Outlook freeze

[Dennis]

I have been using Outlook 2000 since 2001 with no trouble
until yesterday. When I click on the icon the main screen
comes up, my pointer rotates, like the program is
starting, for about 30 seconds, then it shuts itself down
and goes back to my desktop. I am using XP home edition
on a Pentium 4 system. As far as i know i haven't picked
up any virus's, according to Norton antivirus and I have
added no new programs recently. Does anyone have any
ideas that I can use to repair this? Any help would be
greatly appreciated.

 

[Patrick Reed [MVP - Outlook]]

Have you been keeping up with service packs and patches from Officeupdate
(www.microsoft.com/office)?

If you select Start | Run
Enter outlook.exe /Safe (note the space between "exe" and "/Safe")
Select OK
Does Outlook open?

 

[sampson]

Patrick,

I tried the outlook safe mode and it does work (only in that mode). I have
all the updates Microsoft offers for Office 2000. Is there any way I can get
this to work normally?

Thanks for your help
Dennis

 

[Patrick Reed [MVP - Outlook]]

I'd like to think so.

Close Outlook and search for a file named outcmd.dat. If you right click
your Start button in Windows and select Explore, it should be in your
profile's \Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook folder. Rename that file and
start up Outlook normally... any luck?

 

[sampson]

Patrick,

I tried renaming the file outcmd1.dat and there was no change. I renamed it
outcmd1.tad and still no change (other than an icon change). I tried a warm
boot and a cold boot with no change. This is way beyond me. Any other ideas?


I repeat that I appreciate any and all help.

Dennis

 

[Patrick Reed [MVP - Outlook]]

OK. There are other things that are disabled when starting in safe mode.

Start back up with the /Safe switch and select Tools | Options | Other |
Advanced | Add-In Manager. Uncheck all installed add-ins and then restart
Outlook normally. Any difference now?

 

[sampson]

Patrick,

I tried the Add-In manager 2 items there, neither were checked. Next I went
to Comm Add-In. Outlook backup Add-In was checked. I unchecked it and no
difference. It still won't work. Sorry to be a pain, is there anything I can
try?

Dennis

 

[Patrick Reed [MVP - Outlook]]

OK - let's try this.

Close Outlook
Select Start | Run
Enter outlook.exe /CleanViews (note space between ".exe" and
"/CleanViews)
Select OK

Any different?


If you create a new profile, does it work?

 

[sampson]

Tried clean view, no change. Tried new profile, which included installing
Outlook 2000 from my small business disc AND no change. When I click on the
icon, the splash screen comes up, the logo for Outlook 2000 comes up, the
system tries for 30 seconds, then closes itself down and leaves me back at
the desktop. Would there be any benefit to upgrading to a newer version of
Office? (That would be the one I can't afford right now.)

Thanks again
Dennis

 

[Patrick Reed [MVP - Outlook]]

Hmmm. How about this...

Close Outlook
Select Start | Run
Enter outlook.exe /NoPreview
(note space between ".exe" and "/NoPreview")
Select OK

Besides add-ins, the preview pane, and toolbar customixzations, I can't
think of much else that's disabled by starting Outlook in Safe mode. How
about MS Word? Do you have that set as your e-mail editor?

You can try running SCANPST.EXE against your PST file.

If you create a new, blank PST file and set that as your delivery location,
is it any different?

 

[sampson]

Patrick,

I tried outlook.exe /No Preview and it won't start. The program will start
and run in safe mode.
You're starting to talk over my head here.
Where do I find out if I have MS Word set as my e-mail editor? I looked in
both programs and can't find the option in either one. I have three pst
files, An archive file - 560KB, Outlook backup file - 3760 KB, and a
current file -3760 KB.
I don't know how to run SCANPST.EXE against my PST file.
Lastly how do I create a blank PST file and set that as my delivery
location?

Any and all help will save my sanity
Thanks
Dennis

 

[Patrick Reed [MVP - Outlook]]

Sorry about that.

The option for Word as the e-mail editor is in Tools | Options | Mail
Format.

SCANPST.EXE can usually be found in C:\Program Files\ - just run a FInd
FIles or Folders from there. Double click the SCANPST.EXE file. It's a
fairly simple program. You just Browse to your PST file(s) and start a scan
on them.

In Outlook, if you show the folder list (View | Folder List), and right
click | select Properties on the top-level folder in the list, you can see
where the file resides.

 

[sampson]

Patrick,

First off, thank you for your continuing help.

I found the editor option and it was not checked.

I ran SCANPST.EXE against my three PST files and of course there was no
problem.

How do I create a blank PST file and have it set as my delivery location?

Thanks, Dennis

 

[Brian Tillman]

How do I create a blank PST file and have it set as my delivery
location?

To create a new PST, click File>New>Personal Folders File, browse to a
likely folders, give the PST the name you want, click OK. To set it as the
default delivery location, click Tools>Services>Delivery and choose the new
PST. Were I doing this, I'd stop and restart Outlook at this point.

 

[sampson]

Brian,

In my version (Outlook 2000), I don't have a Services>Delivery option. What
I have is Tools> Accounts, Customize, Options. When I click on Customize
nothing happens. Clicking on Accounts, brings up the default account.
Clicking on Options brings up 6 tabs, one of which is Mail Delivery. When I
click on that tab, the Accounts Manager is the only thing I can see to do
anything with and that only lets me modify or add new accounts. Am I looking
in the wrong place? I did create a new PST file though.

Thanks for any and all help

 

[Brian Tillman]

In my version (Outlook 2000), I don't have a Services>Delivery
option.

You must be running Outlook in Internet Mode Only, then. IMO doesn't use
profiles. You have a couple of options. One is to wait for a response from
someone else who is more familiar with OL 2000 IMO ;-) and the other is to
switch to Corporate/Workgroup mode (Tools>Options>Mail Setup). If you don't
use IMAP to access your mail server, you don't lose any functionality and
you'll gain profiles.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Internet Mail Only mode:
- File menu > Open > Personal Folders file > migrate to the new PST file
location to open it
- Right-click on the root of the new set of folders in the folder pane (View

Folder List)

- Choose Properties
- Check the "Deliver POP mail" box
- Quit & restart Outlook
- Now you can Close the PST file that you were previously using (R-click on
that pst folder while in Folder View and select "Close <foldername>
Folders"). If you have any information in your former PST that you'd like to
transfer to your new default PST, you can drag and drop from one to the
other before you close the old one.

 

[Brian Tillman]

Internet Mail Only mode:

Cool. Thanks.

 

[sampson]

Russ,

I'm sure your ideas will work. I have switched to Corporate/Workgroup mode
per Brian Tillman. Do I stand to lose anything of value if I switch back to
Internet Mode Only?

Thanks for any and all help.
Dennis

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

That depends entirely on what your email needs are. You can compare the
features and decide for yourself:
http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/choosingmode.htm