B2: Outlook cannot start because a data file ...cannot be found

[John from Puget Sound]

Just downloaded & installed Office Pro + B2 yesterday on XP Pro w/ SP2 & all
updates.
1) Registration never connects despite ~10 attempts (Norton Anti-Virus 2004
no virus SW, just a NAT firewall on my router). Indicates no internet
connection - while IE and other apps happily connect. This is true with all
Office B2 apps.
2) Outlook displays various dialogs that there is no data file to
send/receive. (E.g., "Outlook can not start processing services") The old
Outlook 2003 data file (2 GB, and accessed on a network share) is seen and
all the old email is visable. When I go to Control Panel | Mail | Data Files
and choose Settings for this data file (the only one) it appears to be fine.
If I click on Set as default I get "Unknown error occurred, error code:
0x8000ffff" dialog. I'm not sure if this is related to my key issue: data
file is visible but somehow unusable.

Help! (& thanks!)

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

1) network access to a pst is not supported - try it with a local pst
2) did you try a new profile?

 

[John from Puget Sound]

1) I was wrong, My docs is on a share, but the PST is local.
2) Let me back up a bit.
- I backed up my PST file & exported contacts & calendar to new PST files
also.
- Then I uninstalled Office 2003 Pro to minimize any conflicts. The main (2
GB) PST file remained.
- Installed 2007 Beta2 Office Pro Plus
- Ran Outlook, got unable to find/use data file messages, though old email
showed up fine and data file was listed. Could not complete "Set as Default"
as it returned an "error 0x8000ffff" dialog
- I do not believe I ever got a "migrating from old to new" dialog, unless
it blipped past quickly.
- Tried installing Filter tool (BTW, why isn't this included - is this
dubious technology?!) without success
- Created a new data file, but can't make it the default one
- rebooted periodically throughout
- ranted on these newsgroups.

What do you mean by try a new profile?
- New Windows XP user?
- New Data File
- Delete, and reenter all my 10+ email account settings
- something else?!

THANKS DIANE!!!

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

did you try detect and repair?

outlook profiles: control panel, mail - try a new profile with just one
account to start. don't delete the old - just make a new one with a new
name.

Are the accounts on all different servers or do you have multiple accounts
on a few servers?

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Coauthor, OneNote 2003 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/



Subscribe to Exchange Messaging Outlook newsletter:
(e-mail address removed)

 

[John from Puget Sound]

did you try detect and repair?

No longer called that - or I'm looking in the wrong place. I do see "Run
Diagnostics" under Help menu. Nice! But it didn't find any issues.

outlook profiles: control panel, mail - try a new profile with just one
account to start. don't delete the old - just make a new one with a new
name.

Oh, I hadn't notices profiles before either, I had just been targetting
email accounts.

OK, I created a new profile & it seems to recognize that NEW, EMPTY data
file.

If I chose the old profile when starting Outlook it continues to fail. When
I choose the new one, it does start downloading mail. In that case though I
quickly terminate Outlook as I want the mail stored with my existing data
file, not have both a PRE Outlook 2007 and a POST Outlook 2007 data file.

What next?! Is there a way to "repair" my old datafile, so Outlook 2007
likes it? Can I migrate data between 2 data files?!

I also notice that my calendar seems empty when viewing the OLD data file
with Outlook 2007. This is a separate issue though.

Has anyone else seen that?!

THANKS DIANE!!!

- John

Are the accounts on all different servers or do you have multiple accounts
on a few servers?

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Coauthor, OneNote 2003 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/



Subscribe to Exchange Messaging Outlook newsletter:
(e-mail address removed)

1) I was wrong, My docs is on a share, but the PST is local.
2) Let me back up a bit.
- I backed up my PST file & exported contacts & calendar to new PST files
also.
- Then I uninstalled Office 2003 Pro to minimize any conflicts. The main
(2
GB) PST file remained.
- Installed 2007 Beta2 Office Pro Plus
- Ran Outlook, got unable to find/use data file messages, though old email
showed up fine and data file was listed. Could not complete "Set as
Default"
as it returned an "error 0x8000ffff" dialog
- I do not believe I ever got a "migrating from old to new" dialog, unless
it blipped past quickly.
- Tried installing Filter tool (BTW, why isn't this included - is this
dubious technology?!) without success
- Created a new data file, but can't make it the default one
- rebooted periodically throughout
- ranted on these newsgroups.

What do you mean by try a new profile?
- New Windows XP user?
- New Data File
- Delete, and reenter all my 10+ email account settings
- something else?!

THANKS DIANE!!!

 

[Brian Tillman]

OK, I created a new profile & it seems to recognize that NEW, EMPTY
data file.

If I chose the old profile when starting Outlook it continues to
fail. When I choose the new one, it does start downloading mail. In
that case though I quickly terminate Outlook as I want the mail
stored with my existing data file, not have both a PRE Outlook 2007
and a POST Outlook 2007 data file.

In your new mail profile, add your old PST as the delivery location.

 

[John From Puget Sound]

THANK YOU , THANK YOU! It (finally) works & I can use it. Much appreciated.

 

[Cellarir]

Thanks to all for this thread. I also had the 0x8000ffff error and inability
to establish a default mail folder in the new Outlook 2007 (Beta). I
followed the instructions to establish a new profile and a single account.

