Microsoft KB Archive/216382

= OLEXP: Outlook Express Does Not Save the Mail Server Logon Password =

PSS ID Number: 216382

Article Last Modified on 7/15/2004

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Outlook Express 5.5 for Windows NT 4.0
 * Microsoft Outlook Express 5.0 for Windows NT 4.0
 * Microsoft Outlook Express 4.01 for Windows NT 4.0
 * Microsoft Outlook Express 4.0 for Windows NT 4.0
 * Microsoft Outlook Express 5.5 for Windows Millennium Edition
 * Microsoft Outlook Express 5.5 for Windows 98
 * Microsoft Outlook Express 5.0 for Windows 98
 * Microsoft Outlook Express 4.01 for Windows 98 SP 1
 * Microsoft Outlook Express 5.5 for Windows 2000
 * Microsoft Outlook Express 5.01 for Windows 2000

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This article was previously published under Q216382



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 set up your Mail account in Outlook Express, you cannot save your mail server logon password for incoming mail.



CAUSE
The registry has incorrect information for the Protected Storage System Provider registry key for that user. When this happens, the password save capability does not work.



RESOLUTION
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.

Resolution for Microsoft Windows 98 Users
 Click Start, click Run, and then type regedit in the Open box. Locate the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Protected Storage System Provider

 If the you have User Profiles turned on, click the Username subkey that matches your log on name and export that key by going to the File menu, and then clicking Export.

After the Export dialog box appears, note the location that you will be saving the file to and type a name for the file that you are exporting. After you export the key for safe keeping, right-click the Username subkey, and then click Delete. Quit Registry Editor, and then restart the computer. Start Outlook Express, and on the Tools menu, click Account, click Properties, and then click the Servers tab. Type the password that you want to save, and then click Apply and OK. Try making your connection to send and receive mail to see if saving the password is now working.</li></ol>

Resolution for Microsoft Windows NT and Microsoft Windows 2000 Users
For Windows NT and Windows 2000, to edit the registry and remove the broken registry key, the user account must have Administrative rights to access the key. If the user is not already a member of the Administrative group, that can be accomplished by either temporarily assigning them to the Administrative group or by logging on as a user in the Administrative group, and then loading the other user's hive that contains the Protected Storage System key so it can be deleted.

To Remove the Broken Key in Windows NT
<ol> Click Start, click Run, and then type regedt32 in the Open box.</li> Locate the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Protected Storage System Provider

</li> Click the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Protected Storage System Provider key, and then click the Security menu.</li> In the Registry Key Permissions dialog box, click to select the Replace Permission on existing subkeys check box, and make sure that the  has Full Control access.</li> Click OK on the Registry Key Permissions dialog box. A message appears with the following question:

Do you want to replace the permission on all existing subkeys within Protected Storage Provider?

Click Yes.</li> At this point, you can access the subkey in the Protected Storage System Provider. If you prefer, you can first save a copy of this key, and then delete the key.

To save the key, click the key, and then click Save Key on the Registry menu. Provide a file name, and select where the file is to be saved.

To delete the key, click the key, and then click Delete on the Edit menu. A prompt appears asking you to confirm the operation. Click Yes to complete the deletion process.</li> Start Outlook Express, and try to save the password for the mail log on. This process repopulates the Protected Storage System Provider registry key with the correct information for that computer's Security ID (SID).</li></ol>

To Remove the Broken Key in Windows 2000
For additional information about how to remove the broken key in Windows 2000, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

264672 OLEXP: Your Password Is Not Retained in Windows 2000

Keywords: kbprb KB216382

Technology: kbOutlookExpress400NT400 kbOutlookExpress401NT400 kbOutlookExpress401Win98 kbOutlookExpress401Win98SP1 kbOutlookExpress500NT400 kbOutlookExpress500Win98 kbOutlookExpress500WinME kbOutlookExpress501Win2000 kbOutlookExpress550NT400 kbOutlookExpress550Win2000 kbOutlookExpress550Win98 kbOutlookExpress98Search kbOutlookExpressNT400Search kbOutlookExpressSearch kbOutlookExpressWin2000Search kbOutlookExpressWinMESearch

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