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# Can't launch Outlook when switching to Exchange from POP3
- URL: https://blog.tsd.digital/cant-launch-outlook-when-switching-to-exchange-from-pop3/
- Published: 2008-05-30T19:14:36.000Z
- Updated: 2008-05-30T19:14:36.000Z
- Author: Tim Gaunt
- Tags: Office, The Site Doctor, #Import 2025-04-01 05:37

I've had an irritating issue for the past week or so. I used to use POP3 in Outlook however the other day I switched to the internal Exchange server and I got stuck in an eternal loop saying that Exchange needed to connect to the server to synchronise the offline files and folders -but you couldn't do that until the files were transferred.

The message looked something like this:

> The set of folders cannot be opened. You must connect to Microsoft Exchange with the current profile before you can synchronise your folders with your offline folder file.

Took me a while but the fix was to remove the profile and setup the exchange inbox first:

1. Click **Start**, and then click **Control Panel**.
2. Click **Switch to Classic View**, and then double-click **Mail**.
3. In the **Mail Setup** dialog box, click **Show Profiles**.
4. On the **General** tab, click **Prompt for a profile to be used**, and then click **Add**.
5. In the **Profile Name** box, type a descriptive name for the new e-mail profile, and then click **OK**.
6. In the **E-mail Accounts** dialog box, click **Add a new e-mail account**, and then click **Next**.
7. Click the appropriate server type for your new e-mail account, and then click **Next**.
8. Type your account information in the required boxes, and then click **Next**.
9. Click **Finish**, and then click **OK**.