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Outlook 2003 Wont Run

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Mike

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May 14, 2007, 12:02:03 PM5/14/07
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Im having a problem with a users computer, i get the following message
everytime he tries to open Outlook 2003 to use the calendar:

Unable to open your default email folders. The file C:\Documents and
Settings\(Username)\Local Settings\Aplication
Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.ost cannot be accessed. You must connect to
your microsoft exchange server computer at least once before you can use your
offline folder file.

Outlook opens, and pops up the dialog box immediatly displaying that error
message with only an OK button, once you click the OK button it closes out
completly. Everybody else's computer works just fine, and this user can
logon to any other computer and it works fine, so its just some setting on
his computer.

Im still fairly new to SBS2003 so im having a hard time trying to find the
right options, but im assuming its probably something to do with the exchange
server, maybe he's lost connection to it?

Anybody have any ideas?

Costas

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May 14, 2007, 12:50:31 PM5/14/07
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See if the following solutions helps: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917383

Costas

"Mike" <Mi...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
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Mike

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May 14, 2007, 1:48:04 PM5/14/07
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Its talking about a transform or something, i dont know what that is?
Outlook was working fine on this computer, then out of nowhere i get this
error message. Im not sure if that link will help, but i hardly understand
what its trying to say, i dont know what that transform thing is??

I setup the computer to use SBS03 a few months ago, then installed Office
2003, and then installed Office 2007, but everthing still worked after that..
A few days later suddenly it just stopped working with the errormessage i
mentioned in the first message. =(

Costas

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May 14, 2007, 2:10:48 PM5/14/07
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A transform is a file that you can create if you want to use customized
settings during Office installation. I thought that might have been the
problem because the file Outlook can't access (outlook.ost) is the file
where offline content is stored when outlook runs in cached mode

The inbox repair tool could do the trick. Run it on outook.ost file
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/287497/en-us

Costas

"Mike" <Mi...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

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Mike

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May 14, 2007, 2:22:02 PM5/14/07
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k tried it, it wanted to run the test on a .PST file, but there isnt any, i
did it on the OST file as you said, it repaired some things but i still have
the same error message when running Outlook 2003

Costas

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May 14, 2007, 2:27:52 PM5/14/07
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Ok,

Let's do this.... Without outlook running, rename the .ost file. Then run
outlook again. It should create a new ost file and resync with the server

Costas


"Mike" <Mi...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

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Mike

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May 14, 2007, 2:36:02 PM5/14/07
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Already thought of that before, i got the same error.. It did create a new
OST file, but i still got the same error =(

Costas

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May 14, 2007, 2:43:12 PM5/14/07
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Rename the ost file, delete the profile for the user and create a new
profile. Does that do it?

Costas

"Mike" <Mi...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

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Mike

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May 14, 2007, 3:03:02 PM5/14/07
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Delete the profile? The users profile? Or the outlook profile? If its the
outlook profile, thats just the folder with the .OST file in it right?

Mike

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May 14, 2007, 3:08:01 PM5/14/07
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i renamed this folder:

C:\Documents and
Settings\(Username)\Local Settings\Aplication
Data\Microsoft\Outlook\

i renamed it to this:


C:\Documents and
Settings\(Username)\Local Settings\Aplication

Data\Microsoft\Outlook.bak\

Ran outlook 2003 again, it created a new Outlook folder, put in the
necessary files, but still same error message... I dont think its anything
in there, i think it has to do with the way this computer is connecting to
the exchange server.. How do i change it? Im assuming its in the registry,
i cant find anything anywhere to change settings for it, but i could be wrong
still..

Costas

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May 14, 2007, 3:18:00 PM5/14/07
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How big is the .ost file or the mailbox of the user you are having problem
with?

Costas

"Mike" <Mi...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

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Costas

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May 14, 2007, 3:22:01 PM5/14/07
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The Outlook profile. If you go to the Control Panel / Mail, you'll see the
profiles button

"Mike" <Mi...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

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Mike

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May 14, 2007, 3:23:03 PM5/14/07
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9 megs. After i rename it and let it create a new one its around 200k

Mike

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May 14, 2007, 3:28:02 PM5/14/07
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The way the server is setup, nobody has their own email address.. Its
basically just Calendars... When you open outlook it shows the email,
there's the local e-mail address's that nobody uses, but there's an MSN
account we have shared in it.. Then for the calendars, one of the user's has
his shared, and everybody is working off that same calendar. The calendar is
pretty much all we use.

