Why BitTitan Credential Verification Fails: The Seven Errors and What Each One Means
TL;DR
- The most time-consuming part of a BitTitan migration is verifying endpoint credentials; admin credentials with impersonation rights mean you do not need every user's password.
- Most verification failures are impersonation-rights problems on the source, fixed by running a PowerShell script to grant the admin account ApplicationImpersonation.
- 'Active Directory is unavailable' and 'The operation has timed out' are not your problem to fix: they are Microsoft-side or resource-contention issues you wait out and rerun.
- 'The SMTP address has no mailbox associated with it' usually means a destination user is unlicensed or the mailbox has not finished propagating.
- BitTitan maintains a searchable error-lookup knowledge base, and the migration UI links from each failed user straight to the relevant article.
BitTitan is straightforward right up until credential verification, and that one step quietly eats more migration time than the actual data transfer. The good news is that the verification errors are predictable: a handful of messages account for nearly all of them, and once you can read what each one is really telling you, most resolve in minutes. This guide maps the seven you will see most, what each one means, and how to clear it.
Why credential verification is the bottleneck
You can put administrative credentials in for both the source and destination endpoints. As long as those admin users have sufficient impersonation rights, you do not need passwords for every single user in the migration. Once the project is set up with all users listed, the very next step is verifying the credentials of all users, and that is where the time goes.
Use BitTitan's error-lookup knowledge base first
BitTitan maintains an extensive knowledge base detailing every error you may encounter. The Mailbox Error Lookup database (opens in new tab) lets you search any error you experience.
The troubleshooting workflow
When verification fails for a user, the UI gives you a path straight to the answer.
You encounter an error for one of your users.
Click the "Failed" icon to bring up a detailed summary of the error.
Click "Learn More" to open a knowledge-base article specific to that error and how to troubleshoot it.
If you still cannot fix it, use BitTitan's support chat.
The seven errors you will actually see
Active Directory is unavailable. Try again later.
This takes no troubleshooting on your end. It is a problem on Microsoft's end. Wait and try again later.
Unable to connect to the remote server
A server timeout, or the port to the Exchange server has been closed. You can only run a certain number of migrations at once depending on available bandwidth, and the server times out if there are too many concurrent migrations.
The specified object was not found in the store
The source credentials are wrong or lack sufficient impersonation rights to access the mailbox. Run a PowerShell script to update the admin account's rights.
401 Unauthorized
Another insufficient-impersonation-rights issue with the admin credentials provided for one of your endpoints. Run the PowerShell script particular to that environment to fix it.
The SMTP address has no mailbox associated with it
Common on the destination side: either you have not licensed a user with a mailbox license in 365, or you have not given it enough time to propagate.
The operation has timed out
There are not enough resources at the source to facilitate the data move. Rerun this once other users have completed their move.
The account does not have permission to impersonate the requested user
One more impersonation-rights issue. Run the PowerShell script to fix it.
The pattern is hard to miss: most of these are the same impersonation-rights problem wearing different error text, and the rest are timing issues you wait out. The one habit worth keeping is noting exactly which admin accounts you granted broad impersonation rights to, because those rights tend to outlive the migration that needed them.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need every user's password to run a BitTitan migration?
No. You can provide administrative credentials for both the source and destination endpoints. As long as those admin accounts have sufficient impersonation rights, you do not need passwords for every individual user in the migration.
What does 'The specified object was not found in the store' mean?
The source credentials are wrong, or they lack sufficient impersonation rights to access the mailbox. The fix is to run a PowerShell script to grant the admin account the necessary impersonation rights.
A user shows '401 Unauthorized' during verification. What is wrong?
It is an insufficient-impersonation-rights problem for the admin credentials on one of your endpoints. Run the PowerShell script appropriate to that environment to grant impersonation rights, then re-verify.
Catch the impersonation rights that linger after a migration
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Written by
Nick Ross
CEO · Microsoft MVP · Founder, T-Minus 365
Nick is not just a CEO, he's a respected thought leader and influencer in the MSP space. Tens of thousands of MSPs learn through his YouTube channel, T-Minus365. Nick has been honored as a three-time Microsoft MVP for his educational content; his expertise and influence are the backbone of our mission, ensuring that you are in the best hands when it comes to security.
Nick joined Pax8 in 2017, where he would ultimately oversee product management for PSA and Microsoft integrations. Following his tenure at Pax8, Nick has continued to demonstrate his leadership prowess as an executive at various MSPs, culminating in his most recent role at Sourcepass.
Nick holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management from Florida State University, as well as a Minor Degree in Entrepreneurship. In his free time, Nick is an avid hiker, reader, and fitness-junkie.
