Why does Outlook crash when I customize or enter a phone number?

[Stusilver]

Outlook "encounters a problem" and crashes whenever I try to add a phone
number to a contact. It does the same when I go to the Customize menu. I've
uninstalled and reinstalled my Office XP, and made sure I have all the right
updates. The problem persists. Any ideas?

 

[Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]]

Have you tried a new mail profile? Have you run scanpst.exe?

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact.
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375


After furious head scratching, Stusilver asked:

| Outlook "encounters a problem" and crashes whenever I try to add a
| phone number to a contact. It does the same when I go to the
| Customize menu. I've uninstalled and reinstalled my Office XP, and
| made sure I have all the right updates. The problem persists. Any
| ideas?

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

try deleting outcmd.dat -
paste this line in the address bar of windows explorer:
%USERPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook
then delete outcmd.dat.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook 2007: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/

Outlook Tips by email:
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[Stusilver]

Thanks for your reply.

I had created a new mail profile when I connected my Outlook account to my
Gmail account. I ran the scanpst.exe on my outlook.pst file. There were
some "minor erros" reported. I repaired them and still have the same
problem. Is there another file I should run the scanpst.exe on?

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Stusilver]

Thank you for your help Diane. Unfortunately, that did not solve the
problem. If I do so much as try to enter anything or even double click
within the four phone/fax fields (within contacts) I get the error message
and crash "Microsoft Outlook has encountered a problem and needs to close.
We are sorry for the inconvenience." I get the same crash if I'm on any
Outlook screen and try to access "tools/customize" screen.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

that file holds toolbar customizations so it shoulda fixed at least the
toolbar crash.

Have you tried Detect and Repair (Office Diagnostics in 2007)? Do that
first. Then try removing the area code config (control panel, modem and
phone) and reentering it. If that fails try stopping the Windows Telephony
Service. (admin tools, services). Note that if you stop the telephony
service, the numbers wont format.


--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook 2007: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/

Outlook Tips by email:
(e-mail address removed)

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)




You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

Correction: You'll pause the telephony service, not stop it.

that file holds toolbar customizations so it shoulda fixed at least the
toolbar crash.

Have you tried Detect and Repair (Office Diagnostics in 2007)? Do that
first. Then try removing the area code config (control panel, modem and
phone) and reentering it. If that fails try stopping the Windows Telephony
Service. (admin tools, services). Note that if you stop the telephony
service, the numbers wont format.


--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook 2007: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/

Outlook Tips by email:
(e-mail address removed)

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)




You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

Thank you for your help Diane. Unfortunately, that did not solve the
problem. If I do so much as try to enter anything or even double click
within the four phone/fax fields (within contacts) I get the error
message
and crash "Microsoft Outlook has encountered a problem and needs to
close.
We are sorry for the inconvenience." I get the same crash if I'm on any
Outlook screen and try to access "tools/customize" screen.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Stusilver]

FYI: The Customize command still crashes the program. It seems to be the
only menu bar function that causes crashes with the following info from the
error report:
AppName: outlook.exe AppVer: 10.0.6838.0 ModName: unknown
ModVer: 0.0.0.0 Offset: 0237c838

I have tried detect and repair a lot, to no avail.
I tried the area code config idea, no change.
I got an error 1053 when I tried stopping windows/telephony service. It
said it couldn't stop the service. The computer didn't "respond to the start
or control request in a timely fashion."

Thanks anyhow. Any other ideas are certainly welcome.

Stuart

 

[shrory]

Following your problem with interest, as I have the identical one, have tried
everything you have tried and also what has been suggested, OPsys XP, MSOff03

 

[Stusilver]

Well, it's somewhat reassuring to know I'm not the only one who has this
problem. It occurred relatively recently. Unfortunately, I can't pinpoint
what set it off. It had been working flawlessly for years. Go figure...

Stuart

 

[BrianP]

I've got the same issue as well...I'm sure we're all watching this thread. My
problem started after installing Office 2007. I've tried all the solutions
listed above to no avail as well.

 

[BrianP]

Not sure if this is relevant to the issue, but I just noticed that my
outcmd.dat file is associated with a video player and is recognized as a
Video CD Movie. Not sure if others have a similar association, and/or, if
this is part of the problem. Diane, what program should this .dat file be
associated with? Thanks.