Costas

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May 14, 2007, 3:33:02 PM5/14/07
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Do you have Norton Security installed by any chance? or any other kind of
security on the client?


"Mike" <Mi...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

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Mike

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May 14, 2007, 3:41:01 PM5/14/07
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Yes, Norton Internet Security 2007 10 User Small Office Pack

Costas

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May 14, 2007, 3:45:44 PM5/14/07
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Start by disabling Norton Security on the computer that has the problem, see
if that solves it. If that solves the problem, see which setting you have
to setup in Norton to allow Outlook to connect.

Costas

"Mike" <Mi...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

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Mike

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May 14, 2007, 3:50:00 PM5/14/07
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Yes, Norton Internet Security 2007 10 User Small Business Pack

Mike

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May 14, 2007, 3:56:02 PM5/14/07
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sorry about that last post, i kept refreshing the page and didnt see my post
so i sent it again, then realized it was on the next page hehe

Ok im trying the norton thing now. I'll reply if i find anything.

Mike

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May 14, 2007, 4:22:01 PM5/14/07
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had absolutely no effect on anything :( The computer still has the same
problem.

Costas

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May 14, 2007, 4:28:37 PM5/14/07
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One last thing cause I'm running out of ideas...

Log in on that computer using a different user account. Open Outlook. Do
you still have the problem?


"Mike" <Mi...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

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Mike

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May 14, 2007, 4:41:00 PM5/14/07
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I logged onto a few different accounts and Outlook ran just fine.. So its
just his account... What can i do to fix it?

Mike

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May 14, 2007, 4:57:00 PM5/14/07
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I tried to uninstall Outlook, and rename the remaining root folders of
Outlook to whatever their names were .bak

Then i reinstalled Outlook, it went through the entire setup process as if
outlook had never been installed before, but agian.. same problem =(

Costas

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May 14, 2007, 5:12:11 PM5/14/07
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If the other accounts work, reinstalling outlook won't help. The size of
the mailbox could be the issue, since you said that it was 9MB. There was a
KB article talking about large OSTs. I have to look for it and I'll post

Costas

"Mike" <Mi...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

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Costas

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May 14, 2007, 5:17:47 PM5/14/07
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Sorry, I misread your post... 9MBi s ok.. I though I was reading 9GB..
:( .. time for a break :)

"Mike" <Mi...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

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Dave Nickason [SBS MVP]

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May 14, 2007, 11:40:12 PM5/14/07
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It looks like you did not recreate the user's mail profile as Costas
suggested earlier? If Outlook works normally for other users on that PC,
that will almost certainly fix it for this user. It's one of the basic
steps in repairing Outlook. With Outlook shut down, go to Control Panel ->
Mail and click Show Profiles. There should only be one there. Click Add
and follow the steps to add a new profile with a different name. Click the
radio button to always use this profile, and select the new profile in the
drop-down. Ok out and Outlook should work normally. If so, you can go back
and delete the original profile.

If the new profile exhibits the same behavior, try turning off Cached
Exchange Mode to see if that's any help. CP -> Mail -> View or change
existing e-mail accounts. Find and clear the box to use Cached Exchange
Mode and see if Outlook starts.

Failing that, what happens if you go to Start -> Run and type in
"outlook.exe /safe" without the quotes. If it starts that way, it's
probably an add-in - disable them all and start Outlook normally. If it
works, enable add-ins one at a time until you see which one caused the
problem.


"Mike" <Mi...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

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Mike

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May 15, 2007, 11:33:01 AM5/15/07
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Somehow i missed his post when he said to go into Control Panel and use the
Mail Icon to change the settings, but i was just looking through and i saw
it, then i got your post here.. Ive tried it, and it worked when i turned off
Cached Exchange Mode.

Thank you Dave, and thanks big time to you Costas!

Costas

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May 15, 2007, 11:43:11 AM5/15/07
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Glad everything worked out :)


"Mike" <Mi...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

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