Outlook 2019 unable to create data file (wrong message, it doesn't create account)

Question

Outlook 2019 unable to create data file (wrong message, it doesn't create account)

Valerio Vanni - Eco 6

I face an issue in Office 2019 (64bit, for Windows).

Inside the profile there is a MAPI account managed from GWSMO (google sync for MS outlook), and it's working.

I have to add, inside the same profile, another google account but IMAP.
So I go to "accounts->add account -> set mail address -> get error (the same if I select "manual config").

The error is (text could be a little different because I get it in another language and now I translate it):

We couldn't create the outlook data file. Make sure the disk you're saving to isn't full or write protected and that the file isn't being used.

-Disk is not full
-Disk is not write protected (%localappdata%\Microsoft\Outlook
-Outlook, are you joking at me? YOU are creating this file NOW, who other could be using it?

And the message "we couldn't create data file" is wrong: a 16MB file is created, but no account is added.

The options given to me are
"Not you, user@keyman .xx?" (It's me, I'm trying with this account)
"Change account settings" (Settings are correct)
"Retry" (unuseful at all, clicking it only adds 16MB .ost files).

Is there any log, or can I enable some log to understand why Outlook doesn't create the account?

I asked google support too: limitations of GWSMO are that
-GWSMO cannot manage more than one google account (MAPI type)
-In the same profile there cannot be another MAPI account (i.e. exchange)

But this is not my case: I have a working MAPI google account, and I have to add an IMAP one. Google says that there is no issue on their side, and that is an Outlook issue.
And this seemed to make sense to me also before writing to them: it's Outlook that creates an IMAP account in its settings, and is it that is showing nonsense error.

5 answers

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Answer 1

ChristyZhang-MSFT 26,126 Microsoft External Staff

Hi @Valerio Vanni - Eco ,

Welcome to our forum!

It's suggested that you could try the following steps to add your IMAP account:
1.File>Account Settings>Manage Profiles>click Email Accounts>click New.

2.Choose Manual setup or additional server types>choose POP or IMAP, then configure you IMAP account.

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Valerio Vanni - Eco 6 Reputation points

2022-09-16T11:57:31.963+00:00

I forgot to say that I was able to add account from control panel->mail(outlook)->profiles, but from there oauth request was not shown.
And google didn't like a plain credential access, I had to enable "less secure app" in google account security options.

But that's not optimal, what if google at some time decides to take off "less secure app" support also from business mailboxes?

So I'm still trying to diagnose standard account creation, that seems to fail in Outlook.

I didn't try your exact path (choosing profile manager from inside Outlook instead that from control panel), will oauth window show that way?

I'll try.
ChristyZhang-MSFT 26,126 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2022-09-20T08:04:10.083+00:00

Hi @Valerio Vanni - Eco ,

Thanks for your reply!

Have you enabled two-step verification (2SV) or created & used App Passwords for your Gmail account?

As I know, Gmail has announced that "To help keep your account secure, from May 30, 2022, Google no longer supports the use of third-party apps or devices which ask you to sign in to your Google Account using only your username and password". In order to further confirm if the issue is affected by this, please enabled two-step verification (2SV) and created & used App Passwords, and then check if there're any differences.

(Note: Since the web site is not hosted by Microsoft, the link may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.)
Valerio Vanni - Eco 6 Reputation points

2022-09-20T20:54:10.38+00:00

As I know, Gmail has announced that "To help keep your account secure, from May 30, 2022, Google no longer supports the use of third-party apps or devices which ask you to sign in to your Google Account using only your username and password". In order to further confirm if the issue is affected by this, please enabled two-step verification (2SV) and created & used App Passwords, and then check if there're any differences.

I know that way, and I'm confident it would work since I configured it on some free account. But I don't like 2SV on that account, it's shared inside an office and no user has a viable second device.

Nonetheless, I didn't need to go through this way. Google took off direct support (without Oauth, what they call it "less secure app") only from free accounts.
In business accounts it's off by default, but you can activate "less secure app" support.

After having activated it, I was able to configure Outlook account with "profile manager".
But, as I said, I cannot exclude that Google at some point in the future will take support off also from business accounts.

So I'd like to ask MS to fix its Outlook.

1) They could fix the main account creation, that fails and displays that nonsense messages.
2) They could fix profile manager so that it triggers Oauth window.

Or both? Is it too much?

I think that 1 would be enough, if it worked there would be no need to use profile manager.
ChristyZhang-MSFT 26,126 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2022-09-22T05:39:28.917+00:00

Hi @Valerio Vanni - Eco ,

Thanks for your reply!

