Cannot Make Outlook 2003 Default Email in Windows XP Pro SP2

[Bilbo]

Upon login, get a message that there is no default email program that
can handle the messaging requirements.

When I go to Internet Options in Control Panel, I cannot set the EMAIL
program default to Outlook 2003.

When I try to use "Set Program Access and Defaults", Outlook 2003
isn't offered as a selection.

Outlook 2003 Does allow the Option to be set to Make Outlook the
default but doesn't seem to have any effect.

I have removed the Windows Live EMail program (don't know who
installed all that Windows Live stuff anyway). Hasn't seemed to have
helped.

Guidance appreciated...

 

[neo [mvp outlook]]

Have you tried running a detect/repair of Office/Outlook 2003? (Go thru the
add/remove programs applet in the control panel. Choose detect/repair or
reinstall. Hopefully that is enough to restore the necessary registry
keys.)

 

[Bilbo]

Yes, I've even removed all the Windows Live stuff except for the Write
(which will NOT remove) and then re-installed Office from the saved
installation files.

Microsoft Outlook 2003 is not offered in Internet Options | Programs
for either Email, Calendar or Contacts applications. There's still
some vestige of Windows Live that simply will not go away as an email
selection..

I can't do a restore -- there aren't any restore points that go back
to December of last year when some former secretary installed the
Windows Live stuff.

I'm tempted to use MSIUU2 to try to remove the Windows Live Write
application.

I'm really floundering here though. The registry entries I've seen
(and I'm no expert on Outlook's registry entries) seem awfully sparse.

Tomorrow, I'll go into the office and do a complete un-install then
re-install of office to see if that'll help. I'm not real optimistic
though.

A bit of history may be appropriate: Deleting some defunct local
profiles on the workstation or Windows Live (don't know which) may
have damaged Outlook and I wasn't able to re-install it. So I had to
use MSICUU2 to remove Office entirely, then re-install it. But
Windows Live had been installed AFTER the original Office Install and
who knows what that did to the registry.

Guidance appreciated...

Bilbo

 

[neo [mvp outlook]]

The only other thing I can think of is to start Outlook 2003 with the
/regserver command line switch.

How to:
Start > Run
Type: outlook.exe /regserver
OK button

 

[Bilbo]

Is that an undocumented switch? Help doesn't show it.
This IS an Outlook 2003 -- not 2007 -- switch, right?
Didn't know there were "hidden" command-line switches for Outlook
2003. I'll give it a try.
Thanks,
Bilbo

 

[neo [mvp outlook]]

No it isn't, it is listed in Outlook 2003's help. Search for 'command
line'.

Is that an undocumented switch? Help doesn't show it.
This IS an Outlook 2003 -- not 2007 -- switch, right?
Didn't know there were "hidden" command-line switches for Outlook
2003. I'll give it a try.
Thanks,
Bilbo

The only other thing I can think of is to start Outlook 2003 with the
/regserver command line switch.

How to:
Start > Run
Type: outlook.exe /regserver
OK button

Yes, I've even removed all the Windows Live stuff except for the Write
(which will NOT remove) and then re-installed Office from the saved
installation files.

Microsoft Outlook 2003 is not offered in Internet Options | Programs
for either Email, Calendar or Contacts applications. There's still
some vestige of Windows Live that simply will not go away as an email
selection..

I can't do a restore -- there aren't any restore points that go back
to December of last year when some former secretary installed the
Windows Live stuff.

I'm tempted to use MSIUU2 to try to remove the Windows Live Write
application.

I'm really floundering here though. The registry entries I've seen
(and I'm no expert on Outlook's registry entries) seem awfully sparse.

Tomorrow, I'll go into the office and do a complete un-install then
re-install of office to see if that'll help. I'm not real optimistic
though.

A bit of history may be appropriate: Deleting some defunct local
profiles on the workstation or Windows Live (don't know which) may
have damaged Outlook and I wasn't able to re-install it. So I had to
use MSICUU2 to remove Office entirely, then re-install it. But
Windows Live had been installed AFTER the original Office Install and
who knows what that did to the registry.

Guidance appreciated...

