Why won't Outlook 2003 use Word 2003 as its text editor?

[Guest]

Every time I try to reply to or forward an e-mail, I receive the following
error message:

"Microsoft Word is set to be your e-mail editor. However, Word is
unavailable, not installed, or is not the same version as Outlook. The
Outlook e-mail editor will be used instead."

I clicked on the "show help" button, and followed the instructions. I tried
uninstalling and reinstalling Outlook, without success. I tried uninstalling
and reinstalling Word, without success. I tried uninstalling and
reinstalling Office, without success.

I called Microsoft Tech Support and for the last two months I think I spoke
to everyone at Microsoft's Call Center (Wipro and/or Satyam) in India, and
they could not come up with a solution.

I personally believe that the answer lies in the registry, or in gpedit.msc,
but I don't know where to go or what to do. It has stumped me.

Does anyone know how to solve my problem?

Thanks very much,

Steve

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Does this error occur for all users for that computer or just you?
What add-ins are you using?

Group Policies doesn't have to do much with this issue. Did you modify
anything in this?

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Disable (1) and (3) and try again. If it works now enable them on eby one to
find out which one is the culprit. You could create a new user on your
computer for testing purposes. This is to identify if it is a configuration
issue or a installation issue.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----

Dear Roady,

I am the only user (administrator) on the computer.

The only add-ins I have installed are:

(1) Google Desktop Search Outlook Add-In
(2) Exchange Extensions Property Pages
(3) Fax Server Extension

I honestly don't know what (2) and (3) are for.

Should any of these be disabled? Will that solve the problem?

Steve
--
(e-mail address removed)
====================================================

Does this error occur for all users for that computer or just you?
What add-ins are you using?

Group Policies doesn't have to do much with this issue. Did you modify
anything in this?

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----

Every time I try to reply to or forward an e-mail, I receive the
following
error message:

"Microsoft Word is set to be your e-mail editor. However, Word is
unavailable, not installed, or is not the same version as Outlook. The
Outlook e-mail editor will be used instead."

I clicked on the "show help" button, and followed the instructions. I
tried
uninstalling and reinstalling Outlook, without success. I tried
uninstalling
and reinstalling Word, without success. I tried uninstalling and
reinstalling Office, without success.

I called Microsoft Tech Support and for the last two months I think I
spoke
to everyone at Microsoft's Call Center (Wipro and/or Satyam) in India,
and
they could not come up with a solution.

I personally believe that the answer lies in the registry, or in
gpedit.msc,
but I don't know where to go or what to do. It has stumped me.

Does anyone know how to solve my problem?

Thanks very much,

Steve

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Try it with a new (test) user first.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----

Dear Roady,

I tried disabling all three, closing outlook, restarting outlook, and the
same problem still exists. So we can rule out the add-ins as the cause.

What else might it be? Anything in the registry editor?

Thanks Again,
--
(e-mail address removed)

====================================================

Disable (1) and (3) and try again. If it works now enable them on eby one
to
find out which one is the culprit. You could create a new user on your
computer for testing purposes. This is to identify if it is a
configuration
issue or a installation issue.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----

Dear Roady,

I am the only user (administrator) on the computer.

The only add-ins I have installed are:

(1) Google Desktop Search Outlook Add-In
(2) Exchange Extensions Property Pages
(3) Fax Server Extension

I honestly don't know what (2) and (3) are for.

Should any of these be disabled? Will that solve the problem?

Steve
--
(e-mail address removed)
====================================================
:

Does this error occur for all users for that computer or just you?
What add-ins are you using?

Group Policies doesn't have to do much with this issue. Did you modify
anything in this?

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
Every time I try to reply to or forward an e-mail, I receive the
following
error message:

"Microsoft Word is set to be your e-mail editor. However, Word is
unavailable, not installed, or is not the same version as Outlook.
The
Outlook e-mail editor will be used instead."

I clicked on the "show help" button, and followed the instructions.
I
tried
uninstalling and reinstalling Outlook, without success. I tried
uninstalling
and reinstalling Word, without success. I tried uninstalling and
reinstalling Office, without success.

I called Microsoft Tech Support and for the last two months I think
I
spoke
to everyone at Microsoft's Call Center (Wipro and/or Satyam) in
India,
and
they could not come up with a solution.

I personally believe that the answer lies in the registry, or in
gpedit.msc,
but I don't know where to go or what to do. It has stumped me.

Does anyone know how to solve my problem?

Thanks very much,

Steve

 

[GJ.Oomens]

I just tried that, but with no change in the result. It makes no difference
who the user is. The problem seems to be Outlook's inability to recognize
the version of Word, although I have done everything I know how to correct it.

What can my next step be?

Sometimes... Start -> Run and type

Regsvr32.exe %Windir%\System32\Ole32.dll
[OK]

Restart Outlook ..... can help.

 

[GJ.Oomens]

Dear Gérard,

I tried that as well, and with no success. In fact, that was one of the
steps that Microsoft Tech Support walked me through.

It seems that nothing can kill this bug. I can't understand why Outlook
rejects Word every time.

Steve

Did you try a complete removal of Office with the Windows Installer Cleanup?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301

And a reinstall of Office?

No luck?

