Preparing to Install Message - Outlook 2003

[Guest]

Ok, I think I have almost 100% of the details about what is going on, but I
can't find a fix ANYWHERE. A user had office XP w/ the latest service packs.
We upgraded the client to office 2003. After doing so, at certain times while
using it, like during a send/receive, a windows installer window opens and
just says 'preparing to install" it then locks up office. It also comes up
every time you right click a recipient/sender of an e-mail, and go to "Add to
Outlook Contacts" - the message then appears. It locks up outlook, the CPU
usage goes to 98% or more, there's a second instance of outlook.exe running
in the task manager, along with msiexec.exe. If I end task on the 2nd
instance of outlook, the problem doesn't seem to occur. If I do nothing and
wait for it to finish, also, nothing happens, it just hangs.
I have uninstalled office 2003, rebooted, reinstalled office xp, rebooted,
uninstalled that, rebooted, and reinstalled office 2003 - it does the same.
I've disabled all adins and plugins, and it does the same, I've done detect
and repair, the MSI cleanup utility, I created a new profile in windows, used
a different e-mail account, and had the same problem, I also tried it under
the client's account with a different outlook profile, and it still happens.
I've exhausted anything and everything I can do ... PLEASE HELP!!!! My client
is getting very frustrated and the only fix I can think of is to reinstall
windows, which is unacceptable to do to fix an office 2--3 problem ... thank
you!

 

[Nikki]

A simple reinstall will not clean these files up. Close Outlook first, then:

a.. Search your hard drive for *.ost and delete all found (Be sure to
search in hidden files)
b.. Search your hard drive for Outcmd.dat and delete it. (This file holds
your customized toolbar settings)
c.. Search your hard drive for Views.dat and delete it. (This file holds
your customized system folder views settings)
d.. Search your hard drive for extend.dat and delete it. (this file holds
your Installed add-ins information)
e.. 2003: Outlook.xml (This file includes Shortcuts, Calendar, and
Contact links.)
a.. The navigation pane settings are profile-specific and are stored in
an .xml file with the profile name, in the Application Data\Outlook folder.
Try opening Outlook again using the switch :

a.. /CleanViews Restores default views. All custom views you created are
lost.
b.. /ResetOutlookBar Rebuilds the Outlook Bar.
To clear all navigation pane customizations, start Outlook once with the
/resetnavpane switch.
Some of the folders might be hidden folders. To view them, do one of the
following:

Windows XP

1.. Click Start, and then click My Computer.
2.. On the Tools menu, click Folder Options, click the View tab, and then
click the Show hidden files and folder option.
Windows 2000

1.. Double-click My Computer on your desktop.
2.. On the Tools menu, click Folder Options, click the View tab, and then
click the Show hidden files and folder option.
Great info place for Outlook files: What are they and what do they do:
http://www.slipstick.com/config/backup.htm

Outlook 2003 file locations:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP030822101033.aspx
OL2000: Additional Command-Line Switches
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;197180

Outlook Command-Line Switches:
http://office.microsoft.com/assista...CTT=1&Origin=EC010229981033&QueryID=_pK48V5fl

Nikki Peterson

 

[Guest]

Thanks, I'll try this tonight and let you know how it went ...

 

[Nikki]

My reply was a little confusing so I'll just add a little.
You do not need to use the Outlook switches if you are
going to delete all the files.

You could try using the Outlook switches before you try
the full re-install.

Nikki

 

[Guest]

Well, I tried all the switched and some extras that you sent me, I also
searched for and deleted all the files you had listed, but it has not fixed
it.

When I right click a contact in an e-mail, and select "add to outlook
contacts", the windows installer still pops up. When I go to the task
manager, there's a second instance of outlook.exe using only 1.5 mb of RAM or
so, and the original outlook.exe is using 98 - 99% of the CPU.

I checked the event viewer and this is the error that constantly shows up:

Detection of product '{91110409-6000-11D3-8CFE-0050048383C9}', feature
'OUTLOOKFiles' failed during request for component
'{DE6A97CD-93BF-455C-A45F-7694344B686F}'

This is the only error that shows up related to this problem there are no
other application events ... HELP!!!!