Getting rid of: "The data file 'Personal Folders' was not closed properly. The file is being checked

[Victor Schwartz]

I have been sharing my Outlook (2002) mail folders and settings between my
laptop and my desktop computers by moving the entire outlook.pst back and
forth.

This has MOSTLY been working quite nicely. But ever since I started doing
this, MOST (but not ALL) start-ups of Outlook have produced the following
message:

"The data file 'Personal Folders' was not closed properly. The file is
being checked for problems."

Then I have to wait (sometimes as long as 10 minutes) for Outlook to do
whatever it is doing.

Can anyone advise as to how to get rid of this irritating behavior?

Thank you,

Victor Schwartz

P.S. Please cc (e-mail address removed) on your reply to this post.

 

[Brian Tillman]

This has MOSTLY been working quite nicely. But ever since I started
doing this, MOST (but not ALL) start-ups of Outlook have produced the
following message:

"The data file 'Personal Folders' was not closed properly. The file
is being checked for problems."

This is indicative of some other application keeping Outlook open even after
you think it has closed. See if something here helps:
http://www.slipstick.com/problems/close.htm

 

[victor]

Brian,

Thank you for your helpful reply. Your analysis is probably correct,
because I have often found Outlook listed in the active process list
after I have shut down Outlook. I have 2 follow-up comments/questions:

1. Re: "Antivirus programs that support scanning email for viruses will
tend to keep Outlook open. Disable email scanning and Outlook should
close correctly. It's perfectly safe to disable this setting - it gives
you advanced warning of viruses but as long as you can control your
urge to open every attachment you receive, you'll be just as safe with
it disabled."

I hear you, but would PREFER not to have to do this. (Yes, I do run
Norton Antivirus AND AntiSPAM software, and they do scan incoming
e-mail.)

But more significantly:

2. I often get the message:

"The data file 'Personal Folders' was not closed properly. The file is
being checked for problems."

upon starting Outlook immediately after re-booting! How can some other
process keep Outlook open across a re-boot?

(Or is there something that gets messed up prior to the re-boot that
persists even after re-booting?)

Thank you,

Victor Schwartz


_____________________________________________________________

 

[Brian Tillman]

2. I often get the message:

"The data file 'Personal Folders' was not closed properly. The file is
being checked for problems."

upon starting Outlook immediately after re-booting! How can some
other process keep Outlook open across a re-boot?

(Or is there something that gets messed up prior to the re-boot that
persists even after re-booting?)

Because the file wasn't closed properly when the PC was shut down, Outlook
notices that and complains when it opens the file after reboot.

 

[val]

Search for the folder that contains your .pst files. If there is a .dat file in the same folder as your .pst files, rename the .dat extension.

 

[ToKon]

Rename?

So you are suggesting to rename the .dat, but what file extension do you suggest to rename it to?

/ToKon