Can't install data file

  • Thread starter Thomas Bartlett
  • Start date
T

Thomas Bartlett

On my old home computer with cable modem link and a home LAN, I ran Office
2003 for several years, but was unable to install it from my old disks when
I bought a new computer. But I was able to install Office 2002 on the new
computer, and ran the old pst files, created on Outlook 2003, with limited
function until I was able to buy a new set of Office 2007. When this was
installed over the 2002 version, it took over the several old pst files
which had been displayed in the 2002 installation.

I was soon surprised to see a Reminder window appear, showing email
messages, because I when working in 2003 in the past I had only seen
Reminder windows used in regard to calendar events. So I thought my using
drag and drop on two occasions to transfer messages from one pst file's
folder to another had somehow corrupted the Reminder function.

Altogether there were over 3,000 such messages included in the Reminder
windows. At first I was unable to get any response by clicking the
'dismiss', 'dismiss all', or 'snooze' buttons, and the window would not
accept my attempt to change the time setting from 5 minutes to a longer
time. I could only close the window by clicking the red 'x' at the top
right. And it kept reappearing, often causing lengthy disk activity that
displayed the hour-glass causing me to be unable to use the application.

From Windows Control Panel's 'Add & Remove Programs' icon I removed the
entire Office Enterprise 2007 suite, then reinstalled Outlook, Word, Excel,
Power Point, and Tools. But the disconcerting Reminders window kept
reappearing. I used Outlook Express to access a news group and learned to
run the 'cleanreminders' switch, but the Reminder window kept reappearing.

After speaking to someone today, I learned that Reminders are meant to be
displayed for flagged messages. That function was not active in my previous
installation of Outlook 2003, so I mistakenly thought it was due to my
having corrupted the pst file by drag-and-dropping the messages in 2007.
After I ran the cleanreminders switch, I noticed that the Reminders window
did allow me to depress the 'dismiss' and other buttons.

The above is the background to the present problem:

At an advisor's suggestion, intending to resolve the vexing distraction of
the Reminder windows, I uninstalled Outlook, but I am now unable to
re-install it. Hoping to avoid the Reminder windows, which I thought were
due to a corrupted data file somewhere (which had caused the Reminders to
reappear when I re-installed all of Office the first time, as mentioned
above), I therefore renamed a number of folders and files at the end of the
following three paths (to force the re-installation process to build new
versions):
(1) 'documents and settings / user / application data / microsoft / office'
(2) 'documents and settings / user / application data / microsoft / outlook'
(3) 'documents and settings / user / local settings / application data /
microsoft /outlook'

I then attempted a re-installation of Outlook but the Configuration process
took so long and seemed to stall, so I cancelled it. After a while, I
renamed the changed files and folders back to the original names, and
undertook again to re-install Outlook. That process began by asking if I
wanted to abort a paused previous installation, to which I said 'yes', and
so the new re-installation was satisfactorily completed.

But now I am unable to open Outlook. The first error message says 'Cannot
open your default email folders. Outlook cannot start because a data file to
send and receive email cannot be found. To add a data file, such as a
personal folder file, double click the Mail icon in Windows Control Panel'.

I attempted to do taht by clicking first on the 'email accounts' tab, then
the 'change folder' button. Then a 'new email delivery location' window
appeared, with a 'new Outlook data file' button, which I clicked. Next I
selected the 'Office Outlook Personal Folders File (pst)' option, and
clicked 'OK'. When the window opened, called 'create or open Outlook data
file', I selected the default 'Outlook' file which appeared under the path
'documents and settings / user / local settings / application data /
microsoft /outlook' .

An error message then appeared, 'The information service is not installed on
your computer'. I don't know what further I can do at this point, to
complete the configuation of Outlook. I'll appreciate very much any
informed guidance which leads to a solution. Thanks in advance.

