Microsoft Mail Service

The Microsoft Mail service is a MAPI component used to connect to a mail account on either Microsoft Mail Server or the free workgroup postoffice included with versions of Windows before Windows 2000, beginning with Windows for Workgroups version 3.1x. If you don't communicate via e-mail with other people on a local area network, you don't need it.

Because it operates as a MAPI transport, it is not compatible with Microsoft Outlook 98 or Outlook 2000 running in Internet Mail Only mode. In Outlook 2002 and later versions, it is officially unsupported, though some people have reported that it works in Outlook 2002 when you upgrade from a previous version of Outlook that has MS Mail working. Also see links below for other compatibility solutions.

Outlook-tips.net has instructions you can use to Add MS Mail support to Outlook 2002. There are links to pages with instructions for Outlook 2003 and 2007. Note that it is not recommended and there may be issues with the WGPO address book.

Note that, as of June 30, 2003, Microsoft considers Microsoft Mail obsolete and provides no further support of any kind. See Product Lifecycle Dates - Server Product Family.

Setup | Usage | Notes | Limitations | Problems | More Information

Setup

You must already have an account on the mail postoffice before you can add Microsoft Mail to your Outlook mail profile (using Tools | Services in Outlook or Control Panel | Mail). For configuration details, see Setting Up Microsoft Mail from Microsoft Outlook 97 E-mail and Fax Guide.

For Outlook 98, after installing Outlook, you also must install the Microsoft Mail 3.x Support component. See Outlook 98 Components for details on how to do this either with the Outlook 98 CD or by connecting to the components site on the Internet. Also use Tools | Options | Other | Advanced Options | Add-In Manager to make sure that you have the MSFS PropSheet Extensions (Msfsprop.ecf) and MSFS Menu Extensions (Msfsmenu.ecf) add-ins installed. These give you access to properties on Microsoft Mail Shared Folders and to the Microsoft Mail Tools on the Tools menu.

Also see:

For Outlook 2002 and Outlook 2003, where Microsoft Mail is not officially supported, see:

Usage

Notes

You can add Internet access to a workgroup postoffice with products listed at Group Internet Services.

Limitations

Because the Rules Wizard cannot work with Microsoft Mail Shared Folders, you cannot use these folders with Net Folders. You can, however, Microsoft Mail as the delivery service for Net Folders for folders in your Personal Folders.

Microsoft Mail Shared Folders can hold only messages, not appointments, contacts or other Outlook items.

Outlook 2002 officially does not support MS Mail. If you upgraded from a previous version of Outlook where MS Mail worked, it might be OK in Outlook 2002. One thing to check is the location of the Msfs32.dll component. If it's in Windows\System\Mapi\1033\95, try copying it to Windows\System\Mapi\1033\.

Problems

In Outlook, if you do not have the MSFS PropSheet Extensions installed, as described above under Setup, you will not be able to set permissions on Microsoft Mail Shared Folders.

Also see: 

More Information

Updated Jul 15 2008

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