Problem using Outlook 2000 and Outlook 2003 on the same Exchange 2000 mailbox

[Ken Thomson]

Environment - mailbox on Exchange 2000 (SP3) server.

I have been using Outlook 2000 to access the mailbox for several years
without problems. I installed Outlook 2003 on a new laptop. After using
Outlook 2003 to access the mailbox, Outlook 2000 will not longer shutdown
properly. NB. Only using 1 Outlook client to access the mailbox at any one
point in time.

I can still use Outlook 2000 to access the mailbox without any issues. The
problem only occurs when closing the Outlook 2000 program. I get the normal
'Please wait while Outlook exits...' dialog box (wording may be slightly
different). This dialog box used to disappear after a second or two. Now
it never goes away - Outlook 2000 appears to have frozen. I have to use
task manager to kill the Outlook process. Apart from this annoying problem,
Outlook 2000 functions normally.

Other info : Outlook 2000 and Outlook 2003 clients are on different
computers. I had turned on cached communications on for a while in the
Outlook 2003 client and then turned it off. If I use the same Outlook 2000
program to access a mailbox which Outlook 2003 has not touched, it exits
cleanly. I have tried uninstalling and re-installing Outlook 2000 - same
behaviour. I have tried other Outlook 2000 clients on different machines to
access the same mailbox and experience the same behaviour when closing. If
a new mail message appears in the mailbox when Outlook 2000 is frozen on the
exit dialog box, Outlook still recognises the new message and puts the new
message envelope icon in the notification area.

Outlook 2003 works fine when using the mailbox - and it exits cleanly.

My only guess is Outlook 2003 has made a change to the mailbox which
confuses Outlook 2000.

I would like to be able to use both Outlook 2000 and Outlook 2003 to access
the mailbox without any problems.

Can anyone help or suggest a solution? I have check the MS Knowledge base -
found nothing similar to this issue.

Regards,
Ken.

 

[Steven Liu]

Hi Ken,

Thanks for posting here.

Let's try to start the Outlook 2000 by running "outlook.exe /CleanFreeBusy"
without quotation marks. Let's see whether this works.

Please also make sure you have installed the Service Pack 3 of the Outlook
2000. It can be downloaded at:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5C011C70-47D0-4306-
9FA4-8E92D36332FE&displaylang=en

We also can try to start the Outlook 2000 by running "outlook.exe /safe"
without quotation marks and see whether this works.

If this does not work, we can create a new profile of the Outlook 2000 and
try to connect to the mailbox with the new profile.

You also can delete the exist account on the Outlook 2003. Re-create the
account without using the Cache Exchange Mode. Test whether the problem
still occurs.

If this does not work, please reply the post and I will continue to help
you.

Thanks for using Microsoft Newsgroup!

Sincerely,

Steven Liu [MSFT]

Microsoft Online Partner Support

MCSE 2000

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security

This posting is provided "as is" with no warranties and confers no rights.

 

[Ken Thomson]

Hi Ken,[snip]
Let's try to start the Outlook 2000 by running "outlook.exe /CleanFreeBusy"
without quotation marks. Let's see whether this works. [snip]
We also can try to start the Outlook 2000 by running "outlook.exe /safe"
without quotation marks and see whether this works.

Hi Steven,

Thanks for your reply. Using the "CleanFreeBusy" parameter did not make any
difference. However, after starting Outlook 2000 with the "safe" parameter,
Outlook 2000 now exits cleanly.

What changes does the "safe" switch make to the mailbox?

Warm thankyou for your assisatance.

Regards,
Ken.

 

[Steven Liu]

Hi Ken,

In Outlook safe mode, it will launches Outlook without extensions, preview
pane or toolbar customization.

You can check the following option:

1. Click Tools > Options in the Outlook 2000
2. Go to the Other tab
3. Click the Advanced Options button
4. Click the COM Add-Ins button
5. Remove all Add-Ins here by clicking the Remove button
6. Click OK
7. Close and restart the Outlook and see whether this works

The following article is about the command line switches of the Outlook
2000.

197180 OL2000: Additional Command-Line Switches
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=197180

Thanks for using Microsoft Newsgroup!

Sincerely,

Steven Liu [MSFT]

Microsoft Online Partner Support

MCSE 2000

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security

This posting is provided "as is" with no warranties and confers no rights.