OLEXP: How to Download Internet Mail Messages in Outlook Express Multiple Times (216366)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Outlook Express 5.0 for Windows NT 4.0
  • Microsoft Outlook Express 4.01 for Windows NT 4.0 SP 1
  • Microsoft Outlook Express 4.01 for Windows NT 4.0 SP 2
  • Microsoft Outlook Express 4.0 for Windows NT 4.0
  • Microsoft Outlook Express 5.0 for Windows 98
  • Microsoft Outlook Express 4.01 for Windows 98 SP 1
  • Microsoft Outlook Express 4.01 for Windows 98 SP 2
  • Microsoft Outlook Express 5.0 for Windows 95
  • Microsoft Outlook Express 4.01 for Windows 95 SP 1
  • Microsoft Outlook Express 4.01 for Windows 95 SP 2
  • Microsoft Outlook Express 4.0 for Windows 95
This article was previously published under Q216366
For information about the differences between Microsoft Outlook Express and Microsoft Outlook e-mail clients, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

257824 OL2000: Differences Between Outlook and Outlook Express

SUMMARY

This article describes how to download your Internet mail messages from your mail server even though you have downloaded them previously.

NOTE: This method works only if you have configured Outlook Express to store your messages on the mail server and you have not deleted the messages from the mail server. For information about how to store your messages on the mail server, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

179414 How to Store Messages on Mail Server with Outlook Express

MORE INFORMATION

To download your Internet mail messages again:

Outlook Express 4.0 and 4.1

  1. Quit Outlook Express.
  2. Click Start, point to Find, and then click Files Or Folders.
  3. In the Named box, type pop3uidl.dat, and then click Find Now.
  4. Right-click the Pop3uidl.dat file, and then click Rename.
  5. Rename the Pop3uidl.dat file to Pop3uidl.xxx.
  6. Start Outlook Express and check for new mail.
If the Internet Mail service is configured to leave a copy of your messages on the POP3 server, each mail has a unique ID. This information is cached in the Pop3uidl.dat file. When you check for new mail, Outlook Express checks the unique IDs in this file. If a message's unique ID is not found in the file, it is retrieved. If the ID is found, the message is left alone.

If this file is deleted, Outlook Express downloads all the messages on the host, regardless of whether or not they have been retrieved previously.

If you disable the Leave a copy of messages on server option, two things happen the next time you connect to your POP3 server:
  • Mail that has been stored is deleted.
  • The information in the Pop3uidl.dat file is cleared, and the file is reset to its default size of 312 bytes.

Outlook Express 5

Outlook Express 5 uses the file Pop3uidl.dbx similar to how Outlook Express uses Pop3uidl.dat.
  1. Quit Outlook Express.
  2. Click Start, point to Find, and then click Files Or Folders.
  3. In the Named box, type Pop3uidl.dbx, and then click Find Now.
  4. Right-click the Pop3uidl.dat file, and then click Rename.
  5. Rename the Pop3uidl.dbx file to Pop3uidl.xxx.
  6. Start Outlook Express and check for new mail.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:6/28/2004
Keywords:kbenv kbhowto KB216366
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