[Fix] Windows Live Mail Error 0x800C013E in Windows 10

After installing the Windows 10 Feature Update 2004  (Build 19041.xx), you may be unable to send or receive emails using Windows Live Mail Version 2012. The error message may look like the following:

Unable to send or receive messages for the [name] account. An unknown error has occurred.

Server: 'mail.server.com'
Windows Live Mail Error ID: 0x800C013E
Protocol: POP3
Port: 110
Secure(SSL): No

Server: imap.googlemail.com
Username: 
Protocol: IMAP
Port: 993
Secure(SSL): 1
Code: 800c013e

Server: imap-mail.outlook.com
Username: [name]@hotmail.co.uk
Protocol: IMAP
Port: 993
Secure(SSL): 1
Code: 800c013e

Also, when you preview an email in Windows Live Mail, you may see the following error message(s):

Message could not be displayed

Windows Live Mail encountered an unexpected problem while displaying this message. Check your computer for low memory or low disk space and try again.

Could not write this message to disk

Resolution

To fix the error 0x800C013E in Windows Live Mail in Windows 10 v2004 and higher, follow these steps:

1. Close the Windows Live Mail window.
2. Start the Registry Editor (regedit.exe)
3. In the Registry Editor, go to the following branch:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail

4. Create the following DWORD values and set the data for each value to 1.

   Value name: RecreateFolderIndex
   Value type: REG_DWORD
   Value data: 1
   
   Value name: RecreateStreamIndex
   Value type: REG_DWORD
   Value data: 1
   
   Value name: RecreateUIDLIndex
   Value type: REG_DWORD
   Value data: 1

5. Restart Windows Live Mail.

This should resolve the Windows Live Mail error 0x800C013E. The above solution was posted by a user named “WLMUser2020” at the following Microsoft Answers (German) forum.

https://answers.microsoft.com/de-de/windowslive/forum/all/probleme-mit-windows-live-mail-seit-mai-update/297c8827-55ce-4f57-8422-7fe6fdba642c

A vast majority of the users have indicated that this has resolved the issue.

WLMUser2020 also indicates that the three registry values may be reset to 0 automatically, and can be left that way. He states that the above registry edit also fixes the corrupted account display issue in WLM (with multiple accounts) that surfaced in Windows 10 2004.

Editor’s note: Please note that Microsoft has already discontinued Windows Live Mail (and the entire Windows Live Essentials suite). It’s advisable to move over to another email client like Outlook/Office 365 or freeware clients like Mozilla Thunderbird or a similar program.