Outlook 2000 (IMO). Personal Folders / Properties / Advanced Button Stopped Working

[David Tong]

I'd appreciate any clues for solving this strange problem with Outlook 2000
(on XP SP2, all fully updated).

In Outlook, if I select Properties for a Personal Folder (or Archive
Folder), the Advanced button gives the error 'The messaging interface has
returned an unknown error. If the problem persists, restart Outlook'.

If I make a new (and empty) Personal Folder(2) and have this plus my
Personal Folder and Archive Folder open together in Outlook's Folder List,
suddenly the Advanced button works on all three folders. When I close
Personal Folder(2), the Advanced button stops working on Personal Folders
and Archive Folders. Although this 'trick' seems to work, I need to solve
the underlying problem.

What I've Tried:
Restarting has no effect, nor has rebooting, using the Office 'repair'
function, nor using Scanpst.exe. I've made sure that the current user
'owns' all pst files and has full rights. After reading
http://groups.google.co.uk/groups?h...ent&ie=UTF-8&q=Advanced+button+error+outlook+ I
found
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...stalling_or_restoring_the_mapi32.dll_stub.asp
and tried running fixmapi.exe. This left mapi32.dll unchanged at version
1.0.2536.0 and the Advanced button still doesn't work.

Possible Clue:
I never noticed the problem before I installed Google Desktop Search,
Copernic Desktop Search, and Lookout. At one time I had all three working
at the same time. Later I decided Copernic was the one for me and
uninstalled the others. I don't know if these programs could have caused
the problem. I tried uninstalling Copernic as well. This didn't help so
I've reinstalled it.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

This is going to be tough--one of many reasons I hate IMO. It sounds like
you have a corrupt link to your PST file. With all normal versions of
Outlook you'd just create a new profile. But you can't do that in IMO.
What might work is if you take this PST off your Folder tree. That will
force Outlook to start with a new PST. You may then be able to open your old
PST and set it as your new default to repair the connection:

(Win NT/2000/XP) HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Windows Messaging Subsystem\Profiles\<your profile name>
Look in the tree under that point (it should be full of keys with long
hexidecimal value names) and look for a section that references the PST file
you want off of your folder tree. Export that section (for safety) and then
delete it.

When you restart Outlook, it will start with a brand new PST file. Use File

Open to open your previous PST. Right-click on the it's root folder >

Choose Properties > Check the "Deliver POP mail" box. Quit & restart
Outlook. Now you can Close new, empty PST file that Outlok created.

 

[David Tong]

Russ,

Thanks for the lightning response. I'm going to try your suggestion
tomorrow when I'm more alert (it's late here) but interestingly I've already
been through a similar procedure to get rid of two Personal Folders that
wouldn't close.

In case it helps anyone else, what happened was I'd been trying both Google
Desktop Search and Lookout. To get them to index my old emails I had
Personal Folders and three Archive Folders (each with a years-worth of old
emails) all open together. I then uninstalled Lookout, but later when I
tried to close the archive pst files I got ‘The operation failed. An object
could not be found’. Also got the same if I tried to use the Advanced
button. (Otherwise things worked as normal).

Anyway I deleted the Registry keys that referenced the three unclosable
files in the way you describe. (I found that the in the keys the data
value 001e6700 is the one that contains the path of the pst file to which it
refers, and this told me which key was which). This removed the folders
from Outlook and i thought I was home and dry. But no - the Advanced
button for the Personal Folder still didn't work.

After that I closed Outlook, renamed Outlook.pst as outlook.old and
opened Outlook whereupon it made a new outlook.pst file. However when I
opened it and clicked Advanced I got the same error as before. I then
retreated to where I was before making the new folder. (Closed Outlook,
deleted the new outlook.pst and renamed outlook.old to outlook.pst and
reopened Outlook). All was ok but still no joy with the Advanced button.

What I didn't do, and what I think you are suggesting, is to tick the box
'Deliver POP email to this personal folders file' on the new one - and then
after executing that, to change back to the normal folder. Sounds
a good idea. I'll report back on what happens.

It's all very queer though. I'd love to know what determines whether the
Advanced button functions...

Regarding IMO versus CW, I'd change over to CW but I like the ability to
select which email address I'm using at the point of sending. In CW I
believe it's more awkard to make the selection. Please correct me if
I'm wrong about this.

