You cannot use an IMAP client to limit the file size of the e-mail messages that you want to download in Outlook 2003

When you use an Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) client to download e-mail messages in Microsoft Office Outlook 2003, you cannot limit the file size of the e-mail messages that you want to download to the computer.

This problem was first fixed in a hotfix that is now contained in a service pack. If you installed the latest Office 2003 service pack, you do not have to install the hotfix.

Service pack information

This problem is corrected in Office 2003 Service Pack 3. To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Office 2003. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
After you install the service pack, follow the steps that are listed in the "How to enable this hotfix" section of the article to set the registry key and to activate the hotfix.

Hotfix information

How to obtain the hotfix

This issue is fixed in the Hotfix Package that is dated December 6, 2005. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

How to enable the hotfix

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

1. Quit Outlook 2003.
2. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
3. Locate and then click to select the following registry key:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Options\Mail
4. After you select the key that is specified in step 3, point to New on the Edit menu, and then click DWORD Value.
5. Type IMAPMessageDownloadSizeLimit, and then press ENTER.
6. Right-click IMAPMessageDownloadSizeLimit, and then click Modify.
7. In the Value data box, type 100, and then click OK.
   
   Note When you set the value to 100, you specify that messages that are larger than 100 bytes will not be downloaded. The DWORD value of 100 decimal represents 100 bytes. 0x100 in hexadecimal equals 256 bytes. You can adjust this value to limit the size of the e-mail messages that you want to download. To do this, change the value in the Value data box.
8. On the File menu, click Exit to quit Registry Editor.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

This problem was first corrected in Office 2003 Service Pack 3.