Outlook 2003 won't start

[Arnaud Miege]

Hi,

I have recently installed Outlook 2003 on my machine (win XP SP2), and every
time I try to start it it gives me the following error message:

"Unable to open your default e-mail folders. Outlook could not start because
a data file to send and receive mail could not be found. To add a data file,
such as a personal folder file, double-click the Mail icon in Windows
Control Panel"

So I go to the Windows Control Panel, double-click the Mail icon, I click on
data files, Add... I only have one choice (Business Contact Manager
Database), so I click OK, and it gives me the following error message:

An exception occurred while trying to run
"C:\WINDOWS\system32\shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL"C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\System\MSMAPI\1033\MLCFG32.CPL",@0"

I did some searching on the internet, but couldn't find any solution to
this. Can anybody help? I should point out that when asked to set up a mail
account the first time I opened up Outlook, I said no (and I don't want to
set up an email account).

Many thanks in advance,

Arnaud

 

[Hal Hostetler [MVP P/I]]

What happens if you go to 'Control Panel|Mail|Data Files' and click the
"Add" button? The error indicates you don't have a Personal Folders (.PST)
file, and the "Add" button will let you create one.

Hal
--
Hal Hostetler, CPBE -- (e-mail address removed)
Senior Engineer/MIS -- MS MVP-Print/Imaging -- WA7BGX
http://www.kvoa.com -- "When News breaks, we fix it!"
KVOA Television, Tucson, AZ. NBC Channel 4
Live at Hot Licks - www.badnewsbluesband.com

 

[Peter Foldes]

Did you already set up your email account with your provider in Outlook ??

 

[Arnaud Miege]

Hi,

I tried to do this (see my original post):

"C:\WINDOWS\system32\shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL"C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\System\
MSMAPI\1033\MLCFG32.CPL",@0"

That's when I get the error.

Thanks,

Arnaud

 

[Arnaud Miege]

No, I haven't and I don't want to (see my original posting). I just want to
use Outlook to sync my PDA calendar with, not for email.

Thanks,

Arnaud

Did you already set up your email account with your provider in Outlook ??

 

[Brian Tillman]

No, I haven't and I don't want to (see my original posting). I just
want to use Outlook to sync my PDA calendar with, not for email.

Have you tried removing BCM from the picture and starting with a new mail
profile?

 

[Arnaud Miege]

Have you tried removing BCM from the picture and starting with a new mail
profile?

No, how do I do that?

Thanks for your help,

Arnaud

 

[Brian Tillman]

No, how do I do that?

Uninstall BCM in COntrol Panel's Add/Remove Programs. Then create a new
mail profile following these steps:
http://www.howto-outlook.com/faq/newprofile.htm

 

[Arnaud Miege]

Thanks, I'll give this a try and let you know how it goes.

Arnaud

 

[Arnaud Miege]

Hi Brian,

I removed the BCM and tried to create a new mail profile as described in the
link you provided. When I enter a name for the new profile and press OK, I
get the following error message:

"There was an error locating one of the items needed to complete this
operation. It might have been deleted."

I click OK, the profile is still created. If I look at the properties, under
data files, it's completely empty and there's nothing for me to add.

Any idea?

Thanks again for your help so far.

Arnaud

 

[Brian Tillman]

I click OK, the profile is still created. If I look at the
properties, under data files, it's completely empty and there's
nothing for me to add.

What happens when you click Add?

 

[Arnaud Miege]

You mean add a data file? Under "types of storage", there is nothing for me
to select, so I can only click on cancel.

Thanks,

Arnaud

 

[Brian Tillman]

You mean add a data file? Under "types of storage", there is nothing
for me to select, so I can only click on cancel.

Have you tried repairing the Office installation?

 

[Oliwan]

I had this problem when Business Contact Manager for Outlook 2007 is
installed alongside Outlook 2003. To fix it i uninstalled Business Contact
Manager then opened Mail in Control Panel to add a data file.

 

[Bill Katz]

Have you tried repairing the Office installation?

I am having the exact same problem. It appears that "Business Contact
manager" was left over from the demo version of Office 2007 that came with my
laptop. I removed it and tried both the "repair" and "reinstall" buttons on
the Office 2003 entry under "add/remove programs" to no avail. Outlook keeps
popping up the "can't open the default folder" and the Data Files tab on Mail
Setup doesn't have any types of files.

I've also tried removing and re-creating the user account.

I've been at this for about 3 hours with no end in sight.

 

[Bill Katz]

I had this problem when Business Contact Manager for Outlook 2007 is
installed alongside Outlook 2003. To fix it i uninstalled Business Contact
Manager then opened Mail in Control Panel to add a data file.

Yes, I just removed Business Contact Manager for 2007, and when I open Mail
in the Control Panel and try to add a data file, The "ADD" button gives me a
blank pulldown: no types of files to add!

 

[Bill Katz]

I had this problem when Business Contact Manager for Outlook 2007 is
installed alongside Outlook 2003. To fix it i uninstalled Business Contact
Manager then opened Mail in Control Panel to add a data file.

:

I tried uninstalling Business Contact Manager, running both repair and
reinstall on Office 2003. When I go to Mail in the Control Panel and try to
add a data file, the pulldown is blank. It won't let me add a data file.

 

[Brian Tillman]

I've also tried removing and re-creating the user account.

Have you tried a new mail profile? Recreating accounts has no chance of
addressing a problem like this.

 

[Bill Katz]

Have you tried a new mail profile? Recreating accounts has no chance of
addressing a problem like this.

Yes, I've tried re-creating mail accounts, but it always get back to the
same inability to create the default folder. I need to somehow tell the
installation that the default folder should be .pst instead of Business
Contact Manger.

 

[Bill Katz]

Have you tried a new mail profile? Recreating accounts has no chance of
addressing a problem like this.

When I try to create a new profile I get "There was an error locating one of
the items to complete this operation. It might have been deleted".

I tried both the Repair and reinstall buttons under "add/Remove Programs".
There must be some way to recover this installation...