Regards,
--
David Tong

[Please replace 'invalid' with 'com' to reply].

This is going to be tough--one of many reasons I hate IMO. It sounds like
you have a corrupt link to your PST file. With all normal versions of
Outlook you'd just create a new profile. But you can't do that in IMO.
What might work is if you take this PST off your Folder tree. That will
force Outlook to start with a new PST. You may then be able to open your
old PST and set it as your new default to repair the connection:

(Win NT/2000/XP) HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Windows Messaging Subsystem\Profiles\<your profile name>
Look in the tree under that point (it should be full of keys with long
hexidecimal value names) and look for a section that references the PST
file
you want off of your folder tree. Export that section (for safety) and
then
delete it.

When you restart Outlook, it will start with a brand new PST file. Use
File

Open to open your previous PST. Right-click on the it's root folder >

Choose Properties > Check the "Deliver POP mail" box. Quit & restart
Outlook. Now you can Close new, empty PST file that Outlok created.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I'd appreciate any clues for solving this strange problem with Outlook
2000 (on XP SP2, all fully updated).

In Outlook, if I select Properties for a Personal Folder (or Archive
Folder), the Advanced button gives the error 'The messaging interface has
returned an unknown error. If the problem persists, restart Outlook'.

If I make a new (and empty) Personal Folder(2) and have this plus my
Personal Folder and Archive Folder open together in Outlook's Folder
List,
suddenly the Advanced button works on all three folders. When I close
Personal Folder(2), the Advanced button stops working on Personal Folders
and Archive Folders. Although this 'trick' seems to work, I need to
solve
the underlying problem.

What I've Tried:
Restarting has no effect, nor has rebooting, using the Office 'repair'
function, nor using Scanpst.exe. I've made sure that the current user
'owns' all pst files and has full rights. After reading
http://groups.google.co.uk/groups?h...ent&ie=UTF-8&q=Advanced+button+error+outlook+ I
found
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...stalling_or_restoring_the_mapi32.dll_stub.asp
and tried running fixmapi.exe. This left mapi32.dll unchanged at version
1.0.2536.0 and the Advanced button still doesn't work.

Possible Clue:
I never noticed the problem before I installed Google Desktop Search,
Copernic Desktop Search, and Lookout. At one time I had all three
working
at the same time. Later I decided Copernic was the one for me and
uninstalled the others. I don't know if these programs could have caused
the problem. I tried uninstalling Copernic as well. This didn't help so
I've reinstalled it.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

You are correct about CW not permitting selection of the sending account on
the fly. I'm really glad that Outlook 2000 is so far behind us. It was
pretty nasty. Sorry you're still stuck with it.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Russ,

Thanks for the lightning response. I'm going to try your suggestion
tomorrow when I'm more alert (it's late here) but interestingly I've
already
been through a similar procedure to get rid of two Personal Folders that
wouldn't close.

In case it helps anyone else, what happened was I'd been trying both
Google
Desktop Search and Lookout. To get them to index my old emails I had
Personal Folders and three Archive Folders (each with a years-worth of old
emails) all open together. I then uninstalled Lookout, but later when I
tried to close the archive pst files I got 'The operation failed. An
object
could not be found'. Also got the same if I tried to use the Advanced
button. (Otherwise things worked as normal).

Anyway I deleted the Registry keys that referenced the three unclosable
files in the way you describe. (I found that the in the keys the data
value 001e6700 is the one that contains the path of the pst file to which
it
refers, and this told me which key was which). This removed the folders
from Outlook and i thought I was home and dry. But no - the Advanced
button for the Personal Folder still didn't work.

After that I closed Outlook, renamed Outlook.pst as outlook.old and
opened Outlook whereupon it made a new outlook.pst file. However when I
opened it and clicked Advanced I got the same error as before. I then
retreated to where I was before making the new folder. (Closed Outlook,
deleted the new outlook.pst and renamed outlook.old to outlook.pst and
reopened Outlook). All was ok but still no joy with the Advanced button.

What I didn't do, and what I think you are suggesting, is to tick the box
'Deliver POP email to this personal folders file' on the new one - and
then
after executing that, to change back to the normal folder. Sounds
a good idea. I'll report back on what happens.

It's all very queer though. I'd love to know what determines whether the
Advanced button functions...

