Inbox reads 4294967295 messages or -1 messages Outlook 2003

[Guest]

Hi - We have a user whose Inbox reads 4294967295 unread messages anytime the
unread message count is higher than 1. When she has no unread messages, the
count reads -1.

Doesn't matter if cached mode is on or off, and reinstalling hasn't helped.

Anyone know a fix?

 

[Brian Tillman]

Hi - We have a user whose Inbox reads 4294967295 unread messages
anytime the unread message count is higher than 1.

That value is the highest vaue that can be contained in a 32 bit unsigned
integer. It is a 32 bit integer with every bit on. In hex it's 0xFFFFFFFF

When she has no
unread messages, the count reads -1.

In most computer systems, -1 is represented internally by the same number
you mention above. It's a 32 bit integer with every bit on.

Have you tried creating a new mail profile?

 

[Guest]

Thanks Brian: I recreated her profile, but to no avail. She's still having
the same problem. Interestingly, if I use the Outlook 2000 client, it says
-2 messages when no unread messages are in the Inbox.

 

[Brian Tillman]

Thanks Brian: I recreated her profile, but to no avail. She's still
having the same problem. Interestingly, if I use the Outlook 2000
client, it says -2 messages when no unread messages are in the Inbox.

Is this for an Exchange account?

 

[Guest]

Hi Frohicke1,

Have you tried the command line outlook /cleanviews?

Another thing you can try is renaming the Outlook key under
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\ in the registry. (assuming
she is using Outlook 2003)
You can also rename the Outlook key under
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office

If that does not work and the client is connected to an Exchange server and
delivering to mailbox, recreate the mail box, otherwise try a new pst file

Let me know how it goes.

 

[Guest]

Lee-Anne - unfortunately none of those options worked. She is on an Exchange
5.5 server, which might be causing the problem. I have been able to
replicate her problem on a different machine using Outlook 2000. These are
both on Windows 2000 machines. However, a colleague of mine using a Windows
XP machine and Outlook 2003 was NOT able to replicate her issue. From what
I've seen on Google, this problem is extremely rare (only a handful of hits
for the number 4294967295), and no one has yet to come up with a solution.
As we're not rolling Windows XP in our enterprise anytime soon, I was hoping
to solve it on Win2K. Any other ideas, perhaps?? Thanks for your help!

 

[Guest]

I have a similar problem with a variation (using Outlook 2003 from SBE OEM).
When I have any unread messages the count is correct. But if I have none I
get "unread mail (4294967295)". The count corrects itself if I mark any
inbox message as Unread. Hope this helps in the "sleuthing".