Outlook 2003: Message Box Appears: "Can't open this item. Out of memory or system resources. Close s

[Tom]

I had a problem, found the solution, and thought I'd post my findings
instead of being simply greedy and moving on my way.

Problem:

When running Outlook 2003, I'm was receiving a message box (pop up window)
when trying to open any email or item: "Can't open this item. Out of memory
or system resources. Close some or programs and try again."

Solution:

Apparently, this catch all message appears for a host of reasons, and it
appears to be a message that's been around for a loong time based on returns
from Yahoo! searches. So no one person's solution applies to all.

In my particular case, I had recently installed a new copy of "PGP Personal
8.x" which apparently does not allow its Outlook plug in to be used with
Outlook in corporate mode (i.e., when using MAPI directly to an Exchange
server). My guess is the rational behind this is folks doing MAPI have more
$$$ than someone doing simply SMTP/POP3. Isn't it funny how being associated
with certain protocols and technologies implies a user has more or less
money to burn?

Anyway, in my case, I ran the PGP installer again, and it detects my
existing PGP installation and asks if I want to Modify. I click to Modify,
and I uncheck the PGP plug-in for Outlook. You can leave the other plug-ins,
including PGP for Outlook Express. After the PGP installer is finished, it
will prompt to reboot. Being the adventurous type, I click NO because I hate
lame software that asks if I want to reboot when it's just unregistering
some ActiveX control or something (you can click YES if you feel less
adventurous). I then start Outlook 2003, and guess what? It works. I can
open any item and view things etc.

Additional Info:

Prior to applying the above fix, PGP's software prompts me to upgrade my
version of PGP to the more costly version if I want to use the PGP plug-in
with MAPI-$$$$-Corp mode Outlook. I clicked cancel because I didn't want to
upgrade. No other message options are displayed. After that, I started using
Outlook and it would produce the error message about resources. Knowing
this, if I had to guess, I'd say PGP's software is not written in the best
way in this regard. It should probably have a way of leaving the PGP plug-in
installed, but disabling it's activation for MAPI-Mode Outlook.
Additionally, whatever they're doing with that plug-in, I'm guessing it's
something that interferes with Outlook until you either upgrade PGP, remove
the plug-in, or use Outlook in Inet mode. Lame choices to be forced into
IMHO. All of that said, it could be that Outlook is responding poorly to
PGP's "I cannot install" error message, but I'm doubting that for some
reason. I think the plug may be interfering in a way it shouldn't. All pure
speculation.

If you're seeing this error, and you have PGP and Outlook as above, this may
solve your problem.

This error seems to occur in other cases, as mentioned. Even if this doesn't
solve your problem, perhaps you can think of something you recently
installed, a plug-in or something that may be causing interference with
Outlook. Or, if you haven't installed something recently, perhaps you can
repair/reinstall Outlook and/or do the same for any plug-ins or add-ons used
by Outlook. Those plug-ins tie in in such a way that I'm fairly sure they
can cause havoc in the Outlook process space (for non-techies: loosely the
place in memory where Outlook runs when you start it).

Best of luck!

Tom

 

[Tom]

I should also add: I don't believe to be a resource error (or memory error)
of any kind. If it is, it's some sort of internal (Outlook) memory or
resource error but it has nothing to do with Window XP's memory or resource
being used - that I'm sure of. Additionally, based on testing I performed,
the items I was trying to open when I was getting the error were actually
present - they had been properly received by the Outlook 2003 client, but
the client, for some reason, could not display the item.

Also, the error was occuring on some dialogs - not all. Ironically, I was
trying to check plug-ins, for example, and so I went to the Outlook 2003
options tab where the Advanced button is. When I tried to click on advacned,
I'd also receive the error in this case. If I had to guess - I stress
guess - I'd say that Outlook interacts with the plug-ins before presenting
that tab, and I'm further guessing PGP's plug-in returns an error to Outlook
when it tries to interact (i.e., find it's name, etc.).

If true, this would further confirm my thoughts that PGP's plug-in is pretty
much the main cuplrit in a design sense (i.e., it could be designed in a way
to handle this more friendly like). And, if all my guesses are correct, I'm
left wondering if going to the Tools/Options/Other/Advanced tab is a way to
see if a plug-in is causing the error. ie.: If you get the error upon
clicking Advanced, it's possibly a plug-in. If not... well, I can't say
anything for that case (possibly not a plug-in??? hmm, depends on what the
plug-in does elsewhere). I'm guessing there are many times when this error
occurs but you *can* go to the Advanced button/dialog. If so, then in my
case I couldn't and it was a plug-in and that tab might interact with the
plug-in, etc., I'm repeating myself but hopefully you get the idea.
Remember: Aside from my personal concrete situation/solution, the rest is
speculation toward hoping to offer something to those that don't fit this
specific situation.

-T