Reinstall Outlook and save data

[kar]

Every time I sign off Outlook 2003 I get a message that it ended with an
error and invites me to restart it or send message to Microsoft (which I do).
After 'chatting' w/Dell techs, they said to reinstall and try to do the
repair. The REPAIR didn't work (couldn't finish the install), so I want to do
an install but am worried about it writing over my calendar, contacts, notes
and settings. Dell techs said to back up any file with .pst extension
(Outlook.pst and Archive.pst was all I found), which I did. But still I
would like assurance that I will be able to get back to normal once I
reinstall, i.e., get the backed up files back where they belong. Any advice
out there? Assurances I'll be fine??

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Tehe, "assurance"?

Anyway, a reinstall should not touch most of the settings you made and
should not delete the pst-files either. Backing up your pst-files never
hursts.

Also; what is logged to the Event Viewer?

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
www.howto-outlook.com

Tips of the month:
-What do the Outlook Icons Mean?
-Create an Office 2003 CD slipstreamed with Service Pack 1

 

[Kill]

Kar, it's been my experience that after unistalling using the office
program's change/remove option in XP's add remove pop-up that it will
reinstall and re-use the existing pst file that is hidden away in the
application data file.

To be safe though, back up your current file and save it some place that's
easy for you to get to, for instance, your desktop. That way, if your data
doesn't appear after the reinstall, you can simply reimport the data from
the .pst file on your desktop into the new/clean file that Outlook creates
(although, it has not been my experience that it has ever wiped a file...but
that's not to say it CAN'T happen). If after the install and everything
looks OK delete the file saved on your desktop...for it takes up a lot of
space if you have lots of data and you don't regularly archive stuff...like
me. Hope this helps.

Oh and by the way, it has been my experience that Dell and Gateway's
solution to EVERYTHING when they can't figure it out is to UNINSTALL and
REINSTALL. So if you're new to computers, check out the news groups
first...as sometime this will save you added aggravation. Hope this
helps.

 

[Kill]

Substitute "application data file" with "application data folder" in my
previous post...sorry about that.

 

[kar]

Thanks for the info. But I see you're implying I should first UNINSTALL
Outlook BEFORE I REINSTALL it -- is that so??? I was just going to select
Reinstall from the Microsoft Office 2003 Basic CD and didn't think I had to
first uninstall it. I really was hoping the REPAIR would work; felt safer --
but that wouldn't complete, so there must be something 'funky' in my Outlook
program.

Thanks again for your help -- and sorry for the "assurance" comment; I know
that nothing is for sure -- I was just hoping for that extra 'feelgood'!
Kar

Tehe, "assurance"?

Anyway, a reinstall should not touch most of the settings you made and
should not delete the pst-files either. Backing up your pst-files never
hursts.

Also; what is logged to the Event Viewer?

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
www.howto-outlook.com

Tips of the month:
-What do the Outlook Icons Mean?
-Create an Office 2003 CD slipstreamed with Service Pack 1

-----

Every time I sign off Outlook 2003 I get a message that it ended with an
error and invites me to restart it or send message to Microsoft (which I
do).
After 'chatting' w/Dell techs, they said to reinstall and try to do the
repair. The REPAIR didn't work (couldn't finish the install), so I want to
do
an install but am worried about it writing over my calendar, contacts,
notes
and settings. Dell techs said to back up any file with .pst extension
(Outlook.pst and Archive.pst was all I found), which I did. But still I
would like assurance that I will be able to get back to normal once I
reinstall, i.e., get the backed up files back where they belong. Any
advice
out there? Assurances I'll be fine??