Eliminating all of the little outlooks

[Rick Altman]

I know that there is a program that will automatically shut down Outlook,
for sync and backup purposes. I would like to know if there is any utility
that will go one step further and inspect the Processes that are running and
eliminate all of the instances of Outlook.exe that love to take up residence
there. I swear the number of instances of Outlook that hibernate there are
like the coat hangers in a closet...

 

[K. Orland]

If you have multiple instances of OUTLOOK.EXE running in processes, it's not
shutting down properly. The most likely causes are:

Antivirus software (it doesn't need to integrate with Outlook, that is
actively scan incoming and outgoing mail)
Antispam software
Synch software (for a handheld)
FAX software

http://www.howto-outlook.com/faq/outlookdoesntclose.htm

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

There should only be one per each outlook window open although sometimes
sync software causes extras to open. I'm not aware of any utility that would
be able to close them without closing all outlook.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]





EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)

You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

 

[Rick Altman]

I appreciate both of the replies to this dilemma.

To Kathleen's point: This is not a question of Outlook not closing properly;
it happens when Outlook is running. Syncing software asks for a second (and
sometimes third, fourth, fifth, sixteenth) instance of Outlook to start and
Outlook apparently complies. Then they just accumulate.

To Diane's point (below): I am pretty sure that the culprit is Google
Calendar sync. I don't need a utility that would close down the rogue
instances without closing all of Outlook -- I would be quite satisfied with
a utility that shut down anything that looks and smells like Outlook. As of
now, I must close Outlook, head to Task Manager, and then close all of the
outlook.exe instances that are stashed there. Today, after the long weekend,
there were 23 of them...

There should only be one per each outlook window open although sometimes
sync software causes extras to open. I'm not aware of any utility that
would be able to close them without closing all outlook.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]





EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)

You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

I know that there is a program that will automatically shut down Outlook,
for sync and backup purposes. I would like to know if there is any
utility that will go one step further and inspect the Processes that are
running and eliminate all of the instances of Outlook.exe that love to
take up residence there. I swear the number of instances of Outlook that
hibernate there are like the coat hangers in a closet...

 

[Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]]

Try Knockout - http://www.sunflowerhead.com

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact.
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375


After furious head scratching, Rick Altman asked:

| I appreciate both of the replies to this dilemma.
|
| To Kathleen's point: This is not a question of Outlook not closing
| properly; it happens when Outlook is running. Syncing software asks
| for a second (and sometimes third, fourth, fifth, sixteenth) instance
| of Outlook to start and Outlook apparently complies. Then they just
| accumulate.
|
| To Diane's point (below): I am pretty sure that the culprit is Google
| Calendar sync. I don't need a utility that would close down the rogue
| instances without closing all of Outlook -- I would be quite
| satisfied with a utility that shut down anything that looks and
| smells like Outlook. As of now, I must close Outlook, head to Task
| Manager, and then close all of the outlook.exe instances that are
| stashed there. Today, after the long weekend, there were 23 of them...
|
|
|
|
|
|
| || There should only be one per each outlook window open although
|| sometimes sync software causes extras to open. I'm not aware of any
|| utility that would be able to close them without closing all outlook.
||
|| --
|| Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
||
||
||
|| Outlook Tips by email:
|| (e-mail address removed)
||
|| EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
|| (e-mail address removed)
||
|| You can access this newsgroup by visiting
|| http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or
|| point your newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.
||
||
|| ||| I know that there is a program that will automatically shut down
||| Outlook, for sync and backup purposes. I would like to know if
||| there is any utility that will go one step further and inspect the
||| Processes that are running and eliminate all of the instances of
||| Outlook.exe that love to take up residence there. I swear the
||| number of instances of Outlook that hibernate there are like the
||| coat hangers in a closet...
|||
|||
|||
|||
||| --
||| Rick A.
||| Pleasanton CA

 

[Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]]

One more thing, look at the shortcut you use to start Outlook. Add the /recycle to the end of it to ensure that Outlook re-uses its windows.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact.
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375


