Distributionlist Members Cannot Be Modified

A client reported a problem where the owner of a Distribution List cannot add/remove members from a Distribution List in Outlook/Exchange 2007. (The owner had full admin rights also, i mention this because in HMC the admin can manage all Users, Mailboxes , SharePoint Sites , Distribution Lists etc through an Admin Panel in form of a web interface.Means someone with admin rights in this environment shouldn't be restricted from managing/modifying a simple Distribution List where in top of that he is the owner.)

However this problem is not limited to an HMC environment.And it's solution is as you may expect to find within the AD.The error messages the customer got after trying to remove a member from the Distribution List was :

Changes to the Distribution Lists cannot be saved, you do not have the necessary rights to perform this action on this object (translated from german)

Original error message :

As mentioned before , the solution is a check-mark in the properties of the affected Distribution List.I was surprised when i found out where to place the check-mark because you will need to check the option : Manager can update membership list.

Basically i was assuming that an owner (Microsoft calls it here Manager) of a given Distribution List should be able to modify the member list of a DL.(I can imagine this check-mark is set by default, as the customer came up with this after we migrated them from Exchange 2003 to 2007).But i don't understand the option to take this rights away.Because than the manager is a manager with user rights.No difference.I think i don't will spend nights on thinking about this...

Anyway here the solution wrapped up in steps.

In the ActiveDirectory navigate with the Snap-in Users&Computers on the and OU of the customerlocate the affected Distribution List.Do a right-click on the list to see the properties.Click the tab Managed By and find the square for the check-mark Manager can update membership list and check it.

The screenshot is maybe a little bit missleading.This is an empty property of a Test Distribution List i have created to take the screenshot.Normally the Name Field is filled and with this the option to check Manager can update membership list is avalaible.You don't need to click change, as the picture may lets assume.

This solved the problem , everyone was happy : )