Cannot Access Contact Folder OL-XP

[Frankster]

Subject pretty much says it all. Attempt to access address book, then
contact folder fails. However, in the tree view, the contact folder can be
opened and viewed. In a new mail, hitting the TO button to obtain a contact
list fails.

Steps taken to try to remedy...

- Performed Help | Detect and Repair - produces a "cannot access (or find?)
ODBC - Stop, Cancel, Ignore. I chose Ignore, and finally got the completed
successfully message.

- Took ownership of all files in profile (which includes the outlook.pst
file

Next step???

Thanks,

-Frank

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Did you configure the Outlook Address Book?
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;287563&Product=ol2002

 

[Frankster]

Thank you. I will talk my friend through this on the phone today and see if
it fixes his problem.

I forgot to mention in the original post (sorry) that this is an Internet
mail only installation. No Exchange. I know that may matter.

-Frank

Did you configure the Outlook Address Book?
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;287563&Product=ol2002

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Subject pretty much says it all. Attempt to access address book, then
contact folder fails. However, in the tree view, the contact folder can
be opened and viewed. In a new mail, hitting the TO button to obtain a
contact list fails.

Steps taken to try to remedy...

- Performed Help | Detect and Repair - produces a "cannot access (or
find?) ODBC - Stop, Cancel, Ignore. I chose Ignore, and finally got the
completed successfully message.

- Took ownership of all files in profile (which includes the outlook.pst
file

Next step???

Thanks,

-Frank

 

[Frankster]

Okay, went through this link. No-joy. There is no "additional address book"
choice. I suspect that might be true for Exchange server. As I forgot to
post in my OP, this is an Internet-only configuration.

-Frank

Did you configure the Outlook Address Book?
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;287563&Product=ol2002

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Subject pretty much says it all. Attempt to access address book, then
contact folder fails. However, in the tree view, the contact folder can
be opened and viewed. In a new mail, hitting the TO button to obtain a
contact list fails.

Steps taken to try to remedy...

- Performed Help | Detect and Repair - produces a "cannot access (or
find?) ODBC - Stop, Cancel, Ignore. I chose Ignore, and finally got the
completed successfully message.

- Took ownership of all files in profile (which includes the outlook.pst
file

Next step???

Thanks,

-Frank

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Doesn't matter. The instructions fine work for all versions.
We can't tell what you're doing wrong without your telling us what you did.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Okay, went through this link. No-joy. There is no "additional address
book" choice. I suspect that might be true for Exchange server. As I
forgot to post in my OP, this is an Internet-only configuration.

-Frank

Did you configure the Outlook Address Book?
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;287563&Product=ol2002

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Subject pretty much says it all. Attempt to access address book, then
contact folder fails. However, in the tree view, the contact folder can
be opened and viewed. In a new mail, hitting the TO button to obtain a
contact list fails.

Steps taken to try to remedy...

- Performed Help | Detect and Repair - produces a "cannot access (or
find?) ODBC - Stop, Cancel, Ignore. I chose Ignore, and finally got the
completed successfully message.

- Took ownership of all files in profile (which includes the outlook.pst
file

Next step???

Thanks,

-Frank

 

[Frankster]

Doesn't matter. The instructions fine work for all versions.

Hmm... okay. I'm running OS 2003 and my contacts/address book is working
fine and I still have no menu choices like mentioned in the article.
Neither does my friend with OS-XP whom I am trying to help. I dunno...

We can't tell what you're doing wrong without your telling us what you
did.

Hehe... got me on that one...

Here's the deal, his outlook would not start at all. Error message. I'm
sorry I can't remember what right now. I logged into the administrator
account and outlook started fine (empty mailbox). So, I knew it was his
profile. So... I copied his outlook.pst to another place on the drive (was
in the default place in his profile). Deleted his profile. Created a new
profile. Configured outlook with the default outlook.pst it creates when you
first open it. Then, I copied his old outlook.pst over the newly created
blank one. Started outlook and (thankfully) all his mail is still there.
Everything except the address list / contact list works well. Send/receive
no prob. He even has all his old contacts showing fine if he chooses the
Contact folder from the tree view (or shortcuts). But his address book and
contacts will not function at all, are not accessible, for anything except
viewing. When he tries to add an address or contact he gets a message
something like "you cannot add an address" and/or "contacts not available,
or similar.

Does that help???

Oh.. he is running Norton NIS including email scanning.... (I hate that).
Just FYI, in case it matters.

-Frank

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

The article is accurate. Those menu options exist in every version of
Outlook 2002 and 2003. You must be misreading it. Which options do you think
are missing?

Your problem is much more complicated than you indicated. You should never
overwrite a PST file. It will corrupt your profile every time. So you have
both a corrupt profile and a corrupt Outlook Address Book Service.
Create a new profile and migrate your data correctly:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx
Then use the article I posted to configure the Outlook Address Book.

 

[Frankster]

YES! Thank you.

#1) I *was* misreading the article... oops.... I've only been reading for
about 50 years, so far, hopefully I will get better as the years go by!

#2) With the info you supplied (both links are great) I feel confident I can
get this done right. I have done the import maneuver one other time. Tedious
but it worked.