After furious head scratching, Rick Altman asked:

| I appreciate both of the replies to this dilemma.
|
| To Kathleen's point: This is not a question of Outlook not closing
| properly; it happens when Outlook is running. Syncing software asks
| for a second (and sometimes third, fourth, fifth, sixteenth) instance
| of Outlook to start and Outlook apparently complies. Then they just
| accumulate.
|
| To Diane's point (below): I am pretty sure that the culprit is Google
| Calendar sync. I don't need a utility that would close down the rogue
| instances without closing all of Outlook -- I would be quite
| satisfied with a utility that shut down anything that looks and
| smells like Outlook. As of now, I must close Outlook, head to Task
| Manager, and then close all of the outlook.exe instances that are
| stashed there. Today, after the long weekend, there were 23 of them...
|
|
|
|
|
|
| || There should only be one per each outlook window open although
|| sometimes sync software causes extras to open. I'm not aware of any
|| utility that would be able to close them without closing all outlook.
||
|| --
|| Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
||
||
||
|| Outlook Tips by email:
|| (e-mail address removed)
||
|| EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
|| (e-mail address removed)
||
|| You can access this newsgroup by visiting
|| http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or
|| point your newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.
||
||
|| ||| I know that there is a program that will automatically shut down
||| Outlook, for sync and backup purposes. I would like to know if
||| there is any utility that will go one step further and inspect the
||| Processes that are running and eliminate all of the instances of
||| Outlook.exe that love to take up residence there. I swear the
||| number of instances of Outlook that hibernate there are like the
||| coat hangers in a closet...
|||
|||
|||
|||
||| --
||| Rick A.
||| Pleasanton CA

 

[Rick Altman]

Thanks, Milly --

I have downloaded it, but I am not terribly optimistic. Mine grow like a
colony of amoeba and yet they do not seem to affect Outlook's basic
behavior. In fact, the only reason that I would care is because they inhibit
Outlook's abilty to be called by other programs in a script or a Send Mail
command.

And yes, I diligently use the /recycle parameter when I start Outlook. This
too does not seem entirely relevant, b/c the issue is not one of Outlook
starting second and third instances of itself when I start it; these
instances appear while Outlook is already running.

Sigh...







One more thing, look at the shortcut you use to start Outlook. Add the
/recycle to the end of it to ensure that Outlook re-uses its windows.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact.
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375


After furious head scratching, Rick Altman asked:

| I appreciate both of the replies to this dilemma.
|
| To Kathleen's point: This is not a question of Outlook not closing
| properly; it happens when Outlook is running. Syncing software asks
| for a second (and sometimes third, fourth, fifth, sixteenth) instance
| of Outlook to start and Outlook apparently complies. Then they just
| accumulate.
|
| To Diane's point (below): I am pretty sure that the culprit is Google
| Calendar sync. I don't need a utility that would close down the rogue
| instances without closing all of Outlook -- I would be quite
| satisfied with a utility that shut down anything that looks and
| smells like Outlook. As of now, I must close Outlook, head to Task
| Manager, and then close all of the outlook.exe instances that are
| stashed there. Today, after the long weekend, there were 23 of them...
|
|
|
|
|
|
| || There should only be one per each outlook window open although
|| sometimes sync software causes extras to open. I'm not aware of any
|| utility that would be able to close them without closing all outlook.
||
|| --
|| Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
||
||
||
|| Outlook Tips by email:
|| (e-mail address removed)
||
|| EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
|| (e-mail address removed)
||
|| You can access this newsgroup by visiting
|| http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or
|| point your newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.
||
||
|| ||| I know that there is a program that will automatically shut down
||| Outlook, for sync and backup purposes. I would like to know if
||| there is any utility that will go one step further and inspect the
||| Processes that are running and eliminate all of the instances of
||| Outlook.exe that love to take up residence there. I swear the
||| number of instances of Outlook that hibernate there are like the
||| coat hangers in a closet...
|||
|||
|||
|||
||| --
||| Rick A.
||| Pleasanton CA

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

if google calendar sync is opening multiple copies of outlook, the problem
is not with outlook - its with google not calling outlook correctly or
releasing the outlook object at the end of the sync. Its probably also
trying to sync before you open outlook - then keeping a copy running without
a UI.

What other apps do you use that are calling outlook? If sync tools - as long
as the device remains connected, copies of outlook may run without a UI.
Especially if the device tries to sync before you load outlook. Vista's
Outlook gadgets can also cause these hidden copies.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]





EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)

You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

Thanks, Milly --

I have downloaded it, but I am not terribly optimistic. Mine grow like a
colony of amoeba and yet they do not seem to affect Outlook's basic
behavior. In fact, the only reason that I would care is because they
inhibit Outlook's abilty to be called by other programs in a script or a
Send Mail command.

And yes, I diligently use the /recycle parameter when I start Outlook.
This too does not seem entirely relevant, b/c the issue is not one of
Outlook starting second and third instances of itself when I start it;
these instances appear while Outlook is already running.

Sigh...







