KB198438 - Password dialog box is always unpopulated at startup in Outlook 2000

Article ID: 198438

Article Last Modified on 9/16/2005

Microsoft Outlook 2000 Standard Edition

This article was previously published under Q198438

For a Microsoft Outlook 97 version of this article, see 170452.

For a Microsoft Outlook 98 version of this article, see 181003.

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

NOTE: The procedures in this article only apply if you have installed Outlook with the Corporate or Workgroup option. With this option, you can use Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI) services. To determine your installation type, click About Microsoft Outlook on the Help menu. If you have the Corporate or Workgroup installation, you see "Corporate or Workgroup".

SYMPTOMS

When you log on to Microsoft Outlook you may always get an Enter Password dialog box that is not populated with the User Name or Domain Name.

CAUSE

You are using the Microsoft Exchange Server service and there is no Exchange key for this user profile in the Windows registry.

RESOLUTION

Modify the Windows registry to add the Exchange key for this user profile.

MORE INFORMATION

The Domain Name and User Name that display in the Enter Password dialog box are stored in a Windows registry entry called Exchange, in keys named LogonDomain and UserName. Logging on to Outlook the first time builds and populates these two keys if the Exchange registry entry is present. If the Exchange entry is not present, the domain and user information is not stored and the Enter Password dialog box will always be completely unpopulated.

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

Add the Exchange Entry to the Windows Registry

IMPORTANT: On a Windows NT 4.0 machine, the resulting registry entry will contain a Security ID (SID) and as a result can not be used on another computer or used in an Office 2000 Custom Installation Wizard (CIW) installation.

To modify the registry to resolve this problem follow these steps:

On the Outlook File menu, click Exit and Log Off.
Click the Start button and click Run.
In the Open window type regedit and click OK.

Click to select to the following entry in the registry:

HKEY_USERS\<security ID of UserName>\Software\Microsoft

Right-click the Microsoft entry, point to New on the shortcut menu and and click Key.
Type the name Exchange for the new key and press ENTER.
Exit the Registry Editor.
Restart Outlook.
Type the User Name, Domain Name, and Password in the blank Enter Password dialog box and then click OK.

This builds the LogonDomain and UserName registry keys and populates them with the values typed above. The next time Outlook starts the Password dialog box is already populated with these values.

To Start Outlook without the Password Dialog Box

If you choose, you can store your password as well as the Domain Name and User Name, so that the Enter Password dialog box is not presented at all by following these steps:

On the Outlook Tools menu, click Services.
Click the Microsoft Exchange Server service and click Properties.
On the Advanced tab, under "Logon Network Security", click to select "NT Password Authentication" from the list.

This article assumes you are using NT Password Authentication, not Distributed Password Authentication.
Click OK and OK.

Additional query words: logon login blank empty

Keywords: kbregistry kbprb KB198438