"Inbox not closed properly" message

M

Mark Hilbrink

Hi,

I keep getting the above, and I KNOW I'm closing it 'properly'. What's the
deal? I get this when I come back in and bring up Outlook -- and it sometimes
takes a minute or two to "check" things, before it displays my emails...
Frustrating!

Can anything be done about this?

Mark H.
 
K

K. Orland

Are you running anything that would hold Outlook open such as FAX software,
antispam software, do you have antivirus configured to actively scan
incoming/outgoing email, have you checked your Add Ins and COMs? I would
think something is integrating with Outlook that is not allowing it to shut
down immediately or is holding it open.
 
M

Mark Hilbrink

Well, I do have AVG scanning emails, so maybe that's the problem. But while I
have AVG always running, I only SOMETIMES get the error message!

Wait a minute -- I also have "ExchangeDefender" messages at the bottoms of
"outside" emails. They apparently verify do some checking, as well...

I did recently install SnagIt, too, which was in my Outlook toolbars, but I
removed it -- and besides, I was getting those messages before that anyway...

Mark H.
 
K

K. Orland

Your PC is not static. There are always updates, software installs, etc. that
may not necessarily be compatible with each other. It's not unknown for an
antivirus vendor to release a bad .dat file that causes issues, or for
example the Google Desktop Search recent incompatibility with Outlook. It
didn't allow anyone to open forwarded messages. It worked before, then they
updated GDS and it then a problem.
Your PC is constantly changing so what "worked before" and "doesn't work
now" but "nothing changed" is not necessarily an accurate statement.

Are you synching to a handheld? That can be an issue as well.

Programs that integrate with Outlook are not always shown as an add-in as
well. In this case you’ll have to disable the integration in the program
itself. See the documentation of that program on how to disable it. If the
integration is the key of the program (like it is with synchronization
software) make sure you close that program after or before closing Outlook or
it will keep Outlook open.

Programs that tend to keep Outlook open are;

Fax software
Virus scanners
Anti-spam filters
Synchronization software (for e.g. your PDA or cell phone)
Tip 1
Disabling the integration of your virus scanner doesn’t increase (or
decrease) the risk of infection by a virus. The on access scanner of the
virus scanner1) will suffice. Also note that Outlook doesn’t allow code
execution2) in the Reading/Preview Pane so you can’t get infected by a virus
by using the Reading/Preview Pane to read messages.

Tip 2
If you use synchronization software for your PDA in most cases removing the
PDA from its cradle before you close Outlook will suffice and let Outlook
close successfully.
 
M

Mark Hilbrink

Well, thanks, and while all this may be true, it doesn't give me much to go
on... I don't have a PDA connected; this is just a laptop, and I think that
the fact this has happened off and on for a matter of months means (to me,
anyway) that it's not just something that happened recently, but something
more general, more basic, or maybe just a matter of how I close Outlook?

I don't know... these pesky, intermittent problems are always the most
baffling, because they defy reason... I don't have the time or patience
right now to un-install this thing and that -- so I may just have to live w/
it. I was hoping for a simpler answer, I guess! Thanks...

Mark H.
 
K

K. Orland

There are still some options.

You could close Outlook and scan your PST for errors, using scanpst.exe
(just do a file/folder search for it, double-click it, and follow the
instructions). If it turns up errors and repairs them, run it again until it
finds no further errors.

If that doesn't help, try creating a new Outlook profile (don't copy the old
one):

http://www.howto-outlook.com/faq/newprofile.htm
 
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