Thomas
 
M

Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Please do not multi-post. Either cross-post to all the groups you have
chosen or post to one group and wait for an answer. Cross-posting is
counter-productive since folks who answer in one group don't see answers
posted in other groups and wastes people's time.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact.
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375


After furious head scratching, Thomas Bartlett asked:

| On my old home computer with cable modem link and a home LAN, I ran
| Office 2003 for several years, but was unable to install it from my
| old disks when I bought a new computer. But I was able to install
| Office 2002 on the new computer, and ran the old pst files, created
| on Outlook 2003, with limited function until I was able to buy a new
| set of Office 2007. When this was installed over the 2002 version,
| it took over the several old pst files which had been displayed in
| the 2002 installation.
|
| I was soon surprised to see a Reminder window appear, showing email
| messages, because I when working in 2003 in the past I had only seen
| Reminder windows used in regard to calendar events. So I thought my
| using drag and drop on two occasions to transfer messages from one
| pst file's folder to another had somehow corrupted the Reminder
| function.
|
| Altogether there were over 3,000 such messages included in the
| Reminder windows. At first I was unable to get any response by
| clicking the 'dismiss', 'dismiss all', or 'snooze' buttons, and the
| window would not accept my attempt to change the time setting from 5
| minutes to a longer time. I could only close the window by clicking
| the red 'x' at the top right. And it kept reappearing, often causing
| lengthy disk activity that displayed the hour-glass causing me to be
| unable to use the application.
|
| From Windows Control Panel's 'Add & Remove Programs' icon I removed
| the entire Office Enterprise 2007 suite, then reinstalled Outlook,
| Word, Excel, Power Point, and Tools. But the disconcerting Reminders
| window kept reappearing. I used Outlook Express to access a news
| group and learned to run the 'cleanreminders' switch, but the
| Reminder window kept reappearing.
|
| After speaking to someone today, I learned that Reminders are meant
| to be displayed for flagged messages. That function was not active
| in my previous installation of Outlook 2003, so I mistakenly thought
| it was due to my having corrupted the pst file by drag-and-dropping
| the messages in 2007. After I ran the cleanreminders switch, I
| noticed that the Reminders window did allow me to depress the
| 'dismiss' and other buttons.
|
| The above is the background to the present problem:
|
| At an advisor's suggestion, intending to resolve the vexing
| distraction of the Reminder windows, I uninstalled Outlook, but I am
| now unable to re-install it. Hoping to avoid the Reminder windows,
| which I thought were due to a corrupted data file somewhere (which
| had caused the Reminders to reappear when I re-installed all of
| Office the first time, as mentioned above), I therefore renamed a
| number of folders and files at the end of the following three paths
| (to force the re-installation process to build new versions):
| (1) 'documents and settings / user / application data / microsoft /
| office' (2) 'documents and settings / user / application data /
| microsoft / outlook' (3) 'documents and settings / user / local
| settings / application data / microsoft /outlook'
|
| I then attempted a re-installation of Outlook but the Configuration
| process took so long and seemed to stall, so I cancelled it. After a
| while, I renamed the changed files and folders back to the original
| names, and undertook again to re-install Outlook. That process began
| by asking if I wanted to abort a paused previous installation, to
| which I said 'yes', and so the new re-installation was satisfactorily
| completed.
|
| But now I am unable to open Outlook. The first error message says
| 'Cannot open your default email folders. Outlook cannot start because
| a data file to send and receive email cannot be found. To add a data
| file, such as a personal folder file, double click the Mail icon in
| Windows Control Panel'.
|
| I attempted to do taht by clicking first on the 'email accounts' tab,
| then the 'change folder' button. Then a 'new email delivery
| location' window appeared, with a 'new Outlook data file' button,
| which I clicked. Next I selected the 'Office Outlook Personal
| Folders File (pst)' option, and clicked 'OK'. When the window
| opened, called 'create or open Outlook data file', I selected the
| default 'Outlook' file which appeared under the path 'documents and
| settings / user / local settings / application data / microsoft
| /outlook' .
|
| An error message then appeared, 'The information service is not
| installed on your computer'. I don't know what further I can do at
| this point, to complete the configuation of Outlook. I'll appreciate
| very much any informed guidance which leads to a solution. Thanks in
| advance.
|
| Thomas
 
T

Thomas Bartlett

Thanks for the tip; I'm inexperienced in newsgroups but I think I see your
point. But how do I make a "cross-post"? Are the "groups you have chosen"
(as you put it) the same as ALL of the groups I have subscribed to in my
news reader, or just a selection of some groupus among all?

