Outlook 2007 password prompt with focus elsewhere

[Greg Kirkpatrick [SBSC,MCTS-Vista,MCITP]]

I have a client who prefers NOT to store his password for his email account,
so each time he opens Outlook 2007, it prompts him for this password.

Following installation of several Windows Updates, and after a passage of
time, he called me to complain that, while he was still being prompted to
enter his email account password, he was forced to click the box where he
would enter the password before he could start typing.

Previously, when the prompt appeared, the insertion bar would be blinking in
the box, and he could simply start typing his password and press ENTER.

While the bar is there, and blinking, the focus is elsewhere (the desktop?),
and unless he clicks the box, he cannot start typing.

His system is Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 3, with all Critical
and Optional updates. He did not mention this immediately when it started
happening, and it would be difficult to uninstall all of the updates that may
have been applied since this started happening, not to mention installation
of other software products and driver updates. System Restore points have
been tried, but without success. (The Restores were reversed following the
failure to correct the problem.)

What can be done to fix this problem?

 

[Greg Kirkpatrick [SBSC,MCTS-Vista,MCITP]]

Followup to previous post (no resolution yet):

A system restore to a date in April resulted in the "fix" (temporarily) for
the lack of focus on the Outlook account password prompt box. However, that
caused a number of other problems, particularly with Internet Explorer 8, so
it was necessary to undo the restoration.

Internet Explorer 8 was then uninstalled, and another attempt was made to do
a system restore, this time to May 6. That, however, resulted in the
computer freezing up during the system restore, and it was necessary to run
CHKDSK and do a repair install (twice) of Windows XP Professional with
Service Pack 2. Several hours later, the computer is back to its abnormal
self, minus all the restore points (which were wiped out by the repair
installation of XP).

It is evident that this was caused by a Windows Update, but as yet, I do not
know which one. Does anyone have a fix for this?

 

[Greg Kirkpatrick [SBSC,MCTS-Vista,MCITP]]

I have confirmed what I suspected: Office 2007 Service Pack 2 causes this
problem. This I determined by uninstalling Office 2007 Ultimate, then
reinstalling it and its updates one at a time, checking for the password
prompt focus after each.

I don't think it is a good idea to run without Service Pack 2 of Office 2007
installed, but my client thinks the problem is worse than not having the
security patches.

The question is, what can be done to fix this?

 

[Greg Kirkpatrick [SBSC,MCTS-Vista,MCITP]]

It has been more than two months since this was posted, and there is still no
response regarding this issue.

My client refuses to install Office 2007 Service Pack 2 until this is
resolved.

Microsoft, please reply.

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

It has been more than two months since this was posted, and there is still
no
response regarding this issue.

If no one has answered, then no one has been able to figure it out.

My client refuses to install Office 2007 Service Pack 2 until this is
resolved.

Microsoft, please reply.

Your client should contact Microsoft, then. See the "Contact Us" section at
http://support.microsoft.com/. This newsgroup is not an official support
channel and people from Microsoft don't read it.