Regarding IMO versus CW, I'd change over to CW but I like the ability to
select which email address I'm using at the point of sending. In CW I
believe it's more awkard to make the selection. Please correct me if
I'm wrong about this.

Regards,
--
David Tong

[Please replace 'invalid' with 'com' to reply].

This is going to be tough--one of many reasons I hate IMO. It sounds like
you have a corrupt link to your PST file. With all normal versions of
Outlook you'd just create a new profile. But you can't do that in IMO.
What might work is if you take this PST off your Folder tree. That will
force Outlook to start with a new PST. You may then be able to open your
old PST and set it as your new default to repair the connection:

(Win NT/2000/XP) HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Windows Messaging Subsystem\Profiles\<your profile
name>
Look in the tree under that point (it should be full of keys with long
hexidecimal value names) and look for a section that references the PST
file
you want off of your folder tree. Export that section (for safety) and
then
delete it.

When you restart Outlook, it will start with a brand new PST file. Use
File

Open to open your previous PST. Right-click on the it's root folder >

Choose Properties > Check the "Deliver POP mail" box. Quit & restart
Outlook. Now you can Close new, empty PST file that Outlok created.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I'd appreciate any clues for solving this strange problem with Outlook
2000 (on XP SP2, all fully updated).

In Outlook, if I select Properties for a Personal Folder (or Archive
Folder), the Advanced button gives the error 'The messaging interface
has
returned an unknown error. If the problem persists, restart Outlook'.

If I make a new (and empty) Personal Folder(2) and have this plus my
Personal Folder and Archive Folder open together in Outlook's Folder
List,
suddenly the Advanced button works on all three folders. When I close
Personal Folder(2), the Advanced button stops working on Personal
Folders
and Archive Folders. Although this 'trick' seems to work, I need to
solve
the underlying problem.

What I've Tried:
Restarting has no effect, nor has rebooting, using the Office 'repair'
function, nor using Scanpst.exe. I've made sure that the current user
'owns' all pst files and has full rights. After reading
http://groups.google.co.uk/groups?h...ent&ie=UTF-8&q=Advanced+button+error+outlook+ I
found
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...stalling_or_restoring_the_mapi32.dll_stub.asp
and tried running fixmapi.exe. This left mapi32.dll unchanged at
version
1.0.2536.0 and the Advanced button still doesn't work.

Possible Clue:
I never noticed the problem before I installed Google Desktop Search,
Copernic Desktop Search, and Lookout. At one time I had all three
working
at the same time. Later I decided Copernic was the one for me and
uninstalled the others. I don't know if these programs could have
caused
the problem. I tried uninstalling Copernic as well. This didn't help
so
I've reinstalled it.

 

[David Tong]

The problem seems to be tied up with how Outlook 2000 (IMO) and Copernic
Desktop Search interact, and I've asked Copernic support for their help.

The symptoms are that attempts to close archive.pst and/or to use the
Advanced button in archive.pst / Properties both fail and give the error
message: ‘The operation failed. An object could not be found’.
After much messing about I've now got a fairly reproducible method of
generating and removing the symptoms.

The starting point is where CDS has archived both outlook.pst and
archive.pst when both were open in Outlook's folder list. Everything seems
fine if I leave both files open in Outlook. But it goes wrong IF I close
archive.pst in Outlook (altho' sometimes it won't close) AND then use CDS to
find an email that's known to be in the archive.pst file.

What happens is that CDS finds the email, but its preview pane says 'Email
Not Available'. Despite that I can double click on the item and open it in
what looks like an Outlook window. However afterwards, Properties /
Advanced for outlook.pst gives ‘The operation failed. An object could not be
found’.

To get things back to normal, I make a new pst file, say dummy.pst and open
it in Outlook. After that, the Advanced button on any other open pst files
usually starts working again. (If archive.pst is still open because it
would not close previously, usually now it will close). If I then close
archive.pst followed by dummy.pst, usually the Advanced button on
outlook.pst remains in working order.

This is becoming a saga, but CDS is so useful it's worth persevering.
---
David Tong

[Please replace 'invalid' with 'com' to reply].

