How can I use the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in to grant a user access to someone else's mailbox?

A. In the FAQ " How can I grant a user access to someone else's mailbox in Microsoft Outlook?" (http://www.windowsitpro.com/Articles/ArticleID/48362/48362.html), I explain how to use Outlook to delegate access to another user's mailbox. You can also use Active Directory Users and Computers to perform this delegation. To do so, perform these steps:

1. Start the Exchange Server version of the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in.
2. Right-click the user who owns the mailbox to which you want to grant access by another user and select Properties from the displayed context menu.
3. Select the "Exchange Advanced" tab.
4. Click Mailbox Rights.
5. Click Add and select the user to whom you want to give access. Click OK.
6. Select the new user and clear the "Delete mailbox storage" check box. Select either "Read permissions" or "Full mailbox access" as the figure shows. Click OK.
7. Click OK to the user object's Properties dialog box.

The big difference between this method for granting mailbox access and the method that uses Outlook is that with this method, the user has no idea that someone else has access to their mailbox. However, this method could have legal ramifications. Privacy laws are very strict.

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