Bilbo

On Tue, 2 Sep 2008 14:56:17 -0700, "neo [mvp outlook]"

Have you tried running a detect/repair of Office/Outlook 2003? (Go thru
the
add/remove programs applet in the control panel. Choose detect/repair
or
reinstall. Hopefully that is enough to restore the necessary registry
keys.)

"Bilbo fake rubbish.domain.org>" <wlp<fauxat> wrote in message
Upon login, get a message that there is no default email program that
can handle the messaging requirements.

When I go to Internet Options in Control Panel, I cannot set the EMAIL
program default to Outlook 2003.

When I try to use "Set Program Access and Defaults", Outlook 2003
isn't offered as a selection.

Outlook 2003 Does allow the Option to be set to Make Outlook the
default but doesn't seem to have any effect.

I have removed the Windows Live EMail program (don't know who
installed all that Windows Live stuff anyway). Hasn't seemed to have
helped.

Guidance appreciated...

 

[Bilbo]

Weird; we must have installed from different builds or something.
MY Outlook 2003 (Office Pro SP3) doesn't include that switch in Help.

Nonetheless, I tried it on the problem installation and Outlook 2003
(SP3) refused to start with an invalid command-line argument. Is that
perhaps a switch added with BCM (which I don't install)? Curious.

The problem was solved by using Windows Installer Cleanup Utility
(msicuu2) to remove Windows Live Writer (whatever the heck that is).

Suddenly, Outlook was unblocked and all was right with the
installation. I didn't even have to re-install or repair Office.

Bilbo

No it isn't, it is listed in Outlook 2003's help. Search for 'command
line'.

Is that an undocumented switch? Help doesn't show it.
This IS an Outlook 2003 -- not 2007 -- switch, right?
Didn't know there were "hidden" command-line switches for Outlook
2003. I'll give it a try.
Thanks,
Bilbo

The only other thing I can think of is to start Outlook 2003 with the
/regserver command line switch.

How to:
Start > Run
Type: outlook.exe /regserver
OK button

"Bilbo fake rubbish.domain.org>" <wlp<fauxat> wrote in message
Yes, I've even removed all the Windows Live stuff except for the Write
(which will NOT remove) and then re-installed Office from the saved
installation files.

Microsoft Outlook 2003 is not offered in Internet Options | Programs
for either Email, Calendar or Contacts applications. There's still
some vestige of Windows Live that simply will not go away as an email
selection..

I can't do a restore -- there aren't any restore points that go back
to December of last year when some former secretary installed the
Windows Live stuff.

I'm tempted to use MSIUU2 to try to remove the Windows Live Write
application.

I'm really floundering here though. The registry entries I've seen
(and I'm no expert on Outlook's registry entries) seem awfully sparse.

Tomorrow, I'll go into the office and do a complete un-install then
re-install of office to see if that'll help. I'm not real optimistic
though.

A bit of history may be appropriate: Deleting some defunct local
profiles on the workstation or Windows Live (don't know which) may
have damaged Outlook and I wasn't able to re-install it. So I had to
use MSICUU2 to remove Office entirely, then re-install it. But
Windows Live had been installed AFTER the original Office Install and
who knows what that did to the registry.

Guidance appreciated...

Bilbo

On Tue, 2 Sep 2008 14:56:17 -0700, "neo [mvp outlook]"

Have you tried running a detect/repair of Office/Outlook 2003? (Go thru
the
add/remove programs applet in the control panel. Choose detect/repair
or
reinstall. Hopefully that is enough to restore the necessary registry
keys.)

"Bilbo fake rubbish.domain.org>" <wlp<fauxat> wrote in message
Upon login, get a message that there is no default email program that
can handle the messaging requirements.

When I go to Internet Options in Control Panel, I cannot set the EMAIL
program default to Outlook 2003.

When I try to use "Set Program Access and Defaults", Outlook 2003
isn't offered as a selection.

Outlook 2003 Does allow the Option to be set to Make Outlook the
default but doesn't seem to have any effect.

I have removed the Windows Live EMail program (don't know who
installed all that Windows Live stuff anyway). Hasn't seemed to have
helped.

Guidance appreciated...

