Error Message, what does this mean?

[KathrynBassett]

Every time I open Outlook (2003) I get a box -
Fatal Error
Can not clean temporary directory

I click on OK and from then on, everything works just fine. I just
started getting this. Haven't installed anything new. The only thing
that is different from when I was NOT getting this, is that I was away
for a long weekend so away from my broadband. I was using dialup
instead (connected via dialup and THEN opened Outlook and did
send/receive, so didn't have to change any Outlook settings). When I
got back home, back to broadband, this is when this error started
happening.

So, what temporary directory is Outlook trying to clean? I would think
that if it was the Windows (XP, by the way) temp directory, that the
error would be coming up before even getting to Outlook. But the ONLY
time I'm getting this error is when I open Outlook. For instance, I
left computer on while I was gone for a couple hours today, with
Outlook closed. When I got back and started Outlook, I got the error.
So it's definitely Outlook related.

Any ideas?

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

try the OLK* file found in Windows Temp -
http://www.poremsky.com/p/view_temp.htm

 

[KathrynBassett]

None found starting with OLK - I deleted everything in the %temp%
folder, except a few *.tmp files dated today starting with ~DF that
wouldn't delete, and one called Perflib_Perfdata_c8.dat also with
today's date.

Still get the error message. Any other ideas?

 

[Brian Tillman]

None found starting with OLK

That's because it's not kept in the Windows Temp folder. It's a subfolder
of the Temporary Internet Files folder. See this:
http://www.howto-outlook.com/faq/securetemp.htm

 

[Bob Hanna]

Kathryn,
Did you figure out how to solve this problem? I am having the exact same
thing happen and cannot find a solution.

Bob

 

[Brian Tillman]

Did you figure out how to solve this problem? I am having the
exact same thing happen and cannot find a solution.

Try reading the responses Kathryn received.

 

[Brian Tillman]

I tried all of the responses and still get the same error.

I'm at a loss, then. Sorry.

 

[danmccune]

I'm at a loss, then. Sorry.

Are you using Google Desktop? I am getting the same error message and
the error message was actually coming from Gds Attachment Search addin.
I removed it and the error went away.

Hope that helps

Daniel McCune

 

[KathrynBassett]

Well shoot, I wrote this all out once, then it wouldn't post. I was out
of town so just now trying your suggestions. First I made sure I was up
to date on the XPpro things and the Office 2003 things. Then I followed
your cite and deleted the OLK* folder and that didn't do the trick.
Then I tried Daniel's suggestion regarding taking out the Google
Desktop addin. None of that worked.
Now there IS something odd. When I was checking the updates for Office
2003, It also told me I needed the following:
Security Update for Office 2000: WordPerfect 5.x Converter
(KB873380) (English version)
Security Update for PowerPoint 2000 (KB889167)
Security Update for Word 2000 (KB905553)
Security Update for PowerPoint 2000 (KB905555) (English version)
Security Update for Excel 2000 (KB905757)
Security Update for Outlook 2000 (KB905646) (English version)
Problem is that I don't have Office 2000. When I got Office 2003, I got
the full version, so I didn't believe I needed the Office 2000 cd
anymore and I've no idea where it is, if I even have it. So, side
question, in case this is contributing to my problem, is what do I take
out of the registry so the update wizard doesn't tell me I need updates
for 2000?

 

[KathrynBassett]

Was out of town so couldn't try your suggestion til now. Unfortunately,
that didn't do the trick. I also eleminated the Gds Attachment Search
addin that Daniel suggested, and that didn't do it either. I also did a
check to see what all needed to be updated and updated all the things
for Office 2003, and that didn't do it either (current on XPpro updates
as well). Now there IS something weird about the updates. It's telling
me that I need:
Security Update for Office 2000: WordPerfect 5.x Converter
(KB873380) (English version)
Security Update for PowerPoint 2000 (KB889167)
Security Update for Word 2000 (KB905553)
Security Update for PowerPoint 2000 (KB905555) (English version)
Security Update for Excel 2000 (KB905757)
Security Update for Outlook 2000 (KB905646) (English version)
However, I have Office 2003 not 2000. I tried running these updates but
it wants the 2000 CD. I don't have that anymore because when I got
2003, it was the full thing, not an update.
What next?

 

[KathrynBassett]

Found the answer in Google Groups: Google Desktop Plug-in: Outlook
Attachments. Someone posted that they found a read-only Word file in:
c:\Documents and Settings\...\Application
Data\GdsAttachmentIndexes\GdsAttachementIndexerTempDir\

Though they didn't specifically say that deleting it did the trick, it
did in my case. So, in summary, empty the OLK* folders, delete Google
Desktop's GDS Attachment Search
addin, and empty the GDSAttachementIndexerTempDir\ too. Reboot, and
ta-da, no more error.

Thanks, Diane & Brian for steering me to the correct location of the
OLK* folders, and Daniel for pointing out the GDS problem.

 

[Brian Tillman]

Now there IS something weird about the updates. It's telling
me that I need:
Security Update for Office 2000: WordPerfect 5.x Converter
(KB873380) (English version)

If Microsoft Update is telling you that Office 2000 needs updating, then at
least one application from the Office 2000 suite must be installed. Check
in Control Panel's Add or Remove Programs to see what it is. Remove it if
you don't need it.

As to the things that didn't work, I don't have any other suggestions.

 

[KathrynBassett]

It's evidently the standalone Access program. I'm not going to bother
with these updates.

As for the "things that didn't work", see my post of the 14th - I did
finally find the right combination and am no longer getting the Error.