MS Mail Err Msg: Mail Cannot Be Started Because it Cannot...

ID: Q105767

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows NT operating system version 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 3.5
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.5

SYMPTOMS

The following error message appears after you start Microsoft Mail for the first time and attempt to create a new workgroup postoffice or to connect to an existing postoffice:

Mail cannot be started because it cannot update its configuration information.


CAUSE

This problem occurs if any one of the following conditions are true:

  • There is no Mail key in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft.


  • You do not have the permissions needed to modify HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft.


  • You do not have the permissions needed to modify the WIN.INI file.




RESOLUTION

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious, system-wide problems that may require you to reinstall Windows NT to correct them. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use this tool at your own risk.


There is no Mail key in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft

To correct this problem:

  1. Run Registry Editor (REGEDT32.EXE).


  2. From the HKEY_CURRENT_USER subtree, go to the following key:
    \Software\Microsoft


  3. From the Edit menu, choose Add Key.


  4. Type "Mail" (without the quotation marks) in the Key Name text box.


  5. Choose OK and then restart Mail.



You do not have the permissions needed to modify HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft

To correct this problem:

  1. Run Registry Editor (REGEDT32.EXE).


  2. From the HKEY_CURRENT_USER subtree, go to the following key:
    \Software\Microsoft\Mail


  3. From the Security menu, choose Permissions.


  4. Verify the current permissions for the key and:

    - Add your user account with the appropriate permissions (the default is Full Control).

    -or-

    - Log off from your current user account and log on to a user account that has the appropriate permissions for this key.


  5. Restart Mail.



You do not have the permissions needed to modify the WIN.INI file

To correct this problem:

  1. Run File Manager.


  2. Select the WIN.INI file in the %SYSTEMROOT% directory (typically C:\WINDOWS or C:\WINNT).


  3. From the Security menu, choose Permissions.


  4. Verify the current permissions for the key and:

    - Add your user account with the appropriate permissions (the default is Full Control).

    -or-

    - Log off from your current user account and log on to a user account that has the appropriate permissions for this file.


  5. Restart Mail.



MORE INFORMATION


There is no Mail key in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft

If you inadvertently delete this key, Mail is unable to place its settings in the appropriate subkeys. This results in the following:

  1. The error message reference above appears.


  2. Mail does not place any settings in the Registry.


  3. If you choose to create a new workgroup postoffice, Mail does not create the WGPO directory structure.


  4. If you choose to connect to an existing postoffice and have not yet created a Mail account for yourself, Mail creates the Mail account on the postoffice


  5. Mail does not create a local message folder (.MMF) for your Mail account.


  6. Mail creates a WIN.INI, if one did not exist before the Mail initialization procedure, but places no settings in it.


  7. Mail closes.


  8. The next time you start Mail, it starts the initialization process again.


You do not have the permissions needed to modify HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft



If you do not have the appropriate Registry key permissions to modify the Mail key in the Registry path specified above, Mail is unable to place its settings within the subkeys of this key. This has the result as the previous cause.


You do not have the permissions needed to modify the WIN.INI file

If the WIN.INI file is located on a Windows NT file system (NTFS) partition, and you do not have the appropriate file permissions to modify the file, Mail writes the following information to the WIN.INI file upon completion of the initialization sequence: 


   [Mail]
   MAPI=1


If the WIN.INI file does not exist, Mail re-creates it, and places the above settings in it for 16-bit application support. If the WIN.INI file exists, but you do not have the appropriate file permissions to edit it, Mail is unable to place its settings in the file. This results in the following:

  1. The error message reference above appears.


  2. Mail places some settings in the Registry, as follows.

    - The Custom Commands subkey is created, but is missing the WGPOMgr1 and WGPOMgr2 values.

    - The Custom Messages subkey is created.

    - The Microsoft Mail subkey is created, but is missing the Login, MAPIHELP, OfflineMessages, ServerPassword, ServerPath, and Window values.


  3. If you choose to create a new workgroup postoffice, Mail does not create the WGPO directory structure.


  4. If you choose to connect to an existing postoffice and have not yet created a Mail account for yourself, Mail creates the Mail account on the postoffice.


  5. Mail does not create a local message folder (.MMF) for your Mail account.


  6. The WIN.INI file is not modified.


  7. Mail closes.


  8. The next time you start Mail, it starts the initialization process again.


Additional query words: prodnt PO MSMail

Keywords : kbinterop nt32ap
Version : 3.1 3.5
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type :


Last Reviewed: January 19, 1999
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