 

[GJ.Oomens]

Dear Gérard,

Yes, I did that with Microsoft Tech Support. The problem still occurs.
They finally threw up their hands and gave up, telling me to wait for Office
2007 to be released on January 30th, and to "live with it" until then. Of
course, this is Microsoft's Call Center in India; whose objective is not to
solve my problem but to get me off the phone as quick as possible.

Am I out of luck?

Maybe Robert/Roady has another idea....

I can find no more than:
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.outlook.installation/msg/847c63d5f49f4f6e?hl=en&
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.outlook.installation/msg/c5cd15fbbf35b1d8?hl=en&

 

[Roady [MVP]]

If a reinstall doesn't fix it usually it is linked to a configuration issue
on a user level but since the issue also persists with a new user and after
a Windows Installer Cleanup (as Gérard pointed out) I'm currently a bit
stuck (Outlookwise) as well as it would rule them both out.

Two things come to mind right now;
-You also have the Word Viewer installed. If so uninstall it and try again.
-You have Word add-ins installed that are incompatible when Word is acting
as an e-mail editor. In this case you'll have to disable all your Word
add-in and see if it will load now. If so you can enable them one by one to
find the culprit.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----

 

[GJ.Oomens]

Dear Roady,

I had only the Live Meeting Add-In installed, which I disabled. However,
the problem is still there. I don't have the Word Viewer installed.

What other version of Word might make Outlook think it is looking at the
wrong version? How can I tell if there is more than one version of Word
installed? I don't believe there is, but I am not sure.

Thanks,

Check the add/remove programs in control panel and Drive:\Program
Files\Microsoft Office...

Also make sure the dcom server process launcher is started. (Start ->
run -> services.msc)
(I have run out of ideas...)

 

[Guest]

Dear Gérard,

I removed Office Version 10 from an external drive, but I still have the
problem.

There was nothing showing on services.msc indicating that office was running
either.

What a mystery, but still no solution. Perhaps Office 2007 will take care
of it.

Steve

 

[GJ.Oomens]

Dear Gérard,

I removed Office Version 10 from an external drive, but I still have the
problem.

That's new!
Did you remove all the registry entries from Office 10? Used the Windows
Installer Clean-Up for Office 10? And removed Office 11 also and did a
reinstall (of Office 11) afterwards?

There was nothing showing on services.msc indicating that office was running
either.

Was the dcom server process launcher started.

 

[GJ.Oomens]

Dear Gérard,

What is the dcom server process launcher, and what should I do with it and
how do I launch it?

That's not the most important part of my message. Did you use the
Windows Installer Clean-up again. No luck? Because it could be that the
two Office versions somehow interfered in the registry.

For the service -> start -> run type: services.msc and check if the dcom
server process launcher is started. Click the name and check the status.
That's all.

 

[GJ.Oomens]

Dear Gérard,

I just followed the instructions in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301
using the Windows Cleanup Utility but the result was the same.

I wish I knew what Outlook was looking at when it rejects Word every time.

I you have only one version of Office installed now and cleaned the
registry, I am out of ideas.

 

[Roady [MVP]]

"I am out of ideas."
Getting close to that as well...

Complete rundown how to clear practically everything;
-Uninstall all versions and packages of Office through Control Panel->
Add/Remove Programs
-From the Office 2003 CD run OFFCLN.EXE
<cd>:\FILES\PFILES\MSOFFICE\OFFICE11\
-Open Regedit
Start-> Run; regedit
-Locate the following key and export it (use the right click menu for that)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office
-after exporting it delete it
-Locate the following key and export it (use the right click menu for that)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Office
-after exporting it delete it
-locate your normal.dot file and rename it to .old
-reboot your computer
-install Office 2003 and activate it
-run Office Update to install SP2 and additional updates
-reboot
-create a new mail profile as istructed in;
http://www.howto-outlook.com/faq/newprofile.htm
-start Outlook
-use Tools-> Options-> tab Mail Format to DESELECT any default signature you
might have
-in the same menu check that Word is set as your e-mail editor
-create a new mail message and verify if Word now starts as the e-mail
editor.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----

 

[GJ.Oomens]

"I am out of ideas."
Getting close to that as well...

Zou er nog een reactie komen? Jammer, als er nu niets meer volgt.

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Precies. Nouja, kerst hè? Dat houdt iedereen wel ff een paar daagjes weg. Ik
hoop dat je fijne dagen gehad hebt en alvast een voorspoedig 2007 gewenst.
Wellicht zien we elkaar op de summit?

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----

 

[GJ.Oomens]

Precies. Nouja, kerst hè? Dat houdt iedereen wel ff een paar daagjes
weg. Ik hoop dat je fijne dagen gehad hebt en alvast een voorspoedig
2007 gewenst. Wellicht zien we elkaar op de summit?

Insgelijks. Nee, op de summit ben ik niet.

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Bedankt!

"Nee, op de summit ben ik niet."
Helaas...

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----

 

[GJ.Oomens]

"Nee, op de summit ben ik niet."
Helaas...

Niet echt voor mij persoonlijk.

 

[Guest]

even i am facing the same problem.
I tried regsvr32 and registered ole32.dll.
I reinstalled office.. i tried lot many things.

Could you over come this problem.. if so how ... pls tell me