Now, the question I have is can I copy other account settings from the old
profile to the new one, or do I have to create them all all over again? If
so, how can I do it.

I have multiple pst files on a folder in my My Documents file where I store
messages rather than in the Outlook.pst file buried down in the "Document and
Settings" root folder. The multiple accounts are on two different ISPs. If
I try to set these up in Outlook 2007, will I again have problems?

And, can you tell us why the original profile didn't work?

--
Frustrated

did you try detect and repair?

outlook profiles: control panel, mail - try a new profile with just one
account to start. don't delete the old - just make a new one with a new
name.

Are the accounts on all different servers or do you have multiple accounts
on a few servers?

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Coauthor, OneNote 2003 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/



Subscribe to Exchange Messaging Outlook newsletter:
(e-mail address removed)

1) I was wrong, My docs is on a share, but the PST is local.
2) Let me back up a bit.
- I backed up my PST file & exported contacts & calendar to new PST files
also.
- Then I uninstalled Office 2003 Pro to minimize any conflicts. The main
(2
GB) PST file remained.
- Installed 2007 Beta2 Office Pro Plus
- Ran Outlook, got unable to find/use data file messages, though old email
showed up fine and data file was listed. Could not complete "Set as
Default"
as it returned an "error 0x8000ffff" dialog
- I do not believe I ever got a "migrating from old to new" dialog, unless
it blipped past quickly.
- Tried installing Filter tool (BTW, why isn't this included - is this
dubious technology?!) without success
- Created a new data file, but can't make it the default one
- rebooted periodically throughout
- ranted on these newsgroups.

What do you mean by try a new profile?
- New Windows XP user?
- New Data File
- Delete, and reenter all my 10+ email account settings
- something else?!

THANKS DIANE!!!

 

[rjmpall]

Brian and Diane,

I cannot thank you enough. I've been searching for this problem everywhere
and the only hit I received that actually worked was this one. Even though
this is an old post, it still applies. I had seven different accounts from
2 isps and set up the new profile, moved the first account over to it and
then added the original pst and it worked like a champ. I then added in the
other email accounts, set up my rules, and problem solved. This should go
up on the MS site as a fix to the 0x8000ffff error when trying to set the
default (as it lists as an "unknown error"). I also tried everything from
disabling user account protection, deleting addins, detect repair, running
the pst scan program, etc and nothing else worked. Finding this "only" hit
solved my problem in 10 minutes.

Thank you again!
Ron

Thanks to all for this thread. I also had the 0x8000ffff error and inability
to establish a default mail folder in the new Outlook 2007 (Beta). I
followed the instructions to establish a new profile and a single account.

Now, the question I have is can I copy other account settings from the old
profile to the new one, or do I have to create them all all over again? If
so, how can I do it.

I have multiple pst files on a folder in my My Documents file where I store
messages rather than in the Outlook.pst file buried down in the "Document and
Settings" root folder. The multiple accounts are on two different ISPs. If
I try to set these up in Outlook 2007, will I again have problems?

And, can you tell us why the original profile didn't work?

--
Frustrated

did you try detect and repair?

outlook profiles: control panel, mail - try a new profile with just one
account to start. don't delete the old - just make a new one with a new
name.

Are the accounts on all different servers or do you have multiple accounts
on a few servers?

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Coauthor, OneNote 2003 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/



Subscribe to Exchange Messaging Outlook newsletter:
(e-mail address removed)

1) I was wrong, My docs is on a share, but the PST is local.
2) Let me back up a bit.
- I backed up my PST file & exported contacts & calendar to new PST files
also.
- Then I uninstalled Office 2003 Pro to minimize any conflicts. The main
(2
GB) PST file remained.
- Installed 2007 Beta2 Office Pro Plus
- Ran Outlook, got unable to find/use data file messages, though old email
showed up fine and data file was listed. Could not complete "Set as
Default"
as it returned an "error 0x8000ffff" dialog
- I do not believe I ever got a "migrating from old to new" dialog, unless
it blipped past quickly.
- Tried installing Filter tool (BTW, why isn't this included - is this
dubious technology?!) without success
- Created a new data file, but can't make it the default one
- rebooted periodically throughout
- ranted on these newsgroups.

What do you mean by try a new profile?
- New Windows XP user?
- New Data File
- Delete, and reenter all my 10+ email account settings
- something else?!

THANKS DIANE!!!


:

1) network access to a pst is not supported - try it with a local pst
2) did you try a new profile?


"John from Puget Sound" <[email protected]>
wrote
in message Just downloaded & installed Office Pro + B2 yesterday on XP Pro w/ SP2
&
all
updates.
1) Registration never connects despite ~10 attempts (Norton Anti-Virus
2004
no virus SW, just a NAT firewall on my router). Indicates no internet
connection - while IE and other apps happily connect. This is true with
all
Office B2 apps.
2) Outlook displays various dialogs that there is no data file to
send/receive. (E.g., "Outlook can not start processing services") The
old
Outlook 2003 data file (2 GB, and accessed on a network share) is seen
and
all the old email is visable. When I go to Control Panel | Mail | Data
Files
and choose Settings for this data file (the only one) it appears to be
fine.
If I click on Set as default I get "Unknown error occurred, error code:
0x8000ffff" dialog. I'm not sure if this is related to my key issue:
data
file is visible but somehow unusable.

Help! (& thanks!)