 

[neo [mvp outlook]]

Thanks for letting me know about the removal of live writer.

Not sure what to say since I run Office/Outlook 2003 with SP3 and the switch
is listed in help. (No BCM here.)

Weird; we must have installed from different builds or something.
MY Outlook 2003 (Office Pro SP3) doesn't include that switch in Help.

Nonetheless, I tried it on the problem installation and Outlook 2003
(SP3) refused to start with an invalid command-line argument. Is that
perhaps a switch added with BCM (which I don't install)? Curious.

The problem was solved by using Windows Installer Cleanup Utility
(msicuu2) to remove Windows Live Writer (whatever the heck that is).

Suddenly, Outlook was unblocked and all was right with the
installation. I didn't even have to re-install or repair Office.

Bilbo

No it isn't, it is listed in Outlook 2003's help. Search for 'command
line'.

Is that an undocumented switch? Help doesn't show it.
This IS an Outlook 2003 -- not 2007 -- switch, right?
Didn't know there were "hidden" command-line switches for Outlook
2003. I'll give it a try.
Thanks,
Bilbo

On Wed, 3 Sep 2008 04:21:25 -0700, "neo [mvp outlook]"

The only other thing I can think of is to start Outlook 2003 with the
/regserver command line switch.

How to:
Start > Run
Type: outlook.exe /regserver
OK button

"Bilbo fake rubbish.domain.org>" <wlp<fauxat> wrote in message
Yes, I've even removed all the Windows Live stuff except for the Write
(which will NOT remove) and then re-installed Office from the saved
installation files.

Microsoft Outlook 2003 is not offered in Internet Options | Programs
for either Email, Calendar or Contacts applications. There's still
some vestige of Windows Live that simply will not go away as an email
selection..

I can't do a restore -- there aren't any restore points that go back
to December of last year when some former secretary installed the
Windows Live stuff.

I'm tempted to use MSIUU2 to try to remove the Windows Live Write
application.

I'm really floundering here though. The registry entries I've seen
(and I'm no expert on Outlook's registry entries) seem awfully sparse.

Tomorrow, I'll go into the office and do a complete un-install then
re-install of office to see if that'll help. I'm not real optimistic
though.

A bit of history may be appropriate: Deleting some defunct local
profiles on the workstation or Windows Live (don't know which) may
have damaged Outlook and I wasn't able to re-install it. So I had to
use MSICUU2 to remove Office entirely, then re-install it. But
Windows Live had been installed AFTER the original Office Install and
who knows what that did to the registry.

Guidance appreciated...

Bilbo

On Tue, 2 Sep 2008 14:56:17 -0700, "neo [mvp outlook]"

Have you tried running a detect/repair of Office/Outlook 2003? (Go
thru
the
add/remove programs applet in the control panel. Choose detect/repair
or
reinstall. Hopefully that is enough to restore the necessary registry
keys.)

"Bilbo fake rubbish.domain.org>" <wlp<fauxat> wrote in message
Upon login, get a message that there is no default email program
that
can handle the messaging requirements.

When I go to Internet Options in Control Panel, I cannot set the
EMAIL
program default to Outlook 2003.

When I try to use "Set Program Access and Defaults", Outlook 2003
isn't offered as a selection.

Outlook 2003 Does allow the Option to be set to Make Outlook the
default but doesn't seem to have any effect.

I have removed the Windows Live EMail program (don't know who
installed all that Windows Live stuff anyway). Hasn't seemed to
have
helped.

Guidance appreciated...

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

Weird; we must have installed from different builds or something.
MY Outlook 2003 (Office Pro SP3) doesn't include that switch in Help.

I'll bet it is. OIn the search box of Outlook's help, enter "command
switch".

Nonetheless, I tried it on the problem installation and Outlook 2003
(SP3) refused to start with an invalid command-line argument.

Then it's likely you entered the command improperly. Click Start>Run and
enter

outlook.exe /regserver

and be sure to include the space after ".exe". Click OK.

 

[Bilbo]

I'll bet it isn't!

Microsoft Office Outlook® 2003 Professional (11.8217.8202) SP3 is my
own installation and the command line switch reference goes like this
(in part)
...
/profiles
/recycle
/resetfoldernames
/resetfolders
/resetnavpane
/rpcdiag
/s
...

