Can't Start Outlook Express 6 After Installing SP2

[Guest]

Hi,

I just did a clean re-format and re-build of my Windows XP Pro computer.
Almost immediately after re-installing XP, I did the following:
* Edited the registry so that my Program Files path and Program Files
Directory would be D:\
* Updated to Service Pack 2

Now I get the infamous message when starting Outlook Express:
"Outlook Express Could Not Be Started. The application was unable to open
the Outlook Express Message Store. Your computer may be out of memory or
your disk may be full."

I then get a second message: "Outlook Express could not be started because
MSOE.DLL could not be initialized. Outlook Express may not be installed
correctly."

Windows support page reccomends reinstalling SP2. But I just installed it.
My registry changes above were done BEFORE installing SP2. I didn't try
running Outlook Express before running SP2, but I did have the exact same
message before the reformat.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.
Of course this is bull. This is a freshly rebuilt XP installation on a
brand new PC and I have more memory and disk space than I know what to do
with. I had this exact same message immediately before my reformat, when I
had XP Home SP2 which came pre-installed.

 

[PA Bear]

Start here: http://www.insideoe.com/problems/errors.htm#crash

General OE Caveats:

- Don't use Inbox or Sent Items to archive messages. Move them to local
folders created for this purpose.

- Empty Deleted Items folder daily.

- Disable Background Compacting [N/A in SP2] and frequently perform a manual
compact of all OE folders while "working offline". More at
http://www.insideoe.com/files/maintain.htm.

- Do not attempt to close OE via Task Manager or shutdown your machine if
Automatic Compacting is taking place (WinXP SP2 only).

- Your anti-virus application's email scanning feature can also cause
corruption. Disable it. It provides no additional protection.

 

[Steve Shattuck]

I just did a clean re-format and re-build of my Windows XP Pro computer.

Almost immediately after re-installing XP, I did the following:
* Edited the registry so that my Program Files path and Program Files
Directory would be D:\
* Updated to Service Pack 2

Now I get the infamous message when starting Outlook Express:
"Outlook Express Could Not Be Started. The application was unable to open
the Outlook Express Message Store. Your computer may be out of memory or
your disk may be full."

I then get a second message: "Outlook Express could not be started because
MSOE.DLL could not be initialized. Outlook Express may not be installed
correctly."

Sound like you did everything but copy the contents of the c:\program files
folder to the D:\program files. DO NOT DELETE THE PROGRAMS IN C:\PROGRAM
FILES until you are sure everything is working (in case you missed a
Registry item). Once they are working, RENAME the C:\PROGRAM FILES folder
and once again make sure everything is still working. Now you can delete
the c:\program files folder.

 

[Guest]

Thanks a lot, I'll give it a try.

Start here: http://www.insideoe.com/problems/errors.htm#crash

General OE Caveats:

- Don't use Inbox or Sent Items to archive messages. Move them to local
folders created for this purpose.

- Empty Deleted Items folder daily.

- Disable Background Compacting [N/A in SP2] and frequently perform a manual
compact of all OE folders while "working offline". More at
http://www.insideoe.com/files/maintain.htm.

- Do not attempt to close OE via Task Manager or shutdown your machine if
Automatic Compacting is taking place (WinXP SP2 only).

- Your anti-virus application's email scanning feature can also cause
corruption. Disable it. It provides no additional protection.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE) & Security

I just did a clean re-format and re-build of my Windows XP Pro computer.
Almost immediately after re-installing XP, I did the following:
* Edited the registry so that my Program Files path and Program Files
Directory would be D:\
* Updated to Service Pack 2

Now I get the infamous message when starting Outlook Express:
"Outlook Express Could Not Be Started. The application was unable to open
the Outlook Express Message Store. Your computer may be out of memory or
your disk may be full."

I then get a second message: "Outlook Express could not be started because
MSOE.DLL could not be initialized. Outlook Express may not be installed
correctly."

Windows support page reccomends reinstalling SP2. But I just installed
it. My registry changes above were done BEFORE installing SP2. I didn't
try running Outlook Express before running SP2, but I did have the exact
same message before the reformat.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.
Of course this is bull. This is a freshly rebuilt XP installation on a
brand new PC and I have more memory and disk space than I know what to do
with. I had this exact same message immediately before my reformat, when
I had XP Home SP2 which came pre-installed.

 

[PA Bear]

PS: Steve brings up a related point: MSIMN.EXE *must* be located on the boot
drive. If you located the OE program folder on D:\ and D:\ is not the
boot drive...
--
~PA Bear

Thanks a lot, I'll give it a try.

Start here: http://www.insideoe.com/problems/errors.htm#crash

General OE Caveats:

- Don't use Inbox or Sent Items to archive messages. Move them to local
folders created for this purpose.

- Empty Deleted Items folder daily.

- Disable Background Compacting [N/A in SP2] and frequently perform a
manual compact of all OE folders while "working offline". More at
http://www.insideoe.com/files/maintain.htm.

- Do not attempt to close OE via Task Manager or shutdown your machine
if Automatic Compacting is taking place (WinXP SP2 only).

- Your anti-virus application's email scanning feature can also cause
corruption. Disable it. It provides no additional protection.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE) & Security

I just did a clean re-format and re-build of my Windows XP Pro
computer. Almost immediately after re-installing XP, I did the
following: * Edited the registry so that my Program Files path and
Program Files Directory would be D:\
* Updated to Service Pack 2

Now I get the infamous message when starting Outlook Express:
"Outlook Express Could Not Be Started. The application was unable to
open the Outlook Express Message Store. Your computer may be out of
memory or your disk may be full."

I then get a second message: "Outlook Express could not be started
because MSOE.DLL could not be initialized. Outlook Express may not
be installed correctly."

Windows support page reccomends reinstalling SP2. But I just
installed it. My registry changes above were done BEFORE installing
SP2. I didn't try running Outlook Express before running SP2, but I
did have the exact same message before the reformat.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.
Of course this is bull. This is a freshly rebuilt XP installation on
a brand new PC and I have more memory and disk space than I know what
to do with. I had this exact same message immediately before my
reformat, when I had XP Home SP2 which came pre-installed.

 

[Michael Santovec]

Sounds like a variation on this:

OLEXP: Outlook Express Error After Windows 2000 SP1 Installation
(Outlook Express could not be started. The application was unable to
open the
Outlook Express message store. Your computer may be out of memory or
your
disk is full.)
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=296969

 

[Dave]

Yep!!!!! I can't believe I overlooked that. I must have figured that
since I updated the registry BEFORE upgrading to SP2, that IE/Outlook
would have re-installed themselves in the correct directory. That's
Microsoft for you - vague error messages and all. Thanks again!