Annoying balloon message every time Outlook starts

[John Sandu]

I've installed MS Office 2007 Professional some days ago (eight or more).
Before installing, I've saved personal folders of MS Outlook 2003 (which I
was using before) and uninstalled MS Office 2003.
Well, I start MS Word and I activate the product. Then I start MS Outlook
2007 and I have a pleasant surprise: MS Outlook 2007 retrives my folders in
the appropriate Application Data, so I have no need to restore what I saved.
But the first time I've started MS Outlook 2007 and every time I did it
after I get for first a ballon message saying:

"A data file did not close properly the last time it was used and is being
checked for problems. Performance might be affected while the check is in
progress."

The check finished, I got a balloon message saying me the check is complete,
but the next time I start Outlook 2007 I get the same balloon error message.
I close MS Outlook 2007 every time before I shut down the system, using the
close button (x in the right upper corner) or the File/Exit command.

Searching the forums, I've seen how to repair personal folders and I used
SCANPST command, which found "minor inconsistencies" and did not create
Recovered Personal Folders, so I think Outlook entirely recovered all the
content of .pst. But... this didn't solve my problem.

I tried to create an additional personal folder file, thinking that the old
PST reached some size limit, but the problem still exist.

I don't understand what's happening. It is right I didn't make a conversion
of personal folders from the Outlook 2003 status to the Outlook 2007 status,
but there was no any question about, so I think Outlook 2007 recognized the
personal folders and passed them to the Outlook 2007 format (if there is some
difference...). Now is a little late to - let's say - import messages from
the saved PST, because I have many new messages I kept in my folders.

I mention my system: HP dc7100, with 2 GB of RAM, 2 HDD of more than 150 GB
each (I have enough free space), Windows XP Professional SP2 with all the
updates up-to-date.

Every other component of MS Office 2007 works fine, without any error
message or warning.

I'll be grateful if anyone can give me an explanation and a "how to solve"
this annoying behaviour of my new Outlook 2007.

TIA,
John

 

[Roady [MVP]]

So when you close Outlook, does the outlook.exe process actually quits as
well? It could very well be that an (incompatible) addin keeps your Outlook
session running.

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

 

[John Sandu]

Hi Roady!

I think Outlook quits completely; when I tried to repair using SCANPST this
one warned me that Outlook must be close and waited me to do so; I closed
Outlook as I described and SCANPST continued to work.

Once I checked if Outlook closed (when I was searching the forums), looking
for it using the Rask Manager and I didn't find it in the Applications tab,
nor in the Processes tab.

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Addins could still be your issue here when they "crash" their lock on the
pst-file instead of nicely terminating it.

Another way to go would be to create a new mail profile but instead of
directly reattaching your original pst-file, leave if it with the newly
created empty one. When you close and restart Outlook do you still get the
notification?

If not, you can reattach your old pst-file by File-> Open-> Outlook Data
File...
Then move (don't use import) all your items from the original pst-file to
the newly created one. Once you've moved everything you can detach the
original pst-file by File-> Data File Management.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Also, just make sure Instant Search has finished indexing your file. If it
hasn't, give it time to do so and the error message will go away.

 

[John Sandu]

OK, my friends, now I am home, but tomorrow in the morning I'll try your
sugestions.

The idea related to the Instant Search is very interesting. I remember that
one of the updates proposed by Microsoft Update was to install this
mechanism; and I did so. But - seeing what that implies, I've uninstalled the
Instant Search. As I can't relate very precisely my problem to the
installation of Instant Search, I think it's possible that my error could be
implied by the install-uninstall of Instant Search.

If so (I'll apply the sugestions of Roady tomorrow morning), what could be
done?

Thanks and have a good day.

John

Also, just make sure Instant Search has finished indexing your file. If it
hasn't, give it time to do so and the error message will go away.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Hi Roady!

I think Outlook quits completely; when I tried to repair using SCANPST
this
one warned me that Outlook must be close and waited me to do so; I closed
Outlook as I described and SCANPST continued to work.

Once I checked if Outlook closed (when I was searching the forums),
looking
for it using the Rask Manager and I didn't find it in the Applications
tab,
nor in the Processes tab.

 

[John Sandu]

Ok, I'm back.
I tried all you suggest me. It's strange, but the error message is still
there.

I can't imagine what can I do, but I wait other ideas from you. I don't
know, if I uninstall and reinstall (only Outlook, can I?) do you think
there's a hope to loose this behaviour? What kind of procedure should I try
more?

Also, just make sure Instant Search has finished indexing your file. If it
hasn't, give it time to do so and the error message will go away.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Hi Roady!

I think Outlook quits completely; when I tried to repair using SCANPST
this
one warned me that Outlook must be close and waited me to do so; I closed
Outlook as I described and SCANPST continued to work.

Once I checked if Outlook closed (when I was searching the forums),
looking
for it using the Rask Manager and I didn't find it in the Applications
tab,
nor in the Processes tab.