Outlook 2003 Setup Problem -- Can't Find Mailbox.pst

I have a problem with my initial Outlook 2003 setup.

I just upgraded from Office 97 to Office 2003, although I only used Outlook Express before rather than Outlook (in the 97 version). In fact, the main reason I upgraded to Office 2003 is that I need to start using Outlook.

Anyway, right after setup, the initial Outlook Configuration wizard appeared, and it asked if I wanted to upgrade the settings, etc., from Outlook Express. I said yes, entered my POP 3 and SMTP info, password, etc.

Then all of a sudden I got an error message when trying to access mail (from within Outlook, I guess) that said:

"The information service has not been configured. Select an existing file to configure, or type the name of a new file to create. "

Then it opened a "create/open personal files" box in the outlook directory, looking for a .pst file. There were no files there so I clicked cancel, and then got another error message stating:

"Properties for this information service must be defined prior to use. "

I clicked okay, and then got the final error message:

"Unable to open default e-mail folders. The file C:\WINDOWS\mailbox.pst could not be found. "

I don't know what the problem is, but could someone help me solve it?

Thanking you desperately!

 

Bingo! Thanks, Steve.

You know, you'd think they could just add a little sentence to the instructions -- "Duh, you need to CREATE your .pst file, lunkhead!" -- but noooooooooooo. That would be too easy.

Anyway, it worked. Thanks again. I should have seen that one myself.

 

By the way, I'm reluctantly giving up my 20-year-old unix-based mail program Pine (via the WELL.com) for Outlook, so I'm hoping there's some way to file all emails related to a certain project -- everything I send or receive from a half-dozen people I'm working with on a writing project, for instance -- to the same "Writing Project" folder. But I don't see how to do that.

In Pine, everytime I send an email to Joe Blow it automatically gets filed in thiat "Writing Project" folder because in the address book, Joe Blow's name has an fcc naming the save-to folder to be "Writing Project."

Can Outlook do the same? Or do you know of a good resource for quickly learning about Outlook?

Thanks again or your help, Steve.