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Set the mail store

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To set the mail store

  • Using the Windows interface

  • Using a command line

Using the Windows interface

  1. Open POP3 service.

  2. In the console tree, right-click the computer_name node, and then click Properties.

    Where?

    • POP3 Service/computer_name

  3. In Root Mail Directory, type the path to the mail store; for example, C:\mailstore. The maximum value is 260 characters.

Important

  • If you change this parameter, you must stop and restart the POP3 service and the IIS Admin service. For more information on how to change the POP3 service state and start and stop the IIS Admin service, see Related Topics.

Notes

  • To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure.

  • To open the POP3 service snap-in, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click POP3 Service.

  • You cannot set the mail store to the root directory of the hard disk, for example C:\, or to a directory in which files are currently in use.

  • It is recommended that you locate the mail store on a NTFS file system partition.

  • The default mail store is system_drive:\Inetpub\mailroot\Mailbox.

  • The mail store must be a directory on the local file system or a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path; mapped drives are not supported.

  • If you change the mail store from its default location or from a previous location, and there is stored e-mail, you must manually move the folders in which the e-mail is stored to the new location.

  • If you transfer the mail store to a new directory, you must move the mail store directory to ensure the directory retains the correct ownership; copying the mail store will not work.

  • If you move the mail store to a new location or restore it from a backup, you must reset the permissions on the directory using the winpop set mailroot command.

  • If you are using Active Directory integrated authentication, you must log on to the Active Directory domain, not the local computer, to perform this procedure.

  • Because the mail store can potentially use large amounts of disk space, you should either set a disk quota limit on the volume of the mail store (to control its disk space usage) or set it to use a volume other than the one where the operating system is installed. This will prevent the possibility of the operating system running out of disk space if the mail store becomes too large. For more information on disk quotas, see Configuring disk quotas for the POP3 service.

Using a command line

  1. Open Command Prompt.

  2. Type:

    winpop set mailrootpath_to_mail_store

Value Description

winpop set mailroot

Sets the mail store for the server.

path_to_mail_store

Specifies a directory on the local file system or a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path. The maximum allowable value is 260 characters.

Important

  • If you change this parameter, you must stop and restart the POP3 service and the IIS Admin service. For more information on how to change the POP3 service state and start and stop the IIS Admin service, see Related Topics.

Notes

  • To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure.

  • To open a command prompt, click Start, point to All programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command prompt.

  • You cannot set the mail store to the root directory of the hard disk (for example C:\), or to a directory in which files are currently in use.

  • It is recommended that you locate the mail store on a NTFS file system partition.

  • The default mail store is system_drive:\Inetpub\mailroot\Mailbox.

  • The mail store must be a directory on the local file system or a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path; mapped drivers are not supported.

  • If you change the mail store from its default or from a previous location, and there is stored e-mail, you must manually move the folders in which the e-mail is stored to the new location.

  • If you move the mail store to a new location or restore it from a backup, you must reset the permissions on the directory using the winpop set mailroot command.

  • If you are using Active Directory integrated authentication, you must log on to the Active Directory domain, not the local computer, to perform this procedure.

  • To view the complete syntax for this command, at a command prompt, type:

    winpop set help

  • Because the mail store can potentially use large amounts of disk space, you should either set a disk quota limit on the volume of the mail store (to control its disk space usage) or set it to use a volume other than the one where the operating system is installed. This will prevent the possibility of the operating system running out of disk space if the mail store becomes too large. For more information on disk quotas, see Configuring disk quotas for the POP3 service.

Information about functional differences

  • Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.

See Also

Concepts

Change the POP3 service state
POP3 service administration tools
Mail store
Change Service Settings
Start, stop, pause, resume, or restart a service