If you confirm that you can add your Gmail account when you enable two-step verification (2SV) and created & used App Passwords, i'm afraid that your requirement may be affected by the method you are currently configuring. It is recommended that you post on the website dedicated to collecting feedback. We sincerely welcome your suggestions, and thanks for your understanding and support!
Valerio Vanni - Eco 6 Reputation points

2022-09-22T17:42:12.653+00:00

No, I enabled "LESS SECURE APP" support (possible on business accounts), but it's the same as 2SV and App Password.

Both of them make Google accept a direct user:password authentication without Oauth.

And Outlook profile manager, that doesn't support Oauth, at that point is enable to create account.

I keep on saying that Outlook has 2 separate bugs: one on normal account management, that fails with nonsense messages, and one in profile manager that works better but doesn't support Oauth.

I'll write also in feedback portal.
Wayne 宏基 Cheung 张 0 Reputation points

2023-04-05T12:38:34.28+00:00

Thank you. Life saver.

Answer 2

JDC 5

The culprit, for me, was my antivirus software (ESET). Prior to uninstallation of ESET, I created a new user to ensure no conflicts with leftover account info, profile corruptions, etc., to no avail. Immediately uninstalling ESET and relying on MS Defender, I could add as many Gmail accounts as I wished. Re-installing ESET after adding accounts to Outlook causes no problems, i.e. the existing accounts/files continue to work. The 'error' only occurs when adding a new eMail account.

Valerio Vanni - Eco 6 Reputation points

2023-08-02T18:07:53.5266667+00:00

My antivirus was (and is) AVG Business (managed from console).

I didn't try to deactivate it or ununistall it.

But some day ago I had to add account for an user (identical case as the first posted) and it worked. Perhaps some office update fixed it.
lukp 0 Reputation points

2023-09-03T21:32:22.2433333+00:00

Outlook 2019 and Eset Endpoint Security and iCloud - the same problem when adding 4th and 5th account. First 3 accounts without any issues. I uninstalled iCloud and Eset and now it works like a charm.
Nick Hartl 0 Reputation points

2023-11-25T02:31:23.41+00:00

Thank you JDC. You found the answer for me. Removing ESET cleared the blocked IMAP account addition in Outlook. I have sent a "comment" to ESET. Right now I am very not not pleased with ESET, Outlook is not exactly a backwater program, rather it is as mainstream as a program can be and to miss that it is blocking account addition to it with the ESET software speaks much about the companies' level of product testing.

Answer 3

Tried profile manager inside Outlook. Same result, no Oauth window appears.

Summarizing, there are two paths:

-We have a "regular" account creation path, from Outlook -> Account -> add account, that uses correctly Oauth but has a bug when we add an IMAP account a profile with a MAPI one already there.
I call it a bug because it fails (half creating an account, simply creating an empty orphan ost" without reporting a valid reason: the text "Make sure the disk you're saving to isn't full or write protected and that the file isn't being used" is utterly nonsense.

-We have a "profile manager" that doesn' suffer the same bug, but is unable to trigger Oauth window and so it works only with plain user/pwd authentication.

Is there any hope that Microsoft fixes some of this?

Answer 4

georg blab 1

Hi
have same problem. Adding an IMAP acount fails on both ways. I've tried gmx.net, hetzer and All-inkl. I tried it with win11 and win10 and Outlook version 2016,2019 and 2021. I found no solution until now. In the logfiles you can find successfull connections, but no account is added.

Answer 5

Hello All, this worked for me, having the same error message as mentioned above in outlook 2021 as described above.

ERROR: "we couldn't create the outlook data file make sure the disk you are saving isn't full or write protected"

Seeing one of the replies above above "-In the same profile there cannot be another MAPI account (i.e. exchange)" I tried following steps and this worked well - as a result I'm now having 2 different Gmail accounts with Outlook account under in my outlook application and it works just fine.

Here is how I resolved the issue, I'm sure I will use these steps once I reinstall my computer in few years again :)

1) I created a new profile through control panel->mail(outlook)->profiles->show profiles->add

Once defined name of the new profile I confirmed creation by "ok"
Selected "cancel" while defining related e-mail account as part of profile creation
Confirm "Ok" to create profile with no e-mail adress
Choose your new profile as default profile in "Always use this profile" option of mail profile.

2) Once starting outlook with the new profile, I was able to add Google account without the previously faced "we couldn't create the outlook data file " failure. I assume google needs to be added as first profile.

3) Subsequently I was able to add seccond google account as well as outlook.com account and these works fine.

Hope this helps.

Marek

Valerio Vanni - Eco 6 Reputation points

2023-02-21T18:36:35.2633333+00:00

This solution cannot resolve this issue. You created another account, but then what kind of Google account did you add? POP, IMAP?

I use MAPI account created from GWSMO.

GWSMO, when you set an account, creates a new Outlook profile. Later in that profile you can add other account to that profile.

But GWSMO cannot add an account to an existing profile (AFAIK, tell me if I miss something).

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Outlook 2019 unable to create data file (wrong message, it doesn't create account)

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