On an earlier question two days ago (or was it yesterday?) I posted
separately a different question in (nearly) identical form to two groups.
The first reply was a barebones answer which was insufficient for my
understanding of what to do. The second reply was much better, because it
told me how to go about making the correction mentioned by the first
respondent in the other group. I doubt whether the second respondent had
seen the first respondent's message, and I wonder whether she might have not
bothered to reply if she had seen it.

But I take your point, which is directed at the goal of maximizing the
usefulness of replies to all readers. Thanks.

Thomas

Milly Staples said:
Please do not multi-post. Either cross-post to all the groups you have
chosen or post to one group and wait for an answer. Cross-posting is
counter-productive since folks who answer in one group don't see answers
posted in other groups and wastes people's time.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact.
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375


After furious head scratching, Thomas Bartlett asked:

| On my old home computer with cable modem link and a home LAN, I ran
| Office 2003 for several years, but was unable to install it from my
| old disks when I bought a new computer. But I was able to install
| Office 2002 on the new computer, and ran the old pst files, created
| on Outlook 2003, with limited function until I was able to buy a new
| set of Office 2007. When this was installed over the 2002 version,
| it took over the several old pst files which had been displayed in
| the 2002 installation.
|
| I was soon surprised to see a Reminder window appear, showing email
| messages, because I when working in 2003 in the past I had only seen
| Reminder windows used in regard to calendar events. So I thought my
| using drag and drop on two occasions to transfer messages from one
| pst file's folder to another had somehow corrupted the Reminder
| function.
|
| Altogether there were over 3,000 such messages included in the
| Reminder windows. At first I was unable to get any response by
| clicking the 'dismiss', 'dismiss all', or 'snooze' buttons, and the
| window would not accept my attempt to change the time setting from 5
| minutes to a longer time. I could only close the window by clicking
| the red 'x' at the top right. And it kept reappearing, often causing
| lengthy disk activity that displayed the hour-glass causing me to be
| unable to use the application.
|
| From Windows Control Panel's 'Add & Remove Programs' icon I removed
| the entire Office Enterprise 2007 suite, then reinstalled Outlook,
| Word, Excel, Power Point, and Tools. But the disconcerting Reminders
| window kept reappearing. I used Outlook Express to access a news
| group and learned to run the 'cleanreminders' switch, but the
| Reminder window kept reappearing.
|
| After speaking to someone today, I learned that Reminders are meant
| to be displayed for flagged messages. That function was not active
| in my previous installation of Outlook 2003, so I mistakenly thought
| it was due to my having corrupted the pst file by drag-and-dropping
| the messages in 2007. After I ran the cleanreminders switch, I
| noticed that the Reminders window did allow me to depress the
| 'dismiss' and other buttons.
|
| The above is the background to the present problem:
|
| At an advisor's suggestion, intending to resolve the vexing
| distraction of the Reminder windows, I uninstalled Outlook, but I am
| now unable to re-install it. Hoping to avoid the Reminder windows,
| which I thought were due to a corrupted data file somewhere (which
| had caused the Reminders to reappear when I re-installed all of
| Office the first time, as mentioned above), I therefore renamed a
| number of folders and files at the end of the following three paths
| (to force the re-installation process to build new versions):
| (1) 'documents and settings / user / application data / microsoft /
| office' (2) 'documents and settings / user / application data /
| microsoft / outlook' (3) 'documents and settings / user / local
| settings / application data / microsoft /outlook'
|
| I then attempted a re-installation of Outlook but the Configuration
| process took so long and seemed to stall, so I cancelled it. After a
| while, I renamed the changed files and folders back to the original
| names, and undertook again to re-install Outlook. That process began
| by asking if I wanted to abort a paused previous installation, to
| which I said 'yes', and so the new re-installation was satisfactorily
| completed.
|
| But now I am unable to open Outlook. The first error message says
| 'Cannot open your default email folders. Outlook cannot start because
| a data file to send and receive email cannot be found. To add a data
| file, such as a personal folder file, double click the Mail icon in
| Windows Control Panel'.
|
| I attempted to do taht by clicking first on the 'email accounts' tab,
| then the 'change folder' button. Then a 'new email delivery
| location' window appeared, with a 'new Outlook data file' button,
| which I clicked. Next I selected the 'Office Outlook Personal
| Folders File (pst)' option, and clicked 'OK'. When the window
| opened, called 'create or open Outlook data file', I selected the
| default 'Outlook' file which appeared under the path 'documents and
| settings / user / local settings / application data / microsoft
| /outlook' .
|
| An error message then appeared, 'The information service is not
| installed on your computer'. I don't know what further I can do at
| this point, to complete the configuation of Outlook. I'll appreciate
| very much any informed guidance which leads to a solution. Thanks in
| advance.
|
| Thomas
 
