OL97: How to Troubleshoot Microsoft Mail Configuration Problems (256554)

MORE INFORMATION

Outlook uses information services to send, store, receive messages and items, and to store addresses. The Microsoft Mail service configures the local e-mail capabilities in Outlook. This service contains the settings that are transmitted to the Microsoft Mail Post Office to authenticate your account and to authorize the delivery your mail. To determine the specific settings to access your mailbox, see your mail administrator.

General Configuration Troubleshooting

The following steps are suggested for configuration problems. After you complete each step, test the problem to see if that step resolved it.

• Check your network settings.
• Create a new mail profile.
• Set up a test Microsoft Mail Post Office.

Check Your Network Connection

To determine if your network connection is causing your Outlook problem:

1. Click Start, point to Programs, and then click Windows Explorer. If you do not see the drive letter that is used for the Microsoft Mail Post Office, make sure that you know where your Microsoft Mail Post Office is located on your computer or network.
2. Contact your mail administrator for more information about configuring your mail service.For additional information about finding the location of your Microsoft Mail system, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   142746 How to Set Up and Administer a Microsoft Mail Post Office

Create a New Mail Profile

These steps help you identify if your existing profile is causing your configuration issues. Do not delete your existing profile until you troubleshoot the problem because you may need to reference the settings.

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and the click Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Mail or Mail and Fax icon.
3. Click the Services tab, then click Show Profiles.
4. Click Add to start the Inbox Setup Wizard.
5. Click Manually configure information services, and then click Next.
6. In the Profile Name box, type a name for the new profile.
7. Click Add, and then double-click Microsoft Mail. If the Microsoft Mail service is not available, see the the following article on the Microsoft Knowledge Base Web site:

   235713 How to Reinstall Microsoft Fax and Windows Messaging

8. Type the path to your Microsoft Mail Post Office, or click Browse to locate it.
9. On each tab, select the information that you want. If you are not sure which settings to use, see your mail administrator for more information.
10. Click OK.
11. Click Add, and then double-click Personal Folders. Type a new file name to create a new personal folders file.
12. Click Yes to accept the default settings for the new personal folders file.
13. In the When Starting Windows Messsaging, use this profile list, click the profile that you just created.

Set up a Test Microsoft Mail Post Office

When you troubleshoot mail problems, you must determine if Outlook or the Microsoft Mail Post Office is the cause of the problem. The easiest way to do this is to create a test post office. To create a test post office:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Microsoft Mail Post Office to open the Microsoft Workgroup Postoffice Administration Wizard.
3. Click Create a new Workgroup Postoffice.
4. In the Postoffice Location box, type a location a local drive, and then click Next.
   
   NOTE: By default the Administration Wizard creates a folder called Wgpo0000. This folder derives its name from Work Group Post Office.
5. Confirm the location of the post office, and then click Next.
6. Fill in the administrator account information, and then click OK.

To add users to your new post office:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Microsoft Mail Postoffice.
3. Click Administer an Existing Post Office.

Use your mail profile with the Microsoft Mail service and point to the test post office that you just created. If this profile works correctly, your original post office is the problem. Check with the post office administrator to verify that the configuration information is correct.