Outlook 2003 address book not accessible in new mail message

[macgolfer]

Using Outlook 2003.
When I create a new email message, I can't access my personal address book,
either by clicking on the button in the toolbar or by selecting it under the
Tools menu.
If I do attempt to select the Address Book, the button on the toolbar will
highlight, but nothing happens. Outlook will no longer respond until I hit
the ESC key.

I can access the Address Book fine from the Inbox page, as long as I haven't
started a new email.

I've tried applying the office2003-KB924423-FullFile-ENU.exe update.

Outlook version is 2003 (11.8118.8132) SP2

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Most people don't use the Personal Address Book in Outlook 2003. THey have all their contacts in their Contacts folder. If you haven't made the switch, this might be a good time to do so. YOu can import the PAB using the File | Import and Export command.

What happens when you click the To button on a new mail message?

 

[macgolfer]

When I create a new message and click on the "To" button, Outlook "acts" like
it is opening the contact list, but nothing appears. The window bar at the
top of the new message window goes 'gray' as though another window has become
active, but there isn't another window. And I am unable to do anything in
Outlook (it doesn't respond to the keyboard) until I hit the ESC key.

 

[macgolfer]

I should mention, that this is the same issue (same person) that appears in
another thread here. I mistakenly used two different means to post the
question, not realizing they would show up in the same place.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Have you run Help | Detect and Repair? If you move the Outlook window down on the screen, do you see another window behind it?

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Microsoft Outlook 2007 Programming:
Jumpstart for Power Users and Administrators
http://www.outlookcode.com/article.aspx?id=54

 

[macgolfer]

I just ran the Detect and Repair, then rebooted and restarted Outlook. The
problem persists.

When I move Outlook down on the screen, and then start a new email, there
isn't another window visible.

BUT -----

I thought, let me look down behind the taskbar. So I drug the taskbar down
to make it disappear and BINGO! up popped my contacts list!!!

It was "there all the time" but I never thought to look down off the screen.
I don't know when or how that would have occurred, as I've had this problem
with the contacts for a couple of months.

Thank you for pointing me in the right direction!

Doug