Question

Unable to open the Outlook Window. The set of folders could not be opened.

Asked by: D303M

Have a user that when you try to open outlook you receive the error :

Unable to open the Outlook Window.  The set of folders could not be opened. The server is not available

The user has a couple of PST files. Ran SCANPST and the files were repaired but still get the same problem. I looged onto the users machine and was able to open outlook just fine. As a test I tried to open the the users PST files and did so with no problem so it looks like they are not corrupt.

I renamed his OST file and started outlook with the /resetfolders option but still get the same error.

When I go to another machine and logon as that user and  try to open outlook I receive the error:

unable to open your default email folders. The file c:\documets and settings\user name\local settings\application data\microsoft\outlook.ost is not an offline folder file.

Any ideas on what else I can try.

OWA works fine for this user.

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Asked On
2007-09-18 at 11:45:16ID22836865
Tags

outlook

,

open

,

folders

,

set

,

could

Topics

Exchange Email Server

,

Outlook Groupware Software

,

Email Clients

Participating Experts
3
Points
500
Comments
8

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Answers

 

by: war1Posted on 2007-09-18 at 11:59:05ID: 19915628

Greetings D303M !

The error shows that you cannot access OST file.  Run ScanOST instead of ScanPST
   1. Close Outlook.
   2. On the Start menu, click Run.
   3. In the Open box, type

      drive:\Program Files\Common Files\System\Mapi\LocaleID\scanost.exe

      where LocaleID is the locale identifier (LCID) for your installation of Microsoft Office. For example, the LCID for English (United States) is 1033. For a list of LCIDs, see Microsoft Office Help.
   4. Click OK.
   5. Click either Scan all folders or Choose folder to scan. If you click Scan all folders, this may take several minutes.
   6. Select the Repair errors check box.
   7. Click Begin Scan.

Details of actions performed during the scan and repair are saved as a message in your Outlook Deleted Items folder with the subject "OST Integrity Check."

If the Offline Folder file cannot be repaired, you can disable it and create a new one.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HA010563001033.aspx

Best wishes, war1

 

by: D303MPosted on 2007-09-18 at 12:13:26ID: 19915741

I ran scanost and it said it can not connect to the mail server.

I just tried to create a new profile for the user and if I pointed the new profile to store the mail locallly then outlook opened. But when I tried to change the profile to point to his inbox instead of locally and received the following error:

The specified default store could not be opened. Please try to make sure you can access your default store and try again.

This resolves his name on the exchange server and the profile also resolves the exchange servers name. We have everybody else on this same store and they are not having a problem. And this user still works in OWA??

Just for grins I checked the perms on his mailbox and they are fine.

 

by: D303MPosted on 2007-09-19 at 08:43:35ID: 19921740

This is starting to spread. Now my VP and his GA are having the issue. The only affected users are in our remote office.
As a test, I tried logging on to a machine in our location as the users having the problem. The users were not able access there the email server from here as well. It gives an error that their OST file is not valid. This is a new machine and not in cached mode. The OST file that is created is 0KB.

As another test I gave the user full control of my mailbox. I then logged on to XP as that user and created a non cached outlook profile pointing to my mailbox - and it still failed. That takes out anything to do with their mailbox or outloook. Something has caused communication with the Exchange server and outlook to fail with their creds.

Strange OWA works for these users- I can map a share to the exchange server and connect with no problem.

My guess is what ever process outlook uses to connect to the exchange server is messed up. Not sure how or why but These users + outlook = no connection to the Exchage 2007 server. This has been tried from outlook 2003 and 2007.
Found several liknks related to this same issue:
http://www.eggheadcafe.com/software/aspnet/29748127/unable-to-open-your-defau.aspx

 http://www.eggheadcafe.com/software/aspnet/30728906/unable-to-open-mailbox-in.aspx

 
We have tried everything these people have short of deleting and recreating the user and mailbox.

Anybody have and idea what process Outlook use to validate a conection to the Exchange server or anything else we might be able to try?

 

by: D303MPosted on 2007-09-19 at 13:13:31ID: 19924014

I tried running outlook /rpcdiag and I can make a RPC connection to the DC
but it looks like it is failing to make one to the mail server ( this works fine when I'm logged on to this same machine).

I have narrowed it down to these users not being able to Authenticate with the exchange server using outlook - as I understand outlook uses RPC as the way it connects to the exchange server. To test this I changed the profile to always ask for logon creds before connecting.

I logon to XP as one of the users having the problem. Then I open outlook and when it asks for a user ID I put in the users name and password and I get the eror messages I did before. But now when I put in MY name and password, it instead of the user I'm logged on it opens with no problem.

Exchange just will not create a session in outlook for these users but will in OWA that use https to connect.

I keep seeing the OST file created with 0KB. I think it is trying to connect and and finish creating the file but it never connects thus it is never able to finish.

 

by: ahaider04Posted on 2007-09-21 at 08:56:14ID: 19936667

Please do look at this article
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/830836/en-us

But thats not the solution of the issue, Normally this problem occurs because of limit of MAPI sessions at one. The work around or the solution of the problem is as under.

1. Open Adsiedit.msc
2. Open Configuration Partition
3. CN=Services
4. CN=Microsoft Exchange
5. Your Orgonization
6. all the way down to the Storage Group,going from CN=Administrative Groups, Servers, Your Server
7, Information Store, Storage Group
8. Once you click on the storage gorup, on the right side you will see all stores.
9. Right Click the store where this particular user resides, properties
10 Security
11. Select Either Everyone or you can test and add this particular user.
12. In the permissions for
14 Just grant View Information Store Staus --- Allow Permissions
15 Click OK and back to The Client Machine

Wait for the replication to be finished on DCs
try now it should work fine.

Check This  As well
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/842022

Syed A. Haider
Exchange Consultant
MCSE, MCSA+M, MCAD, MCDBA, ITIL
Toronto, ON, Canada

 

by: D303MPosted on 2007-09-21 at 09:51:48ID: 19937155

I saw 842022 yesterday and made the change to allow more sessions. So far it has not helped. The article does not say it needs a reboot to take affect. Sometimes registry changes do need a reboot and sometimes it does not. Do you know if this change needs a reboot?
I noticed the 9646 and knew it was the problem user because I was running outlook /RPCDIAG and was looking at the event viewer on the exchange server and saw it flag the 9646 everytime I ran it as the user.

 

by: D303MPosted on 2007-09-21 at 10:58:00ID: 19937682

This change does need a reboot.

Just rebooted and it works!

 

by: RozencranzPosted on 2009-02-16 at 03:25:25ID: 23648652

Hi I am having this same problem except use cannot access through owa and it is an sbs server.  I have tried the recommended fix without success.
Sorry if this is posted in the wrong place, but I need help.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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