OALGen failed to create the ‘%1’ directory. The directory name syntax is incorrect. The offline address list name cannot include certain characters (‘/’, ‘\’, ‘:’, ‘?’, ‘”‘, ”, or ‘|’). The offline address list is not going to be published. – %2

This Error event indicates that the offline address book (OAB) generation failed to create the directory for the OAB files (ExchangeOAB). The path to the ExchangeOAB share may be too long. It should not exceed 249 characters, and directory names cannot include the following symbols: \ / // : ? ” < > |

To resolve this error, do one or more of the following:

Incorrectly editing the registry can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Problems resulting from editing the registry incorrectly may not be able to be resolved. Before editing the registry, back up any valuable data.

• Make sure the OABDropFolderLocation value in the registry is not pointing to a nonexistent location, the path is shorter than 249 characters, and the directory names do not include the following symbols: \ / // : ? ” < > |

• If the OABDropFolderLocation value in the registry does not exist or if the path exceeds 249 characters, create an empty directory in an alternative location and store the path to it in one of the following registry values:

  • If your organization uses a single copy cluster high availability scenario, use the following registry location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeSA\Parameters\{CMSName}\OABDropFolderLocation

  • If your organization uses a stand-alone scenario, use the following registry location: HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeSA\Parameters\OAB Folder Location

• Restart the Microsoft Exchange System Attendant service (MSExchangeSA).

• Review the Application log for related events. For example, events that occur immediately before and after this event may provide more information about the root cause of this error.

If you are not already doing so, consider running the tools that Microsoft Exchange offers to help administrators analyze and troubleshoot their Exchange environment. These tools can help you make sure that your configuration is in line with Microsoft best practices. They can also help you identify and resolve performance issues, improve mail flow, and better manage disaster recovery scenarios. Go to the Toolbox node of the Exchange Management Console to run these tools now. For more information about these tools, see Toolbox in the Exchange Server 2007 Help.