a colleague had tried and failed to install Exchange 2016 on a new server (Exchange 2010 environment), and then tried to install Exchange 2013 instead and wasn't able to migrate mailboxes. I am just looking into the issues now and it seems like the schema is at fault, when trying to /preparead I get the following message. I think the important one is bolded below, if I am not mistaken the schema for AD is upgraded for 2016 so the upgrade for 2013 is failing because it lower then the current version.
I am not sure why 2016 didn't work, but I just looked at the system requirements for 2016 and it requires CU11 on the 2010 SP3 server. At this point I am not sure if I should attempt 2016 myself or try to fix this 2013 install issue.
Any thoughts?
Setup encountered a problem while validating the state of Active Directory: The Active Directory organization confi
guration version (16210) is higher than Setup's version(15844). Therefore, PrepareAD can't be executed. See the Exchang
e setup log for more information on this error.
Welcome to Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Service Pack 1 Unattended Setup
Performing Microsoft Exchange Server Prerequisite Check
Prerequisite Analysis
FAILED
Setup will prepare the organization for Exchange 2013 by using 'Setup /PrepareAD'. No Exchange 2007 server roles have b
een detected in this topology. After this operation, you will not be able to install any Exchange 2007 servers.
For more information, visit:
http://technet.microsoft.com/library(EXCHG.150)/ms.exch.setupreadiness.NoE12ServerWarning.
aspx
Setup will prepare the organization for Exchange 2013 by using 'Setup /PrepareAD'. No Exchange 2010 server roles have b
een detected in this topology. After this operation, you will not be able to install any Exchange 2010 servers.
For more information, visit:
http://technet.microsoft.com/library(EXCHG.150)/ms.exch.setupreadiness.NoE14ServerWarning.
aspx
Global updates need to be made to Active Directory, and this user account isn't a member of the 'Enterprise Admins'
group.
For more information, visit:
http://technet.microsoft.com/library(EXCHG.150)/ms.exch.setupreadiness.GlobalUpdateReq
uired.aspx
The local domain needs to be updated. You must be a member of the 'Domain Admins' group and 'Organization Managemen
t' role group, or 'Enterprise Admins' group to continue.
For more information, visit:
http://technet.microsoft.com/library(EXCHG.150)/ms.exch.setupreadiness.LocalDomainPrep
.aspx
Setup encountered a problem while validating the state of Active Directory: The Active Directory organization confi
guration version (16210) is higher than Setup's version(15844). Therefore, PrepareAD can't be executed. See the Exchang
e setup log for more information on this error.
For more information, visit:
http://technet.microsoft.com/library(EXCHG.150)/ms.exch.setupreadiness.AdInitErrorRule
.aspx
The forest functional level of the current Active Directory forest is not Windows Server 2003 native or later. To i
nstall Exchange Server 2013, the forest functional level must be at least Windows Server 2003 native.
For more information, visit:
http://technet.microsoft.com/library(EXCHG.150)/ms.exch.setupreadiness.ForestLevelNotW
in2003Native.aspx
Either Active Directory doesn't exist, or it can't be contacted.
For more information, visit:
http://technet.microsoft.com/library(EXCHG.150)/ms.exch.setupreadiness.CannotAccessAD.
aspx
The Exchange Server setup operation didn't complete. More details can be found in ExchangeSetup.log located in the
<SystemDrive>:\ExchangeSetupLogs folder.