Outlook 2007 Issues - lots of them - formatting, not showing inbox,etc.

[WalkUpright]

I've recently been working on a new machine with XP and Office 2007. I
have been having numerous issues with Outlook 2007 and none of the
groups files have been helpful as of yet. Here are the top 3 issues
I'm having right now:

1) Formatting issues - I have my defaults setup to HTML (not plain
text) and I even tried the trick of re-naming the normal.dot and then
closing and re-opening Outlook so it would re-write the file and it
doesn't help. What happens is when I reply to some emails, the
formatting is removed and the email automatically goes to plain text.
Some of the help files say that this is because of the sender's
settings. However, this happens with the same sender. One email will
allow me to keep the formatting, and another will strip it and change
my settings to plain text. It double spaces some emails when I start a
new email, and others it doesn't. I've tried to change the quick
styles, the default html styles, etc. and nothing works. What is so
frustrating about this is that nothing is consistent. I get different
results when I do the same exact thing.

2) Receiving emails in plain text format. A common thing is happening
with emails I get from some newsletters I belong to. Sometimes the
formatting is stripped and then any links that I would want to click,
I have to copy and paste the URL into a browser. It's very annoying.
In 2003 I received all these emails just fine, and now all of a sudden
all my newsletters are coming to me in plain text. What's even more
confusing is that sometimes, certain newsletters do come across with
the images, styles, etc. but then another email from the same
newsletter has all the formatting stripped.

3) I'm also having a strange inbox issue. I click send/receive (or
Outlook will automatically send/receive based on my automatic
setting). Some emails will pop into my inbox. But if I go to a
different folder, and then come back to the inbox, I suddenly have
several more emails in my inbox. This happens with almost every send/
receive where only a few emails will appear in the inbox and I have to
exit the inbox and come back to see them all.

I know many people are having similar issues, but none of the replies
here have seemed to resolve anything for me. I'm about to just scrap
the Microsoft product and use Gmail exclusively and call it a day. Any
suggestions?

Thanks,

 

[Roady [MVP]]

1)
-Normal.dot has noting to do with emailing in Outlook 2007. The file
containing the formatting settings in Outlook 2007 is normalemail.dotx
-Outlook replies in the format as the original message. You are saying this
is HTML?
-When you say it changes your settings to Plain Text, are you referring to
the global options or only for that message?
-Which addins do you have installed? Also disable your virus scanner's
integration with Outlook.

2) Those messages probably have the info bar on top of them informing you
that the message has been detected as a Junk or Phishing and that it has
been converted to Plain Text and has disabled Hyperlinks. Click on that bar
to restore functionality and/or remove it from your Junk Emails folder. It
could have been converted by your virus scanner or other installed
anti-malware suite as well.

3) Hard to say from the info provided. An anti-malware suite integrating
with Outlook is again the most likely cause of this issue.

 

[WalkUpright]

1)
-Normal.dot has noting to do with emailing in Outlook 2007. The file
containing the formatting settings in Outlook 2007 is normalemail.dotx

That's what I was referring to, sorry. I had read different help files
that said to rename both of those files and then restart Outlook.

-Outlook replies in the format as the original message. You are saying this
is HTML?

Yes. In some cases, the original message is in HTML but it still goes
to plain text when I reply.

-When you say it changes your settings to Plain Text, are you referring to
the global options or only for that message?

I don't know how to tell the difference. I know that my global options
are set for HTML. But when I reply to some messages, it says Plain
text on that message and sometimes it says HTML.

-Which addins do you have installed? Also disable your virus scanner's
integration with Outlook.

Not sure if I even have addins. How would I know this? As for
disabling the virus scanner's integration with outlook, this option is
not something I'm willing to do. I get 100's of emails every day, and
often I get viruses that my AVG catches. If I turn that off, I'll run
the risk of getting a virus. What's the point in having virus software
if you can't use it?

2) Those messages probably have the info bar on top of them informing you
that the message has been detected as a Junk or Phishing and that it has
been converted to Plain Text and has disabled Hyperlinks. Click on that bar
to restore functionality and/or remove it from your Junk Emails folder. It
could have been converted by your virus scanner or other installed
anti-malware suite as well.

Nope. That's not what is happening here. No messages of junk or
phishing. The sender's email is setup in my allowed senders list.
Never had a problem with this until I switched to Outlook 2007.

3) Hard to say from the info provided. An anti-malware suite integrating
with Outlook is again the most likely cause of this issue.

I really don't see how my virus software is causing this since it's
the same software I've used for years and it only started happening
when I switched to Outlook 2007. Does Outlook not allow integration
with typical virus software? If so, that's absurd. what's the point of
using an application if you run the risk of getting a virus by doing
so? There must be some other reason for this.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

http://www.msoutlook.info/
Real World Questions, Real World Answers

-----

I've recently been working on a new machine with XP and Office 2007. I
have been having numerous issues with Outlook 2007 and none of the
groups files have been helpful as of yet. Here are the top 3 issues
I'm having right now:

1) Formatting issues - I have my defaults setup to HTML (not plain
text) and I even tried the trick of re-naming the normal.dot and then
closing and re-opening Outlook so it would re-write the file and it
doesn't help. What happens is when I reply to some emails, the
formatting is removed and the email automatically goes to plain text.
Some of the help files say that this is because of the sender's
settings. However, this happens with the same sender. One email will
allow me to keep the formatting, and another will strip it and change
my settings to plain text. It double spaces some emails when I start a
new email, and others it doesn't. I've tried to change the quick
styles, the default html styles, etc. and nothing works. What is so
frustrating about this is that nothing is consistent. I get different
results when I do the same exact thing.