One more thing, look at the shortcut you use to start Outlook. Add the
/recycle to the end of it to ensure that Outlook re-uses its windows.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact.
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375


After furious head scratching, Rick Altman asked:

| I appreciate both of the replies to this dilemma.
|
| To Kathleen's point: This is not a question of Outlook not closing
| properly; it happens when Outlook is running. Syncing software asks
| for a second (and sometimes third, fourth, fifth, sixteenth) instance
| of Outlook to start and Outlook apparently complies. Then they just
| accumulate.
|
| To Diane's point (below): I am pretty sure that the culprit is Google
| Calendar sync. I don't need a utility that would close down the rogue
| instances without closing all of Outlook -- I would be quite
| satisfied with a utility that shut down anything that looks and
| smells like Outlook. As of now, I must close Outlook, head to Task
| Manager, and then close all of the outlook.exe instances that are
| stashed there. Today, after the long weekend, there were 23 of them...
|
|
|
|
|
|
| || There should only be one per each outlook window open although
|| sometimes sync software causes extras to open. I'm not aware of any
|| utility that would be able to close them without closing all outlook.
||
|| --
|| Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
||
||
||
|| Outlook Tips by email:
|| (e-mail address removed)
||
|| EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
|| (e-mail address removed)
||
|| You can access this newsgroup by visiting
|| http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or
|| point your newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.
||
||
|| ||| I know that there is a program that will automatically shut down
||| Outlook, for sync and backup purposes. I would like to know if
||| there is any utility that will go one step further and inspect the
||| Processes that are running and eliminate all of the instances of
||| Outlook.exe that love to take up residence there. I swear the
||| number of instances of Outlook that hibernate there are like the
||| coat hangers in a closet...
|||
|||
|||
|||
||| --
||| Rick A.
||| Pleasanton CA

 

[Rick Altman]

You're exactly right, Diane -- it's not necessarily Outlook's fault. Google
Sync and Blackberry Desktop Manager are the two that I use, the former I
keep running and the latter I run when desired. But getting Google to listen
is like speaking to the moon, and the folks at the Blackberry forums offer
no solutions, only rants against Outlook.

So while I do not blame Outlook, I look to its community as the most likely
source of a solution. At the top of my wish list, therefore, is a simple
utility that inspects the Processes running on a system, seeks out instances
of Outlook.exe, and simply removes them. I could almost write a keystroke
macro that does it; there has to be a more elegant way, however...



Rick A.

if google calendar sync is opening multiple copies of outlook, the problem
is not with outlook - its with google not calling outlook correctly or
releasing the outlook object at the end of the sync. Its probably also
trying to sync before you open outlook - then keeping a copy running
without a UI.

What other apps do you use that are calling outlook? If sync tools - as
long as the device remains connected, copies of outlook may run without a
UI. Especially if the device tries to sync before you load outlook.
Vista's Outlook gadgets can also cause these hidden copies.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]





EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)

You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

Thanks, Milly --

I have downloaded it, but I am not terribly optimistic. Mine grow like a
colony of amoeba and yet they do not seem to affect Outlook's basic
behavior. In fact, the only reason that I would care is because they
inhibit Outlook's abilty to be called by other programs in a script or a
Send Mail command.

And yes, I diligently use the /recycle parameter when I start Outlook.
This too does not seem entirely relevant, b/c the issue is not one of
Outlook starting second and third instances of itself when I start it;
these instances appear while Outlook is already running.

Sigh...







One more thing, look at the shortcut you use to start Outlook. Add the
/recycle to the end of it to ensure that Outlook re-uses its windows.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact.
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375


After furious head scratching, Rick Altman asked:

| I appreciate both of the replies to this dilemma.
|
| To Kathleen's point: This is not a question of Outlook not closing
| properly; it happens when Outlook is running. Syncing software asks
| for a second (and sometimes third, fourth, fifth, sixteenth) instance
| of Outlook to start and Outlook apparently complies. Then they just
| accumulate.
|
| To Diane's point (below): I am pretty sure that the culprit is Google
| Calendar sync. I don't need a utility that would close down the rogue
| instances without closing all of Outlook -- I would be quite
| satisfied with a utility that shut down anything that looks and
| smells like Outlook. As of now, I must close Outlook, head to Task
| Manager, and then close all of the outlook.exe instances that are
| stashed there. Today, after the long weekend, there were 23 of them...
|
|
|
|
|
|
| || There should only be one per each outlook window open although
|| sometimes sync software causes extras to open. I'm not aware of any
|| utility that would be able to close them without closing all outlook.
||
|| --
|| Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
||
||
||
|| Outlook Tips by email:
|| (e-mail address removed)
||
|| EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
|| (e-mail address removed)
||
|| You can access this newsgroup by visiting
|| http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or
|| point your newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.
||
||
|| ||| I know that there is a program that will automatically shut down
||| Outlook, for sync and backup purposes. I would like to know if
||| there is any utility that will go one step further and inspect the
||| Processes that are running and eliminate all of the instances of
||| Outlook.exe that love to take up residence there. I swear the
||| number of instances of Outlook that hibernate there are like the
||| coat hangers in a closet...
|||
|||
|||
|||
||| --
||| Rick A.
||| Pleasanton CA