B

Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]

Thanks for the tip; I'm inexperienced in newsgroups but I think I see your
point. But how do I make a "cross-post"? Are the "groups you have
chosen" (as you put it) the same as ALL of the groups I have subscribed to
in my news reader, or just a selection of some groupus among all?

Since I see you're using Outlook Express to read news, in the "Newsgroups"
field, just enter the various groups you wish to receive the post as a
comma-separated list. For example:

microsoft.public.outlook.installation,microsoft.public.outlook.general,microsoft.public.outlook.contacts

The same message will be posted to all of the list and the newsreaders
people use will mark the message read in all groups when read in any of the
groups.
 
T

Thomas Bartlett

Gotcha; thanks.


Brian Tillman said:
Since I see you're using Outlook Express to read news, in the "Newsgroups"
field, just enter the various groups you wish to receive the post as a
comma-separated list. For example:

microsoft.public.outlook.installation,microsoft.public.outlook.general,microsoft.public.outlook.contacts

The same message will be posted to all of the list and the newsreaders
people use will mark the message read in all groups when read in any of
the groups.
 
T

Thomas Bartlett

I'm reposting this at the head of the original thread, which has diverged
into a different issue, and I'm taking the point of that divergent issue by
cross-posting it more widely. I'm still stumped by this vexing problem, and
hope to find some help. Thanks.

Thomas
 
T

Thomas Liau

I just upgraded from Outlook XP to Outlook 2003 in my office laptop and I
discovered that after the upgrade, I am unable to add new personal folder. I
can open the personal folders stored in my existing profile but I am unable
to create new personal folder. The steps I took is this:-

Control panel ->Mail->Show Profiles->Properties->Data Files->Add

I am now prompted with a dialog box "New Outlook Data File" but the types of
storage is blank so I am unable to select anything.

Can anyone help me to resolve this? Thanks.
 
N

neo [mvp outlook]

Do you know if your work site disables the use of PST files due to corporate
policy? (If they do, there would be a DisablePST value in the registry.)
 
T

Thomas Liau

I have checked the registry, but there isn't any registry entry you mentioned.
 
T

tigrom2002 -

Hi Thomas, did you solved this problem?
I'm having the same issue and i wonder what's the workarround.Thank you,Vlad
On my old home computer with cable modem link and a home LAN, I ran Office
2003 for several years, but was unable to install it from my old disks when
I bought a new computer. But I was able to install Office 2002 on the new
computer, and ran the old pst files, created on Outlook 2003, with limited
function until I was able to buy a new set of Office 2007. When this was
installed over the 2002 version, it took over the several old pst files
which had been displayed in the 2002 installation.

I was soon surprised to see a Reminder window appear, showing email
messages, because I when working in 2003 in the past I had only seen
Reminder windows used in regard to calendar events. So I thought my using
drag and drop on two occasions to transfer messages from one pst file's
folder to another had somehow corrupted the Reminder function.