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

There are so many things that use the dat file type - it only matters if you
double click it to open it. Otherwise Outlook (and the other programs) can
use the dat when they call it, provided it in a format they know.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook 2007: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/

Outlook Tips by email:
(e-mail address removed)

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)




You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

Some people fixed it by installing Outlook 2007 - so the cause is something
else. But no one knows what.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook 2007: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/

Outlook Tips by email:
(e-mail address removed)

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)




You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

 

[shrory]

I take it, that with the comment of "some people fixed it by installing 07"
that is the end of the thread.
Time to move over to Mac and Star Office?

Some people fixed it by installing Outlook 2007 - so the cause is something
else. But no one knows what.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook 2007: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/

Outlook Tips by email:
(e-mail address removed)

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)




You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

I've got the same issue as well...I'm sure we're all watching this thread.
My
problem started after installing Office 2007. I've tried all the solutions
listed above to no avail as well.

 

[Brian Tillman]

Time to move over to Mac and Star Office?

Since Star Office has no Outlook replacement, how will that help?

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

No, its more that in your case, it was not "caused" by installing Outlook
2007.

Feel free to move to a mac and star office... but its not the real solution,
as evidenced by the number of people who come here to ask questions about
making outlook work correctly on a virtual windows computer running on their
mac.

I have a mac. I'm not impressed by it - but at least it looks a lot like
vista (or vista looks like it). I don't have star office and have no desire
to learn another application, so I can't say if its better or worse.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



Outlook Tips by email:
(e-mail address removed)

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)

You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

I take it, that with the comment of "some people fixed it by installing
07"
that is the end of the thread.
Time to move over to Mac and Star Office?

Some people fixed it by installing Outlook 2007 - so the cause is
something
else. But no one knows what.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook 2007: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/

Outlook Tips by email:
(e-mail address removed)

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)




You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point
your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

I've got the same issue as well...I'm sure we're all watching this
thread.
My
problem started after installing Office 2007. I've tried all the
solutions
listed above to no avail as well.

:

Well, it's somewhat reassuring to know I'm not the only one who has
this
problem. It occurred relatively recently. Unfortunately, I can't
pinpoint
what set it off. It had been working flawlessly for years. Go
figure...

Stuart

 

[BN]

I am having the exact same probem in Outlook 2007. Thanks so much for the
idea!

I tried to stop my Telephony, and found out that Remote Access Connectdion
Manager was a dependant. So, i disabled both and restarted. My Outlook 2007
doen't crash anymore

So, now, how do i fix the Telephony?

that file holds toolbar customizations so it shoulda fixed at least the
toolbar crash.

Have you tried Detect and Repair (Office Diagnostics in 2007)? Do that
first. Then try removing the area code config (control panel, modem and
phone) and reentering it. If that fails try stopping the Windows Telephony
Service. (admin tools, services). Note that if you stop the telephony
service, the numbers wont format.


--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook 2007: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/

Outlook Tips by email:
(e-mail address removed)

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
(e-mail address removed)




You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

Thank you for your help Diane. Unfortunately, that did not solve the
problem. If I do so much as try to enter anything or even double click
within the four phone/fax fields (within contacts) I get the error message
and crash "Microsoft Outlook has encountered a problem and needs to close.
We are sorry for the inconvenience." I get the same crash if I'm on any
Outlook screen and try to access "tools/customize" screen.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[BN]

Actually found one more thing out... if i go to regedit,
hklm\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Telephony\Locations and delete
all the locations there (backed up the key first), Outlook doesn't crash.
BUT, you still can't use phone number formatting. kinda the same thing as
disabling Telephony...

 

[candyandjb]

Actually found one more thing out... if i go to regedit,
hklm\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Telephony\Locations and delete
all the locations there (backed up the key first),Outlookdoesn't crash.
BUT, you still can't use phone number formatting. kinda the same thing as
disabling Telephony...

Very interested in this conversation. At this point is there no hope
in fixing "The Customize command still crashes the program. It seems
to be the
only menu bar function that causes crashes" ????

You just can't customize Outlook 2003???

BTW: Thanks for all prior ideas.