Lock a mailbox

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

To lock a mailbox

  • Using the Windows interface

  • Using a command line

Using the Windows interface

  1. Open POP3 service.

  2. To display the list of mailboxes, in the console tree, click the appropriate domain.

    Where?

    • POP3 Service/computer_name/domain_name
  3. In the details pane, right-click the mailbox you want to lock, and then click Lock.

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.

  • When a mailbox is locked, it continues to receive incoming e-mail, which is delivered to the mail store. The user is unable to connect to the server and retrieve e-mail, however.

  • While a mailbox is locked, the only restriction is that the user cannot connect to the server. An administrator can still perform all administrative tasks, such as deleting a mailbox or changing the password for a mailbox.

  • 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.

Using a command line

  1. Open Command Prompt.

  2. Type:

    winpop lockusername@domain_name

Value Description

winpop lock

Locks the specified mailbox account to prevent the user from retrieving e-mail.

username@domain_name

The mailbox account that you want to lock; for example, someone@example.com

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.

  • 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.

  • When a mailbox is locked, it continues to receive incoming e-mail, which is delivered to the mail store. The user is unable to connect to the server and retrieve e-mail, however.

  • While a mailbox is locked, the only restriction is that the user cannot retrieve e-mail from the mail server. An administrator can still perform all administrative tasks, such as deleting a mailbox or changing the password for a mailbox.

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

    winpop help

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

POP3 service administration tools
Manage Mailboxes