Knowledge Base

OL98: (CW) How to Troubleshoot Microsoft Exchange Client Configuration Problems with Outlook 98

Article ID: 255750

Article Last Modified on 8/6/2002

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Outlook 98 Standard Edition

This article was previously published under Q255750

NOTE: The procedures in this article only apply if you have installed Outlook with the Corporate or Workgroup option. With this option, you can use Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI) services. To determine your installation type, click About Microsoft Outlook on the Help menu. If you have the Corporate or Workgroup installation, you see "Corporate or Workgroup".

SUMMARY

This article describes how to troubleshoot common Outlook configuration issues when you use Outlook as a Microsoft Exchange Server client.

NOTE: Begin your troubleshooting with the "General Configuration Troubleshooting" section.

MORE INFORMATION

The Exchange Server service configures the e-mail capabilities in Outlook. This service contains the settings that are transmitted to the e-mail server to authenticate your user information and to authorize the server to deliver your mail. For more information about determining the specific settings that you need to gain access to your mailbox, contact your Internet service provider (ISP).

General Configuration Troubleshooting

Many Exchange Server e-mail issues are server-side or network configuration issues, and not Outlook issues. For this reason, it is important that you understand the Exchange Server e-mail process. The e-mail process can be very complex because many independent processes are involved. For this reason, it is important that you start with the simplest configuration and expand the configuration until it matches your existing arrangements.

The following troubleshooting steps are suggested for configuration issues. After you complete each step, test your issue to see if that step resolves the issue. These steps are explained in further detail in the following sections.

Create a new mail profile.
Check your network connection.
Check for Exchange Server configuration issues.
If necessary, remove and install damaged Exchange Server support files.

Create a New Mail Profile

The following steps help you determine whether your existing profile is causing your configuration issues. Do not delete your existing profile until you troubleshoot the issue because you may need to refer to that profile's settings. To perform these steps, you need to know the name of your Exchange Server computer, your mailbox name, and how you connect to the server.

To create a new mail profile:

Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. Double-click the Mail or Mail and Fax icon.
Click the Services tab, and then click Show Profiles.
Click Add to start the Outlook Setup Wizard.
Click to clear the check boxes for all of the services except the Exchange Server service.

NOTE: You can add more services after you create the profile.

Click Next, and then type a name for the new profile in the Profile Name box.
Answer the questions for your service in the Setup Wizard.
Click the arrow to the right of the When Starting Windows Messaging, use this profile check box to change your default profile to the profile that you just created.
Double click the new profile name, and then change the selection to Mailbox - user_name (where user_name is your user name) under Deliver new mail to the following location.

Check Your Network Connection

If Outlook starts and you see items in your mailbox, you are not having network problems. If you cannot see your mailbox or if you receive an error message, you need to check your network connection. To check your network connection, you need to know the name of your Exchange Server computer. If you do not know the name of your Exchange Server computer, contact your network administrator.

To check your network connection:

If this is the first time that you have tried to configure Outlook as an Exchange Server client, make sure that your computer is configured to function as an Exchange Server client. To troubleshoot startup issues, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

155048 XCLN: Troubleshooting Startup of Windows Client Using TCP/IP
If your computer is a portable computer that uses multiple connection methods (at different times), or if your computer connects to the server remotely, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

162544 Troubleshooting Remote Function of Exchange and Schedule+

Check for Exchange Server Configuration Issues

A number of configuration issues can cause problems to occur.

Delivery Location

Exchange Server features require that the mail delivery location be set to Mailbox - user_name, where user_name is your user name. To set the mail delivery location to Mailbox - user_name, click Services on the Tools menu, and then click the Delivery tab. If you do not see Mailbox - user_name in the dialog box, click the arrow, and then click Mailbox - user_name in the list.

Working Offline or Remotely

You can work offline or remotely if you use Exchange Server. For additional information about working offline or remotely, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

180418 OL98: (CW) Remote Mail, Offline Folders, and Working Offline

For troubleshooting purposes, it is important to recognize offline and remote features. When you disable these features in a test profile, you can determine if these features are related to the issue that is occurring.

To determine if offline features are related to the issue that is occurring:

Perform the steps in the "Create a New Mail Profile" section of this article to create a test profile.
On the Tools menu, click Services, and then double-click Microsoft Exchange Server on the Services tab.
Click the Advanced tab, and then click Offline Folder File Settings to determine if the offline or remote features are enabled or disabled. If the Compact Now and Disable Offline Use buttons are not available, then your offline folders are disabled.
For troubleshooting purposes, click Cancel to leave the features disabled. If the buttons are available, click Disable Offline Use.

Exchange Server Issues

To determine whether the Exchange Server computer or another network server is causing the issue, log on to another computer, create a new mail profile, and then try to open your mailbox. If your network does not allow users to change computers, discuss this troubleshooting step with your network administrator.

If you log on to another computer and you cannot gain access to your mailbox, you may be experiencing a server issue, or a network configuration issue that is related to your roaming network profile. To make sure that this is the cause of the issue, have a different user log on to your computer. Have that user create a new mail profile on your computer, and see if the user can connect to his or her own mailbox. If the user can connect to the mailbox, you have a server-side mailbox issue or a network profile issue. See your mail or network administrator to resolve these types of issues.

If another user cannot log on to his or her mailbox from your computer, but that user can log on to his or her mailbox from another computer, the Outlook Exchange Server support files on your computer are damaged. If this is the case, you need to remove and reinstall the Exchange Server service support files.

Remove and Reinstall Damaged Exchange Server Support Files

If you determine that the Outlook Exchange Server service support files are damaged, remove and then reinstall the Outlook Exchange Server service support files:

Remove the Exchange Server service support files:
1. Click Start, point to Programs, and then click Windows Explorer.
2. In the list of folders, locate the Windows\System folder, and then rename the following files with an .old file name extension:
  - Emsabp32.dll
  - Emsmdb32.dll
  - Emsui32.dll
  - Emsuix32.dll
  NOTE: The default location for the support files is in the Windows\System folder for Microsoft Windows 95 and Microsoft Windows 98. For Microsoft Windows NT or Microsoft Windows 2000, the support files are located in the Winnt\System32 folder.
Replace the Exchange Server service support files:
1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.
3. Click Microsoft Outlook 98, and then click Add/Remove.
4. Click Rerun Outlook 98 Setup, and then click Reinstall All Components.
5. You may be prompted with the following message:
  
  A file being copied is older than a file currently on your disk. Do you wish to keep your current file?
  
  Click Yes each time that this message appears.
6. Test Outlook 98.

REFERENCES

For additional information about other Outlook information services, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

182159 OL98: User Profiles and Information Services