The method invoked or the flags specified are not supported in the current implementation of the provider.

JuliusPIV 61 Reputation points
2021-08-31T20:06:01.513+00:00

Sometimes when we launch Outlook for the first time on a freshly built/imaged machine, we receive the following error:
127978-image.png

The full text of the error is as follows 

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Microsoft Outlook  
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Cannot start Microsoft Outlook. Cannot open the Outlook window. The set of folders cannot be opened. Outlook cannot start because a data file to send and receive messages cannot be found. Check your settings in this Microsoft Outlook profile. In Microsoft Windows, click the Start button, and then click Control Panel. Click User Accounts, and then click Mail.  Click Show Profiles, select this profile, and then click Properties. The method invoked or the flags specified are not supported in the current implementation of the provider.  
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OK     
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This happens for both new accounts (new users who just started or are bout to start) as well as known good existing accounts. The fix is easy enough - delete the existing mail profile and recreate it - but we're trying to understand why this happens to begin with. We can't necessarily reproduce this at will but it does happen often enough; today we saw it on 2 of the 4 machines we imaged.

What does this error mean? "The method invoked or the flags specified are not supported in the current implementation of the provider."
What is the best method for determining the root cause of this error?

Environmental:

  • Office 365 64-bit v2102 Build 138-1.20864 C2R
  • Windows 10 64-bit v1909
  • Exchange On-Prem
Outlook Management
Outlook Management
Outlook: A family of Microsoft email and calendar products.Management: The act or process of organizing, handling, directing or controlling something.
4,885 questions
Office Management
Office Management
Office: A suite of Microsoft productivity software that supports common business tasks, including word processing, email, presentations, and data management and analysis.Management: The act or process of organizing, handling, directing or controlling something.
2,000 questions
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  1. ChristyZhang-MSFT 20,801 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor
    2021-09-01T06:14:08.91+00:00

    Hi @JuliusPIV ,

    Welcome to our forum!

    What is your account type(POP/IMAP/Exchange) and how do you configure your outlook account?

    According to your description, I noticed this issue happens in 2 of the 4 machines. Are the same accounts configured on the two machines that can work normally? If yes, please check if there're any differences between these machines, such as the method of configuring accounts, some add ins or installed third-party programs.

    While I can't test in the same environment as you and can't reproduce your problems, I have done a lot of searching and research, and found that in some posts some users mentioned this issue may occur if a default data file is not set for outlook, it's suggested that you could try to go to Control Panel > Mail > Data Files > select the appropriate data file > click on ‘Set as Default’ and check if there're any differences.

    Hope the above help.

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