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

At the moment, that is the only solution I'm aware of - short of exiting all
processes with apps like KnockOut. The problem an app would have is in
identifying which process is the valid one. You can't always go by which
one is using the most memory, although most of the time it works.

Also - if the "real" outlook loads first, the UI-less versions should not
cause a problem if you later try to send email using a File, Send command
from most applications. Scripts may or may not work, depending on how they
are written.

http://www.slipstick.com/problems/close.asp has a list of utilities that
will crash outlook - AFAIK none will selectively crash a specific instance.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]





EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)

You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

You're exactly right, Diane -- it's not necessarily Outlook's fault.
Google Sync and Blackberry Desktop Manager are the two that I use, the
former I keep running and the latter I run when desired. But getting
Google to listen is like speaking to the moon, and the folks at the
Blackberry forums offer no solutions, only rants against Outlook.

So while I do not blame Outlook, I look to its community as the most
likely source of a solution. At the top of my wish list, therefore, is a
simple utility that inspects the Processes running on a system, seeks out
instances of Outlook.exe, and simply removes them. I could almost write a
keystroke macro that does it; there has to be a more elegant way,
however...



Rick A.

if google calendar sync is opening multiple copies of outlook, the
problem is not with outlook - its with google not calling outlook
correctly or releasing the outlook object at the end of the sync. Its
probably also trying to sync before you open outlook - then keeping a
copy running without a UI.

What other apps do you use that are calling outlook? If sync tools - as
long as the device remains connected, copies of outlook may run without a
UI. Especially if the device tries to sync before you load outlook.
Vista's Outlook gadgets can also cause these hidden copies.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]





EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)

You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point
your newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

Thanks, Milly --

I have downloaded it, but I am not terribly optimistic. Mine grow like a
colony of amoeba and yet they do not seem to affect Outlook's basic
behavior. In fact, the only reason that I would care is because they
inhibit Outlook's abilty to be called by other programs in a script or a
Send Mail command.

And yes, I diligently use the /recycle parameter when I start Outlook.
This too does not seem entirely relevant, b/c the issue is not one of
Outlook starting second and third instances of itself when I start it;
these instances appear while Outlook is already running.

Sigh...







One more thing, look at the shortcut you use to start Outlook. Add the
/recycle to the end of it to ensure that Outlook re-uses its windows.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact.
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375


After furious head scratching, Rick Altman asked:

| I appreciate both of the replies to this dilemma.
|
| To Kathleen's point: This is not a question of Outlook not closing
| properly; it happens when Outlook is running. Syncing software asks
| for a second (and sometimes third, fourth, fifth, sixteenth) instance
| of Outlook to start and Outlook apparently complies. Then they just
| accumulate.
|
| To Diane's point (below): I am pretty sure that the culprit is Google
| Calendar sync. I don't need a utility that would close down the rogue
| instances without closing all of Outlook -- I would be quite
| satisfied with a utility that shut down anything that looks and
| smells like Outlook. As of now, I must close Outlook, head to Task
| Manager, and then close all of the outlook.exe instances that are
| stashed there. Today, after the long weekend, there were 23 of them...
|
|
|
|
|
|
| || There should only be one per each outlook window open although
|| sometimes sync software causes extras to open. I'm not aware of any
|| utility that would be able to close them without closing all outlook.
||
|| --
|| Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
||
||
||
|| Outlook Tips by email:
|| (e-mail address removed)
||
|| EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
|| (e-mail address removed)
||
|| You can access this newsgroup by visiting
|| http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or
|| point your newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.
||
||
|| ||| I know that there is a program that will automatically shut down
||| Outlook, for sync and backup purposes. I would like to know if
||| there is any utility that will go one step further and inspect the
||| Processes that are running and eliminate all of the instances of
||| Outlook.exe that love to take up residence there. I swear the
||| number of instances of Outlook that hibernate there are like the
||| coat hangers in a closet...
|||
|||
|||
|||
||| --
||| Rick A.
||| Pleasanton CA