Outlook 2000 will not open - Help!!!

[robbertl]

I have MS Outlook 2000 as part of MS Office. When I try to open MS Outlook I
get the splash screen, then it opens BUT the splash screen stays and I am
advised it has encountered an error. It asks me to report the problem to
Microsoft. When I do it advises me that the error has been reported and then
shuts down Outlook completely.

This has only started happening within the last two/three weeks. Since the
problem first occured I have uploaded all the latest updates for office 2000
from MS but this has not helped. I am running McAfee and all my virus defs
are up to date. Does anybody have any ideas or suggestions?

 

[Noel All]

Try starting Outlook once with the /safe command line switch for example
from the Start > Run > type
"c:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Outlook.exe" /safe with the quotes
and the space before the forward slash.
Note your path to outlook.exe may be different.
If Outlook starts this way then the most common causes for the locking up
are:

1. Corrupt messages in your Inbox.
2. Corrupt or damaged Toolbar.
3. Damaged view.
4. Add-in causing the error.

Resolution
For No.1 remove the first or last message in your Inbox depending on how you
sort the Inbox.

If it is No 2 then renaming outcmd.dat (with Outlook closed) should clear
the toolbars,
search your hard drive for a file called outcmd.dat and rename it to
outcmd.old then start Outlook
(if this doesn't cure your problem then you can rename the file back to
outcmd.dat and regain any
customization of the Toolbars).

For No. 3 the running the /cleanviews command line switch will reset all
views to default for example from the
Start > Run > type "c:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Outlook.exe"
/cleanviews with the quotes and the space
before the forward slash. Note your path to outlook.exe may be different.

For No. 4 go to Tools > Options > Other > Advanced Options > Add-ins and
uncheck all the add-ins. Close and restart Outlook, then add the add-ins
one by one (closing and restarting Outlook each time) until you get to the
problematic add-in. Depending on the add-in you may be able to remove it
completely via Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel and then re-install a
fresh copy. If after a re-install you are still getting problems with the
add-in then uninstall it again close Outlook do a search for a file called
extend.dat and rename it to extend.old and repeat the installation of
the add-in.

 

[Noel All]

Try starting Outlook once with the /safe command line switch for example
from the Start > Run > type
"c:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Outlook.exe" /safe with the quotes
and the space before the forward slash.
Note your path to outlook.exe may be different.
If Outlook starts this way then the most common causes for the locking up
are:

1. Corrupt messages in your Inbox.
2. Corrupt or damaged Toolbar.
3. Damaged view.
4. Add-in causing the error.

Resolution
For No.1 remove the first or last message in your Inbox depending on how you
sort the Inbox.

If it is No 2 then renaming outcmd.dat (with Outlook closed) should clear
the toolbars,
search your hard drive for a file called outcmd.dat and rename it to
outcmd.old then start Outlook
(if this doesn't cure your problem then you can rename the file back to
outcmd.dat and regain any
customization of the Toolbars).

For No. 3 the running the /cleanviews command line switch will reset all
views to default for example from the
Start > Run > type "c:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Outlook.exe"
/cleanviews with the quotes and the space
before the forward slash. Note your path to outlook.exe may be different.

For No. 4 go to Tools > Options > Other > Advanced Options > Add-ins and
uncheck all the add-ins. Close and restart Outlook, then add the add-ins
one by one (closing and restarting Outlook each time) until you get to the
problematic add-in. Depending on the add-in you may be able to remove it
completely via Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel and then re-install a
fresh copy. If after a re-install you are still getting problems with the
add-in then uninstall it again close Outlook do a search for a file called
extend.dat and rename it to extend.old and repeat the installation of
the add-in.

 

[robbertl]

Hi Noel,

Many thanks for the help. I tried all the suggestions below:

1. Yes it would open in safe mode
2. There were no messages in the inbox, I use Outlook express for e-mail, I
deleted everything there anyway (the one Welcome to outlook message) but no
success.
3. I tried step 2 renaming the outcmd.dat file but that did not work
4. I tried the cleanviews command but that didnt work
5. On step 4, the add-ins, none of them were checked.

I did notice when it failed to open that at the top of the screen, alongside
the File, edit, etc bar the words Adobe PDF appeared 3 or 4 times, apparently
as different clickable options.

Any further tips or ideas are welcome!!!

If I run it in safe mode will it function properly???

 

[Noel All]

Did you rename outcmd.dat with Outlook closed (you may have to look in Task
Manager), the Adobe PDF on the menubar looks a bit iffy - what version of
Adobe is it? Also with Outlook closed delete a file called extend.dat (this
will get rebuilt when you start Outlook). Running Outlook in safe mode is
okay for the short term but it depends on what you are using Outlook for
because safe mode amongst other things will disable any add-in's. To be
honest I was a bit surprised when renaming outcmd.dat didn't work!