Can't add new Outlook Personal Folders File

I'm having some problems with Outlook 2003 running on Windows XP Home. I just
set up a new Outlook e-mail account on a user account in which Outlook had
never previously been launched, but I got this message after I entered the
e-mail address, mail server, etc: "Unable to open your default e-mail
folders. Outlook could not start because a data file to send and receive mail
could not be found. To add a data file, such as a personal folder file,
double-click the Mail icon in Windows Control Panel."

I get this message every time I start Outlook, and then Outlook closes
immediately. I tried to do what the message said, but the option to add a new
PST file is missing from the "New Outlook Data File" dialog box. It should
look like this:
http://home.comcast.net/~luigiman89/newdata.png
Those two options are missing everywhere this dialog appears (even from the
File --> Data File Management option from within an operational Outlook
account). I'm guessing the error message is related to the lack of these two
options.

I tried to put a PST file in the C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local
Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook directory, but no luck. I also
tried the Detect and Repair option, and restarted the computer after that,
but that didn't work either.

What can I do to fix this problem?

Have you tried doing what the error message suggests? Open Control Panel->Mail Icon->Profiles. Create a new one and configure it to use your .pst file.

--�
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. All
unsolicited mail sent to my personal account will be deleted without
reading.

After furious head scratching, Pat asked:

| I'm having some problems with Outlook 2003 running on Windows XP
| Home. I just set up a new Outlook e-mail account on a user account in
| which Outlook had never previously been launched, but I got this
| message after I entered the e-mail address, mail server, etc: "Unable
| to open your default e-mail folders. Outlook could not start because
| a data file to send and receive mail could not be found. To add a
| data file, such as a personal folder file, double-click the Mail icon
| in Windows Control Panel."
|
| I get this message every time I start Outlook, and then Outlook closes
| immediately. I tried to do what the message said, but the option to
| add a new PST file is missing from the "New Outlook Data File" dialog
| box. It should look like this:
| http://home.comcast.net/~luigiman89/newdata.png
| Those two options are missing everywhere this dialog appears (even
| from the File --> Data File Management option from within an
| operational Outlook account). I'm guessing the error message is
| related to the lack of these two options.
|
| I tried to put a PST file in the C:\Documents and
| Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook
| directory, but no luck. I also tried the Detect and Repair option,
| and restarted the computer after that, but that didn't work either.
|
| What can I do to fix this problem?

I did try to do what the message says, but the options to create new or add
PST files are missing. Furthermore, when I try to add a new Outlook profile,
I get this message: "There was an error locating one of the items need to
complete this operation. It might have been deleted." I didn't delete
anything, at least not to my knowledge.

"Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]" wrote:

> Have you tried doing what the error message suggests? Open Control Panel->Mail Icon->Profiles. Create a new one and configure it to use your .pst file.
>
> --�
> Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]