The JunkMailImportLists registry value may cause poor performance in Outlook 2003 (893057)

Important This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS

When you use the JunkMailImportLists registry value to configure Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 to import junk e-mail lists, Outlook 2003 may perform excessive remote procedure call (RPC) requests to update the junk e-mail rule. This may cause poor performance in Outlook 2003. Additionally, you may receive the following error message, where servername is the name of your Microsoft Exchange server:

Outlook is trying to retrieve data from the Microsoft Exchange Server servername

CAUSE

This problem may occur if one or more users in your organization have the following registry data configured on a client computer that is running Outlook 2003:

Registry Key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Options\Mail
Value Name: JunkMailImportLists
Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data: 1

If the JunkMailImportLists registry value is set to 1, Microsoft Outlook imports the junk e-mail list and updates the junk e-mail rule. However, if the JunkMailImportLists registry value is located in the Policies section the registry, the registry value cannot be reset to 0. Therefore, Outlook periodically reads the junk e-mail list and updates the junk e-mail rule. This may cause excessive RPC calls and poor performance in Outlook.

RESOLUTION

This problem was first fixed in a hotfix that is now contained in a service pack. If you installed the latest Office 2003 service pack, you do not have to install the hotfix.

Service pack information

This problem is corrected in Office 2003 Service Pack 2.

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Office 2003. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

870924 How to obtain the latest service pack for Office 2003

Hotfix information

How to obtain the hotfix

This issue is fixed in the Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 post-Service Pack 1 Hotfix Package that is dated January 25, 2005. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

892404 Description of the Outlook 2003 post-Service Pack 1 hotfix package: January 25, 2005

After you install this hotfix, the problem that is described in the "Symptoms" section does not occur regardless of the location of the JunkMailImportLists registry value. If the JunkMailImportList registry value exists and is set to 1, Outlook imports the junk e-mail list only when Outlook starts. The JunkMailImportList registry value is not reset to 0. Therefore, Outlook imports the junk e-mail list every time that Outlook starts unless the JunkMailImportList registry value is set to 0.

WORKAROUND

Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To work around this problem if the hotfix that is described in the "Resolution" section is not installed, make sure that the JunkMailImportLists registry value is not located in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Options\Mail registry key. Then, configure the JunkMailImportLists registry value in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Options\Mail registry key.

To make sure that the JunkMailImportLists registry value is configured correctly, follow these steps:

Make sure that the JunkMailImportLists registry value is not located in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Options\Mail registry key. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Quit Outlook 2003.
2. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
3. Locate and then click the following registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Options\Mail
4. If the JunkMailImportLists registry value is present in the right pane, right-click it, and then click Delete.
Add the JunkMailImportLists registry value to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Options\Mail registry key. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Locate and then click the following registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Options\Mail
2. After you select the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Options\Mail key, point to New on the Edit menu, and then click DWORD Value.
3. Type JunkMailImportLists, and then press ENTER.
4. Right-click JunkMailImportLists, and then click Modify.
5. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
6. Quit Registry Editor.