Requesting, Using, and Accessing Exchange Resource Accounts


Introduction

This article describes:

Contents

Instructions

What is an Exchange Resource Account

An Exchange Resource Account (A.K.A. a PACE account) is an email account on the Exchange Online server that allows multiple users to send and receive email on the same account. As long as you have the correct permissions to access it, you will never need to know the password. However, you will need the password of your own Exchange Online account. If you have forgotten it, follow the instructions at Change or Reset Hokies Password via Account Manager.

Requesting an Exchange Resource Account

Request an account from the Service Catalog by doing the following:

  1. Go to the VT PACE Accounts Service Catalog entry.
  2. If prompted to login, type your credentials.
    1. In the Username text box, type your Virginia Tech Username, which is the first part of your @vt.edu email address. If you do not know your Virginia Tech Username, follow the instructions at Forgot VT Username.
    2. In the Password text box, type your Virginia Tech Username passphrase. If you forgot your passphrase, follow the instructions at Reset VT Username Passphrase.
    3. Click the Login button.

    4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete authentication with your second factor.
  3. After reading the info, click on the Request this Service button near the top right of the catalog.
  4. Complete the form, and click the Submit button on the right side of the page.

Email Account Size Limitations

Exchange Resource Accounts are provisioned with a 50GB mailbox. If additional storage is needed, departments can purchase an A3 license for it at https://software.vt.edu/help.

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Accessing an Exchange Resource Account

Feature Comparison of Methods of Accessing the Account

There are multiple methods of accessing the account. You should review the table below before choosing a method.

Important: If none of the methods below are adequate for your business needs, you should consider using a different tool, such as Google Groups. For more information on using Google groups, see the Virginia Tech Google Groups Introduction, How to, and FAQs Knowledge Base article.

4Help and Collaborative Computing Solutions (CCS) recommend the Add button in Outlook method.

Method of Accessing Features

RECOMMENDED: Outlook: In Outlook, in the Advanced tab of your Exchange settings, use the add mailbox feature to add the mailbox of the resource account to Outlook. See below for more information.

  • Sent mail will always have your name on it instead of the name of the account
  • You are unable to see messages that other people send

Microsoft 365 Mail App: Use any Web browser to read and send email from the account

  • Does not have advanced features such as Mail Merge
  • Calendars associated with the account may be inaccessible

Other methods

Other methods are not supported by the servers and are not recommended by Microsoft. 4Help is unable to provide any assistance with other methods.

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Outlook Web App

  1. Log on to the Microsoft 365 Mail App by following the instructions at Microsoft 365 Mail App (Exchange Online with a Web Browser).
  2. Near the upper-right corner of the window, to the right of the question mark, click your profile image. If you have not set a profile image, it will appear as your initials.
  3. In the drop-down list, click the Open another mailbox link.

  4. In the Open another mailbox text box, type the name of the Exchange Resource Account. As you type, any matching account names will automatically appear in a drop-down list.

  5. If no results appear in a drop-down list, on the keyboard, press the Enter key to search.
  6. In the drop-down list that appears, select the account you want to view.

  7. Click the Open button. The resource account will open in a new window.

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Outlook Desktop

  1. In Outlook, log on to your Exchange Online account or the account that you will use to view the other account(s).
  2. Select the File tab.

  3. Click the Account Settings button.

  4. Select Account Settings....

  5. From the list, select your Exchange account.
  6. Click the Change... button.

  7. Click the More Settings button.

  8. Select the Advanced tab.

  9. Click the Add... button.

  10. In the Add mailbox: text box, type the Hokies ID or full name of the account you want to access.
  11. Click OK.
  12. If the Check Name window appears, select the account you were trying to add, and click OK.

    Select the appropriate mailbox, and click OK.

  13. Click OK.

  14. Click the Next button.

  15. Click the Done button.
  16. Click the Close button.

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Outlook for Mac

  1. Verify that the person whose mailbox you want to view has set permissions allowing you to access their messages. For more information, search Google.
  2. Start Outlook.
  3. Log on to the Exchange account in Outlook that you will use to view the other account(s).
  4. In the top menu bar, from the Tools drop-down list, select Accounts....

    Select Accounts.
  5. In the left pane, at the bottom, click the plus sign (+).

    Click the plus sign button.
  6. Select New Account.

  7. In the E-mail text field, type the full email address of the PACE or resource account, including everything after the @ sign. For resource accounts, make sure you include "-resc".

  8. Select Continue.
  9. Wait while the account is automatically configured and click Done when finished.