NOWHERE is a /regserver switch shown -- at least, I can't find one.

FWIW, there IS a regserver command that can be used to re-register
some Office applications. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918957
but this article explicitly says:

"Note this method will not work for Microsoft Outlook".

I really do know how to type and read and all that. I can even spell
most of the time...

Bilbo

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

I'll bet it isn't!

Microsoft Office Outlook® 2003 Professional (11.8217.8202) SP3 is my
own installation and the command line switch reference goes like this
(in part)

Here are all the switches listed in Outlook 2003's help:

/a
/altvba
/autorun
/c ipm.activity
/c ipm.appointment
/c ipm.contact
/c ipm.note
/c ipm.stickynote
/c ipm.task
/checkclient
/cleanclientrules
/cleandmrecords
/cleanfinders
/cleanfreebusy
/cleanprofile
/cleanpst
/cleanreminders
/cleanrules
/cleanschedplus
/cleanserverrules
/cleansniff
/cleansubscriptions
/cleanviews
/designer
/embedding
/explorer
/f msgfilename
/firstrun
/folder
/hol holfilename
/ical icsfilename
/importprf prffilename
/l olkfilename
/launchtraininghelp assetid
/m emailname
/nocustomize
/noextensions
/nopollmail
/nopreview
/p msgfilename
/profile profilename
/profiles
/recycle
/regserver
/resetfoldernames
/resetfolders
/resetnavpane
/rpcdiag
/s filename
/safe
/select foldername
/sniff
/t oftfilename
/unregserver
/v vcffilename
/vcal vcsfilename
/x xnkfilename

 

[Bilbo]

Well, here are all the switches shown by MY Outlook 2003.
Your mileage may vary. I don't know WHY our Outlook results are
different -- mine was installed from my Action Pack CD and updated to
SP3. I can't explain the difference. Here's the copy and paste from
my Outlook's Help query result from Command Switch Reference.
As you can plainly see, I get no result for /regserver.

Switch Description
/a
Creates an item with the specified file as an attachment.

Example:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\Outlook.exe" /a "C:\My
Documents\labels.doc"

If no item type is specified, IPM.Note is assumed. Cannot be used with
message classes that aren't based on Outlook.

/altvba otmfilename
Opens the VBA program specified in otmfilename, rather than
%appdata%\Microsoft\Outlook\VbaProject.OTM.

/c messageclass
Creates a new item of the specified message class (Outlook forms or
any other valid MAPI form).

Examples:

/c ipm.activity creates a Journal entry
/c ipm.appointment creates an appointment
/c ipm.contact creates a contact
/c ipm.note creates an e-mail message
/c ipm.stickynote creates a note
/c ipm.task creates a task


/checkclient
Prompts for the default manager of e-mail, news, and contacts.

/cleanclientrules
Starts Outlook and deletes client-based rules.

/cleandmrecords
Deletes the logging records saved when a manager or a delegate
declines a meeting.

/cleanfinders
Removes Search Folders from the Microsoft Exchange server store.

/cleanfreebusy
Clears and regenerates free/busy information. This switch can only be
used when you are able to connect to your Microsoft Exchange server.

/cleanprofile
Removes invalid profile keys and recreates default registry keys
where applicable.

/cleanpst
Launches Outlook with a clean Personal Folders file (.pst) (Personal
Folders file (.pst): Data file that stores your messages and other
items on your computer. You can assign a .pst file to be the default
delivery location for e-mail messages. You can use a .pst to organize
and back up items for safekeeping.).

/cleanreminders
Clears and regenerates reminders.

/cleanrules
Starts Outlook and deletes client- and server-based rules.

/cleanschedplus
Deletes all Schedule+ data (free/busy, permissions, and .cal file)
from the server and enables the free/busy information from the Outlook
Calendar to be used and viewed by all Schedule+ 1.0 users.

/cleanserverrules
Starts Outlook and deletes server-based rules.

/cleansniff
Deletes duplicate reminder messages.

/cleansubscriptions
Deletes the subscription messages and properties for subscription
features.

