Windows Updates Killed My Outlook!

[Samrc]

I posted on Microsoft's help forum in the area where they discuss windows updates. They sent me (and others) to the OUTLOOK forum area for help. But they don't know anything about the windows update.

Hoping you folks have heard what to do...

 

All was working on pc. Installed both of these updates 12/18/07.

Update for Outlook Junk Email Filter 2003 (KB943591)

Update for Outlook 2003 (KB943649)

 

Since then I have had lockups, failing to open emails, can't read or reply, even my Adobe Acrobat Standard gives me an error that never appeared before the updates were applied:

"There was an error while loading the plug-in 'SaveAsXML.api'. The data area passed to a system call is too small."

I can avoid that error, but not being able to use my OUTLOOK for corporate emails is really getting in the way!

 

Was told on a forum for ADOBE products that the Outlook needed to be repaired, then reinstall Acrobat.

Easier said than done.

Went into Control Panel and those two updates were NOT listed for Add and

Remove. So. HOW can I get my OUTLOOK repaired?

Have tried to run Detect and Repair on Outlook. Says it was successful but still can not open emails.

 

I am running xp pro on office network. Have Office 2002 for Word/Excel/PP/Access but run Outlook 2003 to be compatible with server. Has NEVER been issue.

 

I have lost so much time and effort struggling with this and I am going nuts! Please help.

[JTD]

I really do not have any advice to give as far as outlook goes. Personally I would use Mozilla Thunderbird myself. More secure and better features.

[Samrc]

Well, we do not have that choice for the office. We run Outlook from the Exchange server.

And my desk handles the corporate email box as well as my own. I can send/receive and preview emails. But can not respond or click to open.

 

And Microsoft forum has lots of other folks in same boat.

So far, no patch to the updates to fix problem and can not uninstall the updates that caused the problem this time.

And tried a system restore but that did not help either so undid the restore.

 

[Madmanmcp]

Hi Sam, do you have the option to "Show Updates" (Top Middle of Add Remove window) checked?

 

If That does not help do you have "System Restore" turned on? You can do a restore to a previous date and return to a time when your Outlook worked.

 

Click on START | ALL PROGRAMS | ACCESSORIES | SYSTEM TOOLS and start System Restore. In the program you have a calander and the BOLD dates are the ones you select that have a restore "point". You can work your way backwards until you find a date that works or jump to a date you know that mail; worked.

 

Hope this helps

[Samrc]

I see some updates listed in my Add/Remove programs. Unfortunately the two I need are NOT listed.

 

And yes, I tried the system restore (see my last line on my last post). Unfortunately that did not take me back far enough (I do not keep many restore points. It did take me back to the day of the update but the oldest point was just AFTER the update! Rolled it back forward again since that did not work.

 

 

The microsoft forums have other people posting about the same issue but no resolution posted yet.

And I sent a detailed email to MS for support.... we will see..... so far I have only gotten the confirmation that the support request went in.

[Madmanmcp]

Can you reinstall Outlook 2003? Sometimes reinstalling a program will correct problems because it overwrites the updated files and leaves the data alone. You mention having Office 2002 but not 2003.

[erisande]

Someone at work had the same isue (though I don't know if it was also related to the updates), and they had to reinstall Outlook and all went well. Repair did not work on her machine either.

[Samrc]

Finally back in office and thought you should know the latest on this issue:

 

- Ran Outlook in SAFE MODE (At Run Type: Outlook /safe with space between outlook and / ) . Still could not open, reply, forward or compose new emails.

- Ran Outlook Repair in the ADD/REMOVE programs menu. Still could not open, reply, forward or compose new emails.

 

End tasking only way to get out of frozen screen.

 

Uninstalled Adobe Acrobat 6 and rebooted. Outlook 2003 functions NORMALLY.

Reinstalled Adobe Acrobat 6 and rebooted. Outlook 2003 disabled again.

Took AA6 out.

 

Microsoft gave me an answer in which they suggested I try the Safe mode and repair. They also said this:

"Microsoft update will not affect the performance of Microsoft's products."

HUH???? I replied: "If that is true, there would be no need to apply updates at all. They are designed to patch security holes, tweak functions like junk mail filter to be more responsive, etc so they definitely DO have a direct effect on the performance of Microsoft products. "

 

Also told me that the problem was due to Adobe Acrobat not being fully compatible with Outlook.

this kind of issue may occur if the Adobe Acrobat program is not fully compatible with Outlook 2003 because the 'SaveAsXML.api' is an plug-in of Adobe software."

 

Amazing. I have had BOTH programs on the same machine for YEARS. Both worked fine, fully functional, fully compatible UNTIL I loaded in the latest MS update. So it is obvious that something in the update changed the way OUTLOOK 2003 functions.

 

I have asked MS tech support if the NEW version of AA will be compatible with my Outlook 2003 before I buy it. If it isn't, I may be banned from using AA on this computer! I have a lovely free PDF generator (PrimoPDF) but I also use some of the higher functions of the AA program that are not offered with freeware.

Edited January 3, 2008 by Samrc

[Samrc]

Resolution.

 

Microsoft support never accepted that their updates caused any difficulty. Sent me to Adobe to research problem even though both Outlook and Adobe Acrobat worked fine prior to the WINDOWS update. The updates could not be removed or ignored. I am stuck with them for better or worse.

 

I uninstalled Adobe Acrobat 6 and that stablized my Outlook.

 

Then installed my older Adobe Acrobat 5 Professional and that works fine. Now I have full Outlook and AA again, just stepped back down a version for AA but that's fine. Still have all the functions I NEED to have on this machine.