Reset Mailbox Language

How can I reset the language for the folder names inside my mailbox?

In Exchange 2000/2003 and Outlook 2000/XP/2003, when one of the following conditions takes place, the default language names of the folders inside the user’s mailbox might change:

  • You move a mailbox from one Exchange server to another Exchange server.

  • You create a new mailbox.

In both cases, the client’s regional settings and locale will set the folder’s language, but only if the proper language was also configured on the Exchange 2000/2003server itself.

Some clients (for example, Outlook 2000 or older) do not allow the names of certain standard folders (for example, the Inbox) to be changed, but this is a client restriction and not a limitation of Exchange. In these cases, you could use a different client (such as the older Exchange client) to modify the folder names.

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Outlook 2002 clients can run a command line switch to rename the default folders to the language of the client. To do this, click Start, click Run, and then type

​Outlook.exe /resetfoldernames

Outlook will start normally and the default folder names will be in the language of the client.

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You can also plant a registry tweak to all computers on your network by using a simple .REG file and running it with the REGEDIT /S switch:

​Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Outlook\Setup]
"ResetFolderNames"=dword:00000001

Copy the text and paste it into a file. Save the file as (for example) RESETFOLDER.REG.

For Outlook 2003 change the registry path to 11.0 instead of 10.0.

Another method for setting the right language for the MBX folders involves suggesting to the users that they use a client in their preferred language to access their mailbox for the first time, so that the folders are created in the language they prefer. Note that only the language of the client matters; the settings of the OS and the server are not important.

Links

Customizing an Outlook Installationlink out ico

OL2002: Additional Command-Line Switches – 296192link out ico

Names of Mailbox Folders Appear in Different Languages – 188856link out ico