Outlook Express message??

[Jo]

My apologies if you see this post more than once, since I'm not quite sure
which group to post it in, so I'll post it in a few that might be relevant.

For the last 3 days or so, I've had a message window appear when I boot up
Windows (XP SP3). It says "Outlook Express. To free up disk space, Outlook
Express can compact messages. This may take up to a few minutes." And then
the OK or Cancel buttons. I have always clicked Cancel.

Here's the weird thing -- I run Office Outlook (2003), NOT Outlook Express!
I've never run Outlook Express -- not on this Windows installation anyway.
Just in case this was an echo from Office Outlook, I compacted all my Outlook
PST files, but I'm still getting the message.

I find this message disturbing because, since I'm not running Express, I
wonder if it might be some kind of malware. But I run an anti-virus and
anti-spyware and firewall and I scan pretty much daily. It hasn't gone away
after scanning.

Has anyone else had this happen before, when you aren't running Outlook
Express? Thanks.

 

[DL]

Presumably you started Outlook Express, to see what it shows?

 

[Jo]

No, I'm not even sure where to find it to run it -- that's how weird this is.
The last time I even tried to run OE was about 5 years ago.

Jo

 

[Tom [Pepper] Willett]

You should ask this in an Outlook Express newsgroup...the question has come
up there, before.

: My apologies if you see this post more than once, since I'm not quite sure
: which group to post it in, so I'll post it in a few that might be
relevant.
:
: For the last 3 days or so, I've had a message window appear when I boot up
: Windows (XP SP3). It says "Outlook Express. To free up disk space, Outlook
: Express can compact messages. This may take up to a few minutes." And then
: the OK or Cancel buttons. I have always clicked Cancel.
:
: Here's the weird thing -- I run Office Outlook (2003), NOT Outlook
Express!
: I've never run Outlook Express -- not on this Windows installation anyway.
: Just in case this was an echo from Office Outlook, I compacted all my
Outlook
: PST files, but I'm still getting the message.
:
: I find this message disturbing because, since I'm not running Express, I
: wonder if it might be some kind of malware. But I run an anti-virus and
: anti-spyware and firewall and I scan pretty much daily. It hasn't gone
away
: after scanning.
:
: Has anyone else had this happen before, when you aren't running Outlook
: Express? Thanks.

 

[Pat Willener]

Check your startup items, i.e. if there is anything that may trigger that.

 

[Jo]

Thank you very much to everyone who replied. At about 5:00PM I finally
decided to just uninstall SP3. It was a nightmare, but I did it and I'm no
longer getting the OE message. I was at least an hour on the phone with
Microsoft Tech Support (he was extremely nice and helpful) just getting the
video to behave. Then another 3.5 hours to download and install all the other
updates and security patches to bring SP2 up to date. I *think* it's okay
now. Interestingly, my scanner that I haven't been able to install since
installing SP3 is now working perfectly.

SP3 is a lemon and I'm glad to be rid of it. Good luck to anyone else who
wants to change their mind after installing SP3. A word to the wise - find
out how to do it properly. The tech support guy said *do not* uninstall it
through Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel (which is what I did). Why
MS put it there if it isn't the right way to uninstall it, is anyone's guess.
Thanks again for everyone's help, information and support!

Jo

 

[Pat Willener]

Which SP3 did you uninstall - Windows XP, or Office 2003 ?

 

[Jo]

It was Windows XP-Pro SP3.

Which SP3 did you uninstall - Windows XP, or Office 2003 ?