/cleanviews
Restores default views. All custom views you created are lost.

/designer
Starts Outlook without figuring out if Outlook should be the default
client in the first run.

/embedding
Opens the specified message file (.msg) as an OLE embedding. Also
used without command-line parameters for standard OLE co-create.

/f msgfilename
Opens the specified message file (.msg) or Microsoft Office saved
search (.oss).

/firstrun
Starts Outlook as if it were run for the first time.

/hol holfilename
Opens the specified .hol file.

/ical icsfilename
Opens the specified .ics file.

/importprf prffilename
Launches Outlook and opens/imports the defined MAPI profile (*.prf).
If Outlook is already open, queues the profile to be imported on the
next clean launch.

/l olkfilename
Opens the specified .olk file.

/launchtraininghelp assetid
Opens a Help window with the Help topic specified in assetid.

/m emailname
Provides a way for the user to add an e-mail name to the item. Only
works in conjunction with the /c command-line parameter.

Example:

Outlook.exe /c ipm.note /m emailname


/nocustomize
Starts Outlook without loading outcmd.dat (customized toolbars) and
*.fav file.

/noextensions
Starts Outlook with extensions turned off, but listed in the Add-In
Manager.

/nopollmail
Starts Outlook without checking mail at startup.

/nopreview
Starts Outlook with the Reading Pane off.

/p msgfilename
Prints the specified message (.msg). Does not work with HTML.

/profile profilename
Loads the specified profile. If your profile name contains a space,
enclose the profile name in quotation marks (").

/profiles
Opens the Choose Profile dialog box regardless of the Options setting
on the Tools menu.

/recycle
Starts Outlook using an existing Outlook window, if one exists. Used
in combination with /explorer or /folder.

/resetfoldernames
Resets default folder names (such as Inbox or Sent Items) to default
names in the current Office user interface language.

For example, if you first connect to your mailbox Outlook using a
Russian user interface, the Russian default folder names cannot be
renamed. To change the default folder names to another language such
as Japanese or English, you can use this switch to reset the default
folder names after changing the user interface language or installing
a different language version of Outlook.

/resetfolders
Restores missing folders for the default delivery location.

/resetnavpane
Clears and regenerates the Navigation Pane for the current profile.

/rpcdiag
Opens Outlook and displays the remote procedure call (RPC) connection
status dialog.

/s filename
Loads the specified shortcuts file (.fav).

/safe
Starts Outlook without extensions, Reading Pane, or toolbar
customization.

/safe:1
Starts Outlook with the Reading Pane off.

/safe:2
Starts Outlook without checking mail at startup.

/safe:3
Starts Outlook with extensions turned off, but listed in the Add-In
Manager.

/safe:4
Starts Outlook without loading Outcmd.dat (customized toolbars) and
*.fav file.

/select foldername
Starts Outlook and opens the specified folder in a new window. For
example, to open Outlook and display the default calendar use:
"c:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\Outlook.exe" /select
outlook:calendar

/sniff
Starts Outlook and forces a detection of new meeting requests in the
Inbox, and then adds them to the calendar.

/t oftfilename
Opens the specified .oft file.

/v vcffilename
Opens the specified .vcf file.

/vcal vcsfilename
Opens the specified .vcs file.

/x xnkfilename
Opens the specified .xnk file.

The above hasn't been edited in any way. Just copy and paste.
Bilbo

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

Well, here are all the switches shown by MY Outlook 2003.

Perhaps the Help file is different. Did you actually enter

outlook.exe /regserver

on the Start>Run command line with the space in the middle?

 

[Bilbo]

Yes. Outlook rejects it as an invalid command line argument and
doesn't start..

I found http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918957 which applies to Office
2003, Office 2002 and Office 2000; it asserts the following:

"Note this method will not work for Microsoft Outlook".

as a footnote to /regserver and /unregserver for Office programs.

Repair and Reinstall didn't work either. The only thing that DID work
was removing that "Windows Live" stuff. "Windows Live Write" was the
last thing I removed and following removal of that program, Outlook
started working properly again. Outlook was once again a choice under
Program in Internet Options (it hadn't been before).

Bilbo