Outlook poops out when loading

[Gary Burton]

I have Office XP (2002). Running under WinXP home.

About a month ago, it started. Sometimes (in fact usually now) when I launch Outlook, Outlook shuts down after about 80% of my emails come in. They are being scanned at the time with Norton Antivirus 2005.

I get no message when it poops out. The application just disappears. I can start Outlook again immediately thereafter. When it restarts, I get a message saying that the Outlook file is being repaired. Then it almost always loads ok. I have run the inbox repair tool several times, and it seems to have no effect.

Can anyone help?

 

[Brian Tillman]

I have Office XP (2002). Running under WinXP home.

About a month ago, it started. Sometimes (in fact usually now)
when I launch Outlook, Outlook shuts down after about 80% of my
emails come in. They are being scanned at the time with Norton
Antivirus 2005.

This could be the source of the problem. Norton's product often don't play
well with Outlook. Disable the mail scanning. As long as you continue to
run the on-access (or real-time) scanner that AV has running for Windows
files, you'll be just as safe.

 

[Gary Burton]

I don't see what you mean by an "on-access scanner". I just looked at
my NAV options and didn't see anything with a similar description.

The problem just showed itself in another way, and it may eliminate NAV
as a possible culpret. I opened OL, and this time it loaded without a
hitch. There were only about 6 emails, including Spam. They were all
scanned by NAV with no apparent problem. Then I began reading them. I read
a couple, then clicked on a third. I use a preview pane. Before the email
could be previewed, OL closed.

When I started it again, I got the same "Outlook File Damaged..."
dialog. This dialog doesn't stay up long enough to read it well, so I'm not
sure of the wording. And (as I mentioned before) using the inbox repair
tool doesn't seem to do any good.

There was noting ominous about the email I was trying to open. It
opened fine on the second try. It was from a friend, and there were no
scripts. Just a link to a website and some text. Later, I clicked on the
link and no harm was done.

I hope you don't tell me to delete my outlook file and start over, but I
will do that if I can't get a more palitable suggestion.

 

[Brian Tillman]

I don't see what you mean by an "on-access scanner". I just
looked at my NAV options and didn't see anything with a similar
description.

It's the one running on your PC all the time, usually signified by a symbol
in the system tray like a shield, a stop sign, or some other icon.

When I started it again, I got the same "Outlook File Damaged..."
dialog. This dialog doesn't stay up long enough to read it well, so
I'm not sure of the wording. And (as I mentioned before) using the
inbox repair tool doesn't seem to do any good.

SInce Outlook aborted it couldn't close the PST cleanly. The next time you
started Outlook, it detected this and gave you the message while cleaning up
the PST. Since it finished opening, the PST was not damaged irreparably.

There was noting ominous about the email I was trying to open. It
opened fine on the second try. It was from a friend, and there were
no scripts. Just a link to a website and some text. Later, I
clicked on the link and no harm was done.

I'd still try to eliminate the mail scanning.

 

[Gary Burton]

Stopping the email scan seems a bit risky to me. I will keep that in
mind and do it if I can't find another solution.

I just thought of something else that may be the problem. I have been
using a program called "Outlook Spam Filter" for a couple of years now. It
integrates into Outlook and attaches itself to the menu bar and the toobar.
I have gotten so used to it that I think of it as part of Outlook now and it
didn't occur to me to check that out as the possible cause. My bad. I
should have thought of that much sooner.

They have a later build, which I just installed. It's too soon to tell
if that fixed my problem. I just emailed their support team, and I will
post their response.

 

[Brian Tillman]

Stopping the email scan seems a bit risky to me. I will keep that
in mind and do it if I can't find another solution.

For antivirus purposes, it's completely unnecessary on outgoing mail (if
your outgoing mail has a virus attached, your on-access scanner would have
found it already) and It's not risky in any way in incoming mail, as long as
you continue to run that on-access scanner (i.e., the one that warns you is
you try to open an infected file). Obviously, if the scanner is for SPAM,
then you can't very well disable it and have it do its job.

I just thought of something else that may be the problem. I have
been using a program called "Outlook Spam Filter" for a couple of
years now. It integrates into Outlook and attaches itself to the
menu bar and the toobar. I have gotten so used to it that I think of
it as part of Outlook now and it didn't occur to me to check that out
as the possible cause. My bad. I should have thought of that much
sooner.
They have a later build, which I just installed. It's too soon to
tell if that fixed my problem. I just emailed their support team,
and I will post their response.

I'll be interested.

 

[Gary Burton]

This is just for feedback for anyone interested.

I updated the component I was overlooking (Outlook Spam Filter -- an add-on to Outlook), and I haven't seen the problem since (about 3 days). I believe that was the culprit. I don't want to cast aspersions, however, on Outlook Spam Filter. This is the only glitch I have had since I purchased it. It is inexpensive and effective.
I have Office XP (2002). Running under WinXP home.

About a month ago, it started. Sometimes (in fact usually now) when I launch Outlook, Outlook shuts down after about 80% of my emails come in. They are being scanned at the time with Norton Antivirus 2005.

I get no message when it poops out. The application just disappears. I can start Outlook again immediately thereafter. When it restarts, I get a message saying that the Outlook file is being repaired. Then it almost always loads ok. I have run the inbox repair tool several times, and it seems to have no effect.

Can anyone help?