Still: Outlook won't remember password (tried many known fixes)

[John K]

Have scoured internet with searches of Microsoft.com, Google searches, read
150+ posts here and still no fix.

Have client with Outlook 2003 under Windows XP Pro SP2. Outlook will not
remember password for email account.
Account is a standard POP3 Verizon account. Asks for password, you check the
box "Remenber password", gets mail OK, next time box is unchecked and it's
asking for password all over again. Client reports having this problem for
over a year now. Many "experts" have attempted to fix for them, none have
succeeded. I've taken up the challenge. Surely there is a fix out there for
this problem!

Attempted fixes so far (none have fixed problem):

Delete/recreate new email account.

Delete/recreate new Email Profile and email account.

Delete/recreate new email profile, email account, and outlook.pst file.

Delete entire subkey under registry key: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Protected
Storage System Provider, restart windows

Not sure, but I think Norton AntiVirus may be installed, can't remember.
What to do if has Norton AV?

All suggestions I've read so far involve the above.

Are there any other things to try? Has anyone tried completely uninstalling
MS Office and reinstalling? Have not seen that suggested.

Reinstalling Windows not an economical solution.

Thanks in advance for any further ideas.

 

[Nikki Peterson]

When you connect to your Internet service provider (ISP) to retrieve
messages from a Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) server, your password
is not retained even though you chose to save the password. Entering
the correct password again does not resolve the issue. Likely a registry
screwup or a profile problem. For Windows XP Pro and
Outlook 2003, read: (This appears to be the article you followed, however
you may want to look again and make sure you followed ALL the steps.
Especially in the "Remove the user account information" section)

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290684/en-us

When you created the new profile did you:

Search your hard drive for *.ost and delete all found
(Be sure to search in hidden files)
Search your hard drive for Outcmd.dat and delete it. (This file holds your
customized toolbar settings)
Search your hard drive for Views.dat and delete it. (This file holds your
customized system folder views settings)
Search your hard drive for extend.dat and delete it. (this file holds your
Installed add-ins information)
2003: Outlook.xml (This file includes Shortcuts, Calendar, and Contact
links.)
The navigation pane settings are profile-specific and are stored in an .xml
file
with the profile name, in the Application Data\Outlook folder. To clear all
navigation pane customizations, start Outlook once with the /resetnavpane
switch.

Vista has problems with password retention, as does the Terminal Client.

If this is a Terminal Client issue, there is no fix.

Nikki

Have scoured internet with searches of Microsoft.com, Google searches, read
150+ posts here and still no fix.

Have client with Outlook 2003 under Windows XP Pro SP2. Outlook will not
remember password for email account.
Account is a standard POP3 Verizon account. Asks for password, you check the
box "Remenber password", gets mail OK, next time box is unchecked and it's
asking for password all over again. Client reports having this problem for
over a year now. Many "experts" have attempted to fix for them, none have
succeeded. I've taken up the challenge. Surely there is a fix out there for
this problem!

Attempted fixes so far (none have fixed problem):

Delete/recreate new email account.

Delete/recreate new Email Profile and email account.

Delete/recreate new email profile, email account, and outlook.pst file.

Delete entire subkey under registry key: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Protected
Storage System Provider, restart windows

Not sure, but I think Norton AntiVirus may be installed, can't remember.
What to do if has Norton AV?

All suggestions I've read so far involve the above.

Are there any other things to try? Has anyone tried completely uninstalling
MS Office and reinstalling? Have not seen that suggested.

Reinstalling Windows not an economical solution.

Thanks in advance for any further ideas.

 

[John K]

Thank you for the additional things to check. I redid all of the below.
Deleted all files associated with current Outlook profile. Files were found
only two places: /Documents and Settings/User/Application
Data/Microsoft/Outlook and /Documents and Settings/User/Local
Settings/Application Data/Microsoft/Outlook. Deleted these directories and
also deleted HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Protected Storage System Provider
subkey completely and created new email profile, account, etc. No help.
Made no difference.

My next step would be to completely uninstall Office 2003 and reinstall. But
I'm aware that this may not fix the problem. Has anyone found success with
reinstalling Office?

 

[Nikki Peterson]

I am stumped. Sorry my suggestions were of no help. If you do find
an answer, please share it with us. I would be most interested to
learn of the solution.

Good luck,
Nikki

Thank you for the additional things to check. I redid all of the below.
Deleted all files associated with current Outlook profile. Files were found
only two places: /Documents and Settings/User/Application
Data/Microsoft/Outlook and /Documents and Settings/User/Local
Settings/Application Data/Microsoft/Outlook. Deleted these directories and
also deleted HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Protected Storage System Provider
subkey completely and created new email profile, account, etc. No help.
Made no difference.

My next step would be to completely uninstall Office 2003 and reinstall. But
I'm aware that this may not fix the problem. Has anyone found success with
reinstalling Office?

 

[John K]

Reintalling Office didn't sound promising, based on the nature of the
problem and that someone else seems to have tried that (elsewhere in this
forum) with no success.

What finally "fixed" the problem was to create a fresh new Windows User
Account.

Any of the previously listed fixes
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290684/en-us) shoul be tried before
creating a new User Account, as all the old account data and settings must
then be tediously migrated over to the new account (lots of work). But in
this case, that was what it took to get Outlook to start remembering
passwords!

After new account was created, logged off old account, logged into new
account, start up Outlook for the "first" time, go thru Outlook setup
creating new email account (all over again). Exit Outlook. Copy outlook.pst
file from old account to new account outlook directory (shove
asside/delete/rename new empty outlook.pst just created). Start up Outlook,
remove/add Address Book to pick up Contacts (exit/restart outlook to see
change). Reconfigure various user preferences, check that any Rules still
work, check Address Book, configure any Send/Receive settings, check Archive
settings (copy over archive .pst files from old account?), and anything else
you can think of.

Hope this helps others.

 

[Nikki Peterson]

Thank you so much for sharing. I kicked around this as a solution,
however, I know how much has to be redone to make it happen.

Nikki

Reintalling Office didn't sound promising, based on the nature of the
problem and that someone else seems to have tried that (elsewhere in this
forum) with no success.

What finally "fixed" the problem was to create a fresh new Windows User
Account.

Any of the previously listed fixes
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290684/en-us) shoul be tried before
creating a new User Account, as all the old account data and settings must
then be tediously migrated over to the new account (lots of work). But in
this case, that was what it took to get Outlook to start remembering
passwords!

After new account was created, logged off old account, logged into new
account, start up Outlook for the "first" time, go thru Outlook setup
creating new email account (all over again). Exit Outlook. Copy outlook.pst
file from old account to new account outlook directory (shove
asside/delete/rename new empty outlook.pst just created). Start up Outlook,
remove/add Address Book to pick up Contacts (exit/restart outlook to see
change). Reconfigure various user preferences, check that any Rules still
work, check Address Book, configure any Send/Receive settings, check Archive
settings (copy over archive .pst files from old account?), and anything else
you can think of.

Hope this helps others.