His mailbox is 1.4GB... if we have to do the whole import thing it will take
a very long time.

Could be, now that I have practiced my reading, the first link you pointed
me to will work.

I need to get him to bring the box over again for me to work on it. No way I
want to try to talk anyone through this on the phone.

Thanks again.

-Frank

The article is accurate. Those menu options exist in every version of
Outlook 2002 and 2003. You must be misreading it. Which options do you
think are missing?

Your problem is much more complicated than you indicated. You should never
overwrite a PST file. It will corrupt your profile every time. So you have
both a corrupt profile and a corrupt Outlook Address Book Service.
Create a new profile and migrate your data correctly:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx
Then use the article I posted to configure the Outlook Address Book.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Hmm... okay. I'm running OS 2003 and my contacts/address book is working
fine and I still have no menu choices like mentioned in the article.
Neither does my friend with OS-XP whom I am trying to help. I dunno...


Hehe... got me on that one...

Here's the deal, his outlook would not start at all. Error message. I'm
sorry I can't remember what right now. I logged into the administrator
account and outlook started fine (empty mailbox). So, I knew it was his
profile. So... I copied his outlook.pst to another place on the drive
(was in the default place in his profile). Deleted his profile. Created
a new profile. Configured outlook with the default outlook.pst it creates
when you first open it. Then, I copied his old outlook.pst over the
newly created blank one. Started outlook and (thankfully) all his mail
is still there. Everything except the address list / contact list works
well. Send/receive no prob. He even has all his old contacts showing fine
if he chooses the Contact folder from the tree view (or shortcuts). But
his address book and contacts will not function at all, are not
accessible, for anything except viewing. When he tries to add an address
or contact he gets a message something like "you cannot add an address"
and/or "contacts not available, or similar.

Does that help???

Oh.. he is running Norton NIS including email scanning.... (I hate that).
Just FYI, in case it matters.

-Frank

 

[Frankster]

I need to get him to bring the box over again for me to work on it. No way

I want to try to talk anyone through this on the phone.

I should explain. For example, he doesn't know what "drag and drop" means.
Nor what minimize or maximize a window means or how to do it. Nor the
difference between Internet Explorer and Windows Explorer. Tough case.

-Frank

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

A word of caution here. At no point should you ever be importing data.
Importing will introduce even more data loss or corruption of settings.
None of the directions involves importing data, so follow them carefully.
Nothing you have ever learned about data transfer applies to Outlook. It is
a uniquely cantankerous and intolerant program. Use only the supported
method for file migration.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

YES! Thank you.

#1) I *was* misreading the article... oops.... I've only been reading for
about 50 years, so far, hopefully I will get better as the years go by!


#2) With the info you supplied (both links are great) I feel confident I
can get this done right. I have done the import maneuver one other time.
Tedious but it worked.

His mailbox is 1.4GB... if we have to do the whole import thing it will
take a very long time.

Could be, now that I have practiced my reading, the first link you pointed
me to will work.

I need to get him to bring the box over again for me to work on it. No way
I want to try to talk anyone through this on the phone.

Thanks again.

-Frank

The article is accurate. Those menu options exist in every version of
Outlook 2002 and 2003. You must be misreading it. Which options do you
think are missing?

Your problem is much more complicated than you indicated. You should
never overwrite a PST file. It will corrupt your profile every time. So
you have both a corrupt profile and a corrupt Outlook Address Book
Service.
Create a new profile and migrate your data correctly:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx
Then use the article I posted to configure the Outlook Address Book.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Doesn't matter. The instructions fine work for all versions.

Hmm... okay. I'm running OS 2003 and my contacts/address book is working
fine and I still have no menu choices like mentioned in the article.
Neither does my friend with OS-XP whom I am trying to help. I dunno...

We can't tell what you're doing wrong without your telling us what you
did.

Hehe... got me on that one...

Here's the deal, his outlook would not start at all. Error message. I'm
sorry I can't remember what right now. I logged into the administrator
account and outlook started fine (empty mailbox). So, I knew it was his
profile. So... I copied his outlook.pst to another place on the drive
(was in the default place in his profile). Deleted his profile. Created
a new profile. Configured outlook with the default outlook.pst it
creates when you first open it. Then, I copied his old outlook.pst over
the newly created blank one. Started outlook and (thankfully) all his
mail is still there. Everything except the address list / contact list
works well. Send/receive no prob. He even has all his old contacts
showing fine if he chooses the Contact folder from the tree view (or
shortcuts). But his address book and contacts will not function at all,
are not accessible, for anything except viewing. When he tries to add an
address or contact he gets a message something like "you cannot add an
address" and/or "contacts not available, or similar.

Does that help???

Oh.. he is running Norton NIS including email scanning.... (I hate
that). Just FYI, in case it matters.

-Frank

 

[Frankster]

A word of caution here. At no point should you ever be importing data.

Importing will introduce even more data loss or corruption of settings.
None of the directions involves importing data, so follow them carefully.
Nothing you have ever learned about data transfer applies to Outlook. It
is a uniquely cantankerous and intolerant program. Use only the supported
method for file migration.

Will do. I'll let you know how it comes out.

-Frank