I also had this issue in Outlook 2003, but also in indows Live Messenger and
Internet Explorer 7.
I spend hours and hours searching the internet and could not find the
solution. The only possible solution you find on almost all forums (but does
not help in most cases is to repair the protected storage system provided
registry key:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290684.
So, here is a solution that is not even in the Microsoft knowledge base. It
helped me and hopefully many others. It was found because I new exactly when
it started to happen: after uninstalling a software program. The uninstall
procedure removed to many registry keys...
HERE WE GO...
Important: this solution contains information about how to modify the
registry. Make sure to back up the registry before you modify it. Make sure
that you know how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. View the
following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base for information about how
to back up, restore, and modify the registry:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/256986/
Follow the next steps to solve this issue:
1. Close all running programs
2. Click on [Start] » Run
3. Type "Regedit" and click [OK]
4. Open the following folder:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User
Shell Folders
5. Now choose Edit » New » Expandable String Value
6. Enter "AppData" as a name
7. Double click the new entry
8. Enter "%USERPROFILE%\Application Data" in the value data field.
9. Close the registry editor
It is possible that additional registry keys are missing. Below is a list of
all keys that should exist in the "User Shell Folders". There are different
ways to add these keys again:
* Use the instructions provided on
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/usershellfolders.htm
* Add them manually by following the steps above
* Export the keys from a computer/user on which the issue does not occur,
and then importing them again.
To export and import:
1. Logon to Windows with a user account for which the issue does not occur
(this may also be a different workstation).
2. Click on [Start] » Run
3. Type "Regedit" and click [OK]
4. Open the following folder:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User
Shell Folders
5. Right click the "User Shell Folders" key on the left and choose "Export".
Specify a name and location of for the export file and click [Save].
6. Close the registry editor
7. Logon to Windows with the user account that experiences this issue
8. Double click on the exported registry key you created in step 5.
9. Click [Yes] when asked if you are sure to add the information, then click
[OK] for the "successfully imported" message.
Registry keys that should exist in the "User Shell Folders" key.
The list below has the format "Key Name - Value Data". The type for all keys
is "Expandable String Value" (REG_EXPAND_SZ).
* AppData - %USERPROFILE%\Application Data
* Cache - %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files
* Cookies - %USERPROFILE%\Cookies
* Desktop - %USERPROFILE%\Desktop
* Favorites - %USERPROFILE%\Favorites
* History - %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\History
* Local AppData - %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data
* Local Settings - %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings
* My Pictures - %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Pictures
* NetHood - %USERPROFILE%\NetHood
* Personal - %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\
* PrintHood - %USERPROFILE%\PrintHood
* Programs - %USERPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs
* SendTo - %USERPROFILE%\SendTo
* Start Menu - %USERPROFILE%\Start Menu
* Startup - %USERPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
* Templates - %USERPROFILE%\Templates
MORE INFORMATION
The "User Shell Folder" is a subkey of the
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
registry. Entries in this subkey can also appear in the "Shell Folders"
subkey and in both HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_CURRENT_USER. The entries that
appear in user User Shell Folders take precedence over those in Shell
Folders. The entries that appear in HKEY_CURRENT_USER take precedence over
those in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
