Microsoft KB Archive/937761

= Error message when you try to create an IMAP profile in Outlook 2003: &quot;The IMAP store could not be created&quot; =

Article ID: 937761

Article Last Modified on 6/11/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Office Outlook 2003

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Important This article contains information about how to modify the registry. Make sure that you back up the registry before you modify it. Make sure that you know how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up, restore, and modify 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 try to create an Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) profile in Microsoft Office Outlook 2003, you receive the following error message:

The IMAP store could not be created. File access is denied. You do not have the permissions required to access the file :\Documents and Settings\ \Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\ .pst.

You can create the profile. However, the profile cannot connect to the IMAP store.

Additionally, you may receive the following error message:

The IMAP store could not be properly updated. You may want to restart Outlook before proceeding.



CAUSE
This issue occurs if the DWORD value for the NewPSTFormat registry entry is set to 2. This condition requires Outlook to use the Unicode-based personal folders (.pst) file format. This file format is incompatible with IMAP.



RESOLUTION
To resolve this issue, remove the NewPSTFormat registry entry. Or, set the DWORD value of the entry to either 1 or 3. When you do this, Outlook uses the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-based .pst file format.

Note The DWORD value for the NewPSTFormat entry can have any of the following settings:
 * 0: This setting is the default for Unicode.
 * 1: This setting is the default for ANSI.
 * 2: This setting enforces Unicode creation.
 * 3: This setting enforces ANSI creation.

To set the DWORD value of the NewPSTFormat registry entry to either 1 or 3, follow these steps.

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall the operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.  Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK. Locate and then click the following registry subkey:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook

 Right-click the NewPSTFormat registry entry, and then click Modify. In the Value data box, type 1 or 3, and then click OK. Exit Registry Editor.

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WORKAROUND
To work around this issue, change your .pst file to use the ANSI-based file format. To do this, follow these steps:
 * 1) Start Outlook 2003.
 * 2) Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click the Mail icon.
 * 3) In the Mail Setup – Outlook dialog box, click Show Profiles.
 * 4) In the Mail dialog box, select the profile that you created, and then click Properties.
 * 5) In the Mail Setup – Outlook dialog box, click E-mail Accounts.
 * 6) In the E-mail Accounts wizard, click View or change existing e-mail accounts, and then click Next.
 * 7) In the E-mail Accounts dialog box, click New Outlook Data File.
 * 8) In the New Outlook Data File dialog box, click Outlook 97-2002 Personal Folders File (PST), and then click OK.
 * 9) Name the .pst file, and then click OK.
 * 10) In the Create Microsoft Personal Folders dialog box, click OK.
 * 11) In the E-mail Accounts dialog box, select your IMAP account, select the newly created data file in the Deliver new e-mail to the following location list, and then click Finish.

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MORE INFORMATION
For more information, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

830336 The .pst file has a different format and folder size limit in Outlook 2007 and in Outlook 2003

917032 Error message when you add a Windows SharePoint Services list to Outlook 2007: &quot;Outlook cannot download to this remote data because Admin Settings allow only creation of Outlook 97-2002 Personal Folders file (.pst)&quot;

913886 Error message when you try to link to a .pst file from a Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services site to Outlook 2003: &quot;You cannot connect to a Windows SharePoint Services site with an Outlook 97-2002 Personal Folders file (.pst)&quot;

Keywords: kbexpertiseinter kbtshoot kberrmsg kbprb KB937761

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