Unable To Open Outlook

[ronaldp423]

Suddenly MS Outlook doesn't open anymore. In three years never a problem. Outlook says it can't open because it needs Outlook express 4.1 or above. This is on my computer, although I haven't used it since January since I switched to Thunderbird. Outlook has been working fine until today.

 

I have uninstalled, and reinstalled. I have run the repair on the original CD. No change.

 

I haven't made any changes to anything that would effect it. Everything MS is on autoupdate with XP Pro. SP2

 

Q; What could have changed?

 

Thanks in advance

[TCH-Don]

I haven't used it since January since I switched to Thunderbird.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Could Thunderbird have made a change like becoming the default e-mail client

that prevents outlook from running?

Have you used outlook before now but after thunderbird was installed?

[Madmanmcp]

Goto Control Panel, start Internet Options, select the Programs tab and next to E-mail see what is selected as the default email program. Use the drop down box to select Outlook or Outlook Express (whichever you want to use).

 

See if this corrects your problem.

[ronaldp423]

Goto Control Panel, start Internet Options, select the Programs tab and next to E-mail see what is selected as the default email program. Use the drop down box to select Outlook or Outlook Express (whichever you want to use).

 

See if this corrects your problem.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have changed the settings under internet options, and it didn't work.

 

As an aside,

 

When I removed the entire Office 2002 suite from the computer, and then reinstalled it; it still had the same Preference settings and add-ons in Outlook that it did before removal. Such as; Snagit plugin. If it was completely removed and reinstalled, how could this be so?

Is there some preference files that should be manually removed?

[stevevan]

When I removed the entire Office 2002 suite from the computer, and then reinstalled it; it still had the same Preference settings and add-ons in Outlook that it did before removal. Such as; Snagit plugin. If it was completely removed and reinstalled, how could this be so?

Is there some preference files that should be manually removed?

Unless I'm mistaken, those settings are in the registry files. Sometimes when removing a program from Windows, those files don't get the proper settings removed. Therefore, if the same programs get reinstalled, the settings are still there. Any editing of the registry should be done with EXTREME CARE as you could possibly hose up your whole computer.

[Madmanmcp]

Outlook is also a component of Windows and I don't believe it will be uninstalled if you uninstall Office. Yes there is a version of outlook included with Office but if you already have the same or newer version it will not be installed.

 

As Steve has mentioned, the settings are probably in the registry. The snagit plugin is a separate program and is independent of Outlook and its settings will remain.