You are correct about CW not permitting selection of the sending account
on the fly. I'm really glad that Outlook 2000 is so far behind us. It was
pretty nasty. Sorry you're still stuck with it.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Russ,

Thanks for the lightning response. I'm going to try your suggestion
tomorrow when I'm more alert (it's late here) but interestingly I've
already
been through a similar procedure to get rid of two Personal Folders that
wouldn't close.

In case it helps anyone else, what happened was I'd been trying both
Google
Desktop Search and Lookout. To get them to index my old emails I had
Personal Folders and three Archive Folders (each with a years-worth of
old
emails) all open together. I then uninstalled Lookout, but later when I
tried to close the archive pst files I got 'The operation failed. An
object
could not be found'. Also got the same if I tried to use the Advanced
button. (Otherwise things worked as normal).

Anyway I deleted the Registry keys that referenced the three unclosable
files in the way you describe. (I found that the in the keys the data
value 001e6700 is the one that contains the path of the pst file to which
it
refers, and this told me which key was which). This removed the folders
from Outlook and i thought I was home and dry. But no - the Advanced
button for the Personal Folder still didn't work.

After that I closed Outlook, renamed Outlook.pst as outlook.old and
opened Outlook whereupon it made a new outlook.pst file. However when I
opened it and clicked Advanced I got the same error as before. I then
retreated to where I was before making the new folder. (Closed Outlook,
deleted the new outlook.pst and renamed outlook.old to outlook.pst and
reopened Outlook). All was ok but still no joy with the Advanced button.

What I didn't do, and what I think you are suggesting, is to tick the box
'Deliver POP email to this personal folders file' on the new one - and
then
after executing that, to change back to the normal folder. Sounds
a good idea. I'll report back on what happens.

It's all very queer though. I'd love to know what determines whether the
Advanced button functions...

Regarding IMO versus CW, I'd change over to CW but I like the ability to
select which email address I'm using at the point of sending. In CW I
believe it's more awkard to make the selection. Please correct me if
I'm wrong about this.

Regards,
--
David Tong

[Please replace 'invalid' with 'com' to reply].

This is going to be tough--one of many reasons I hate IMO. It sounds
like
you have a corrupt link to your PST file. With all normal versions of
Outlook you'd just create a new profile. But you can't do that in IMO.
What might work is if you take this PST off your Folder tree. That will
force Outlook to start with a new PST. You may then be able to open your
old PST and set it as your new default to repair the connection:

(Win NT/2000/XP) HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Windows Messaging Subsystem\Profiles\<your profile
name>
Look in the tree under that point (it should be full of keys with long
hexidecimal value names) and look for a section that references the PST
file
you want off of your folder tree. Export that section (for safety) and
then
delete it.

When you restart Outlook, it will start with a brand new PST file. Use
File
Open to open your previous PST. Right-click on the it's root folder >
Choose Properties > Check the "Deliver POP mail" box. Quit & restart
Outlook. Now you can Close new, empty PST file that Outlok created.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
I'd appreciate any clues for solving this strange problem with Outlook
2000 (on XP SP2, all fully updated).

In Outlook, if I select Properties for a Personal Folder (or Archive
Folder), the Advanced button gives the error 'The messaging interface
has
returned an unknown error. If the problem persists, restart Outlook'.

If I make a new (and empty) Personal Folder(2) and have this plus my
Personal Folder and Archive Folder open together in Outlook's Folder
List,
suddenly the Advanced button works on all three folders. When I close
Personal Folder(2), the Advanced button stops working on Personal
Folders
and Archive Folders. Although this 'trick' seems to work, I need to
solve
the underlying problem.

What I've Tried:
Restarting has no effect, nor has rebooting, using the Office 'repair'
function, nor using Scanpst.exe. I've made sure that the current user
'owns' all pst files and has full rights. After reading
http://groups.google.co.uk/groups?h...ent&ie=UTF-8&q=Advanced+button+error+outlook+ I
found
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...stalling_or_restoring_the_mapi32.dll_stub.asp
and tried running fixmapi.exe. This left mapi32.dll unchanged at
version
1.0.2536.0 and the Advanced button still doesn't work.

Possible Clue:
I never noticed the problem before I installed Google Desktop Search,
Copernic Desktop Search, and Lookout. At one time I had all three
working
at the same time. Later I decided Copernic was the one for me and
uninstalled the others. I don't know if these programs could have
caused
the problem. I tried uninstalling Copernic as well. This didn't help
so
I've reinstalled it.