2) Receiving emails in plain text format. A common thing is happening
with emails I get from some newsletters I belong to. Sometimes the
formatting is stripped and then any links that I would want to click,
I have to copy and paste the URL into a browser. It's very annoying.
In 2003 I received all these emails just fine, and now all of a sudden
all my newsletters are coming to me in plain text. What's even more
confusing is that sometimes, certain newsletters do come across with
the images, styles, etc. but then another email from the same
newsletter has all the formatting stripped.

3) I'm also having a strange inbox issue. I click send/receive (or
Outlook will automatically send/receive based on my automatic
setting). Some emails will pop into my inbox. But if I go to a
different folder, and then come back to the inbox, I suddenly have
several more emails in my inbox. This happens with almost every send/
receive where only a few emails will appear in the inbox and I have to
exit the inbox and come back to see them all.

I know many people are having similar issues, but none of the replies
here have seemed to resolve anything for me. I'm about to just scrap
the Microsoft product and use Gmail exclusively and call it a day. Any
suggestions?

Thanks,

 

[Brian Tillman]

Not sure if I even have addins. How would I know this? As for
disabling the virus scanner's integration with outlook, this option is
not something I'm willing to do. I get 100's of emails every day, and
often I get viruses that my AVG catches. If I turn that off, I'll run
the risk of getting a virus. What's the point in having virus software
if you can't use it?

You run no such risk. Scaning email is pointless and disrupts the
communications between Outlook and your server. Uninstall AVG and reinstall
it without the mail scanning feature. You are still just as protected.
Think about it. In order to catch a virus, you must OPEN the attachment.
So, to start, NEVER open any attachment from within mail. Immediately
delete any message, with or without an attachment, from anyone you don't
recognize. If you recognize the sender and tere is an attachment,
immediately delete the message if you didn't request the attachment. For
those messages containing an attachment you requested, always save the
attachment to disk first and allow the on-access scanning portion of AVG
check it. You'll be told if it's infected. Finally, if you do open an
attachment without saving it first, you'll STILL be protected because an
attachment can't be o[pened until AFTER it has been saved to disk, which
Outlook does when you open the attachment, and your on-access scanner will
detect any infections at that point. All the mail scanning feature does is
detect malware slightly earlier in the process. You're still protected
without it and mail will work better.

 

[WalkUpright]

Not sure if I even have addins. How would I know this? As for
disabling the virus scanner's integration with outlook, this option is
not something I'm willing to do. I get 100's of emails every day, and
often I get viruses that my AVG catches. If I turn that off, I'll run
the risk of getting a virus. What's the point in having virus software
if you can't use it?

You run no such risk. Scaning email is pointless and disrupts the
communications between Outlook and your server. Uninstall AVG and reinstall
it without the mail scanning feature. You are still just as protected.
Think about it. In order to catch a virus, you must OPEN the attachment.
So, to start, NEVER open any attachment from within mail. Immediately
delete any message, with or without an attachment, from anyone you don't
recognize. If you recognize the sender and tere is an attachment,
immediately delete the message if you didn't request the attachment. For
those messages containing an attachment you requested, always save the
attachment to disk first and allow the on-access scanning portion of AVG
check it. You'll be told if it's infected. Finally, if you do open an
attachment without saving it first, you'll STILL be protected because an
attachment can't be o[pened until AFTER it has been saved to disk, which
Outlook does when you open the attachment, and your on-access scanner will
detect any infections at that point. All the mail scanning feature does is
detect malware slightly earlier in the process. You're still protected
without it and mail will work better.

I turned off AVG and there is no change. It looks like the virus
software is not affecting the issues I'm having in outlook 2007. Any
other suggestions?

 

[Picky Pete]

I'm also having this problem. Previously was using ZA A/V suite. Removed
and installed AT&T A/V suite. Was not a problem with ZA and Outlook 2003
since upgrading to Outlook 2007 all hyperlink functionality ceased in my
email, as mentioned earlier I hve had to resolve to cut and paste the link in
IE. Thanks Microsoft.

Turning off AVG is not the same as disabling its integration with Outlook.
Turning AVG off is something you shouldn't do and wasn't advised in our
replies as that is the on-access scanner.

Not sure if I even have addins. How would I know this? As for
disabling the virus scanner's integration with outlook, this option is
not something I'm willing to do. I get 100's of emails every day, and
often I get viruses that my AVG catches. If I turn that off, I'll run
the risk of getting a virus. What's the point in having virus software
if you can't use it?

You run no such risk. Scaning email is pointless and disrupts the
communications between Outlook and your server. Uninstall AVG and
reinstall
it without the mail scanning feature. You are still just as protected.
Think about it. In order to catch a virus, you must OPEN the attachment.
So, to start, NEVER open any attachment from within mail. Immediately
delete any message, with or without an attachment, from anyone you don't
recognize. If you recognize the sender and tere is an attachment,
immediately delete the message if you didn't request the attachment. For
those messages containing an attachment you requested, always save the
attachment to disk first and allow the on-access scanning portion of AVG
check it. You'll be told if it's infected. Finally, if you do open an
attachment without saving it first, you'll STILL be protected because an
attachment can't be o[pened until AFTER it has been saved to disk, which
Outlook does when you open the attachment, and your on-access scanner
will
detect any infections at that point. All the mail scanning feature does
is
detect malware slightly earlier in the process. You're still protected
without it and mail will work better.

I turned off AVG and there is no change. It looks like the virus
software is not affecting the issues I'm having in outlook 2007. Any
other suggestions?