailbox GUID” Error

Here are some common causes that can lead to the error “Cannot find a recipient that has mailbox GUID.”

Missing ExchangeGuid Property: If the Exchange GUID parameter on the local or the Exchange Online is missing, then you may encounter this error.

Incorrect or Corrupted ExchangeGuid: The local ExchangeGuid entry is corrupt or doesn’t match with the GUID of the mailbox in the local Exchange Server database.

Mismatch between Source and Target Environments: The local Exchange Server GUID parameter doesn’t match with the one in the Exchange Online.

Troubleshooting Steps to Fix the “Cannot find a recipient that has mailbox GUID” Error

Here are some steps you can take to resolve the error and resume the migration process.

1. Verify ExchangeGuid Property

The first thing you need to do is check that the local Exchange GUID and the Exchange Online GUID are same. To get the Exchange GUID for the local Exchange Server, run the following command in the Exchange Management Shell (EMS).

Get-Mailbox <MailboxName> | Format-List ExchangeGUID

This command will give you the Exchange GUID of the user/s in question.

Alternatively, you can verify the GUID from the Active Directory Users & Computers. To do so, go to the Advanced View, find the user, and open the properties of the user. Then, click on the Attribute Editor tab and scroll down until you get to the attribute msExchMailboxGuid.

2. Get the Remote Mailbox GUID

The next step is to check the GUID counterpart in the Exchange Online. For this, you can use the Get-RemoteMailbox command in the Exchange Management Shell (see the below example).

Get-RemoteMailbox <MailboxName> | Format-List ExchangeGUID

3. Update the ExchangeGuid

You need to update the ExchangeGUID parameter of the remote mailbox so that it matches the local Exchange Server. For this, you can use the following command:

Set-RemoteMailbox <MailboxName> -ExchangeGUID <GUID>

Now, run a consistency check on the Entra ID Connect and make sure that the Exchange GUID is not causing any issues with the synchronization. After this is complete, re-run the migration and check if the issue is resolved.

To Conclude

As you have seen, misconfiguration on the Exchange Server, issues with the Active Directory, and other problems with the local or online Exchange Server can hinder the migration process, resulting in the error “Cannot find a recipient that has mailbox GUID.” We have mentioned some troubleshooting steps to resolve this error.

To avoid such issues and for smooth data migration, you can use specialized third-party tools, like Stellar Converter for EDB. This tool can help you migrate mailboxes and other data from Exchange Server database directly to Exchange Online (Office 365). With this application, you can easily open a live Exchange Server database or standalone database, with no size limit and from any version of Exchange Server (from 5.5 to 2019). After that, you can granularly export the EDB data to PST file and other formats, and to a live Exchange Server. You can export user mailboxes, user archives, shared mailboxes, disabled mailboxes, and public folders. With this application, you get peace of mind as it reduces the complexity of the process and migrates data with complete integrity.