outlook express identities

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rock15478

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Hi, for some reason when managing my identities in Outlook Express it will NOT let me delete the identity called "Main Identity." When I click the remove button it brings up the message saying "Are you sure you want to remove this idenity?..." and then I click the delete button to go ahead and do it....however, NOTHING happens when I do this. If I try to switch to that identity it brings up an error message saying "Identity Switch Canceled." This identity has never been set up for use for anything, and it won't let me change the properties to it or anything. Nothing happens when I click on properties for this identity under manage identites. All I want to do is to GET RID of this identity. It is used for nothing and I can't get rid of it. And by the way, my default identity (the identity to be used when starting a program and the identity to be used when a program cannot ask you to choose an identity is NOT this identity......it is one of the ones I am currently using). Anyone have any suggestions or where I could delete this from in the Windows registry?? Thanks
 
look for a folder called identities. It will (usually) contain a crapton of folders with reg key looking type names

Delete 'em.

This assumes, of course, you use IMAP and not pop. Otherwise, you'll have fun trying to find the right folder to hose, and not wanting to mess up your data forever, don't say you've not been warned.

Hope this helps.
 
no, i'm using pop.....all i want to do is get rid of that one identity appearing in the list. can't this be deleted somewhere in the registry? thanks
 
From http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;245419

Try this:

Rename the "Main Identity" Subkey
Before you back up the Identities subkeys, you must rename the Username value of the Main Identity subkey. To do so:
Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type regedit.exe, and then click OK.
Locate the following registry subkey:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Identities

To do so, in the left pane, click the plus sign (+) that is next to each registry key or subkey in the path to expand each branch until you locate the subkey that you want to delete. For example, in the following registry subkey path, the subkey is Identities:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities

In the left pane, click the plus sign (+) that is next to the Identities subkey to expand that branch. Note the globally unique identifier (GUID) subkeys; each is named with a unique ID number, such as the following:
{AFE1AA0D-D202-4C52-AC8D-F68DE06421C1}

In the left pane, click each GUID until you find the Username data value Main Identity.
In the right pane, double-click Username.
In the Edit String dialog box, type Main Backup in the Value data box, and then click OK.


(This tells you how to rename it. I think simple logic will help you to figure a way to remove it. But do backup your data/registry before mucking around! :))
 
I've got exactly the same problem....

Though I have to admit, I stumbled across this website in my search for a solution, rather than being a person who is amazing at working computers...

I know I will sound like an idot but can you tell me how to back up the registry... I read in a help thing to type "regedit" (without the quotations) but it doesn't recognise it...

please help!

Esther :D
 
Esther,

When you click start->run a box with the title "Open" appears with a box to fill in. In there put in regedit. (no period, no quotes, just regedit - Spelling is important!). If that doesn't work, try regedit.exe with the period between regedit and .exe (ie type the whole thing.)

Now this program is one of the "advanced" programs on your system- you can REALLY screw up a computer if you're not careful playing around in it! Fortunately in this case chances are most likely you'll just render Outlook Express unuseable instead of the whole computer, but still be very careful.

Now. Click the Plus Sign next to "HKEY_CURRENT_USER" in the left bar.
Then click the plus sign next to "IDENTITIES" in the left bar. Now below "IDENTITIES" you'll see a bunch of ugly numbers with dashes and so forth (see my response above for an example.) You're going to left click on each one of those one by one, and then look on the right. In the right box will be a field called Username. You're looking for one with a Username of "Main Identity"

Once you find this, double click on "username" next to "Main Identity". A box will pop up. Change it to say "Main backup" instead of "main identity." Click ok.

Now close the regedit screen by clicking the X in the top right.

Now for good measure, reboot!!

Hopefully this will help you. If you still need more assistance, please let us know generally what's going on (what you're trying to do), What version of Windows you're running (98, NT, 2000, XP, etc.), and what version of Outlook Express you're using (Click help->About Outlook express). This will greatly help our chances of helping you.

Mods- If there is a response still with issues, please spin this off into its own thread. Thanks!
 
Thanking you kindly... I'm able to get that screen up when I put ".exe" on the end.
Just wanted to check, before I make the changes you suggest... how do I back it up? I read that I should backup before I make any changes in the previous post... or is this not necessary?

Thankyou for helping me!!!
Esther
 
Just thought of another thing which may be linked.
Last weekend I was at a friends house, and left my parents to their own devices using my computer.

When I got back, and turned the computer on, it made me choose a user, where before I just had it go straight into windows (hope you are following)

So I looked this up in the control panel, after my mum had told me they had an error messages telling them they couldn't turn the pc off because another user was logged into the computer.

So in control panel, accounts, there was an ADSL (or some initials similar) user name, which was password protected, and wouldn;t let me get into. So naturally, I deleted it straight away, but ticked an option to save the information in a file (Which incidently I can't find).
and wondered why norton hadn't picked up on this.
and made my personal user area password protected, and set up one for my parents (so they couldn't make any major changes).

And thinking about it, I never had a 'main identity' user in outlook express until now... and wonder if its linked.

Just wondering if you think the two are connected..... :blush:

Sorry for my waffle, hope you follow what I said. Probably should have written down all the things I did, before I did it... oh well... oh to be rubbish with computers....

thanku for reading this!!! :approve:
Esther
 
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