Altogether there were over 3,000 such messages included in the Reminder
windows. At first I was unable to get any response by clicking the
'dismiss', 'dismiss all', or 'snooze' buttons, and the window would not
accept my attempt to change the time setting from 5 minutes to a longer
time. I could only close the window by clicking the red 'x' at the top
right. And it kept reappearing, often causing lengthy disk activity that
displayed the hour-glass causing me to be unable to use the application.

From Windows Control Panel's 'Add & Remove Programs' icon I removed the
entire Office Enterprise 2007 suite, then reinstalled Outlook, Word, Excel,
Power Point, and Tools. But the disconcerting Reminders window kept
reappearing. I used Outlook Express to access a news group and learned to
run the 'cleanreminders' switch, but the Reminder window kept reappearing.

After speaking to someone today, I learned that Reminders are meant to be
displayed for flagged messages. That function was not active in my previous
installation of Outlook 2003, so I mistakenly thought it was due to my
having corrupted the pst file by drag-and-dropping the messages in 2007.
After I ran the cleanreminders switch, I noticed that the Reminders window
did allow me to depress the 'dismiss' and other buttons.

The above is the background to the present problem:

At an advisor's suggestion, intending to resolve the vexing distraction of
the Reminder windows, I uninstalled Outlook, but I am now unable to
re-install it. Hoping to avoid the Reminder windows, which I thought were
due to a corrupted data file somewhere (which had caused the Reminders to
reappear when I re-installed all of Office the first time, as mentioned
above), I therefore renamed a number of folders and files at the end of the
following three paths (to force the re-installation process to build new
versions):
(1) 'documents and settings / user / application data / microsoft / office'
(2) 'documents and settings / user / application data / microsoft / outlook'
(3) 'documents and settings / user / local settings / application data /
microsoft /outlook'

I then attempted a re-installation of Outlook but the Configuration process
took so long and seemed to stall, so I cancelled it. After a while, I
renamed the changed files and folders back to the original names, and
undertook again to re-install Outlook. That process began by asking if I
wanted to abort a paused previous installation, to which I said 'yes', and
so the new re-installation was satisfactorily completed.

But now I am unable to open Outlook. The first error message says 'Cannot
open your default email folders. Outlook cannot start because a data file to
send and receive email cannot be found. To add a data file, such as a
personal folder file, double click the Mail icon in Windows Control Panel'.

I attempted to do taht by clicking first on the 'email accounts' tab, then
the 'change folder' button. Then a 'new email delivery location' window
appeared, with a 'new Outlook data file' button, which I clicked. Next I
selected the 'Office Outlook Personal Folders File (pst)' option, and
clicked 'OK'. When the window opened, called 'create or open Outlook data
file', I selected the default 'Outlook' file which appeared under the path
'documents and settings / user / local settings / application data /
microsoft /outlook' .

An error message then appeared, 'The information service is not installed on
your computer'. I don't know what further I can do at this point, to
complete the configuation of Outlook. I'll appreciate very much any
informed guidance which leads to a solution. Thanks in advance.

Thomas
On Wednesday, October 08, 2008 6:26 AM Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook] wrote:
Please do not multi-post. Either cross-post to all the groups you have
chosen or post to one group and wait for an answer. Cross-posting is
counter-productive since folks who answer in one group don't see answers
posted in other groups and wastes people's time.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact.
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375


After furious head scratching, Thomas Bartlett asked:
On Wednesday, October 08, 2008 9:47 AM Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook] wrote:


Since I see you're using Outlook Express to read news, in the "Newsgroups"
field, just enter the various groups you wish to receive the post as a
comma-separated list. For example:

microsoft.public.outlook.installation,microsoft.public.outlook.general,microsoft.public.outlook.contacts

The same message will be posted to all of the list and the newsreaders
people use will mark the message read in all groups when read in any of the
groups.
On Thursday, December 04, 2008 5:16 AM neo [mvp outlook] wrote:
Do you know if your work site disables the use of PST files due to corporate
policy? (If they do, there would be a DisablePST value in the registry.)
On Thursday, December 04, 2008 6:40 AM ThomasLia wrote:
I have checked the registry, but there is not any registry entry you mentioned.

"neo [mvp outlook]" wrote:
 

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