Outlook Add-In issues - menus don't do anything

[SteveD]

Hi all,
I have the Web access Add-in for outlook installed on my computer. and
it was all working perfectly until the other day for some reason it
stopped working. So I uninstalled it ... and did the other things
needed to uninstall ( I thought ) ie: remove the "custom forms" and the
tool bar etc ... but the menu items never seem to go away. Then I
reinstalled the Add-in ... and everything looks like it should work ...
ie: buttons are there etc ... but nothing happens when I push them, or
select the Web Access menu items etc. I did note that the "Project Web
Access" tab in "options" has not appeared.

Basically it seems that I have never really uninstalled the add-in, so
I would love to know if there was some thing I can do to do this.

I have even tried re-installing Outlook itself.

Any help appreciated, thanks

Steve

 

[Rolly Perreaux]

Hi Steve,

Try this:
Open Outlook and from the menu bar, click Help --> About Microsoft
Office Outlook.
At the About Microsoft Office Outlook dialog box, click Disabled Items
Does it show anything?

Let us know when you have a chance

Cheers,

--
Rolly Perreaux, PMP, MCSE
Project Server Trainer/Consultant

TriMagna Corporation
Microsoft Gold Partner
http://www.trimagna.com

 

[SteveD]

Hi Rolly,
No, it shows no items disabled. This was one of the first things I
checked.
I am pretty sure I could fix the problem if I could work out how to
completely remove the current installation of the add-in ... it seems
that no matter what I do ( I have even tried reinstalling outlook
completely ) I never get rid of the items on the menu. So I think this
causes it to think that some parts are installed and therefore doesn't
re-install them, there fore they still don't work.

Thanks
Stephen

 

[Rolly Perreaux]

OK Stephen

I think you may have a corrupted MPSaddin.dll file. But I have a couple
of other options for you to try

So try this:

1. Open Outlook and from the Tools menu select Options
2. In the Options dialog box, click Other tab and click Advanced Options
3. In the Advanced Options dialog box, click COM Add-Ins
4. In the COM Add-Ins dialog box, is Microsoft Project Server Add-In
listed and is the check box checked?

5a. If it is not checked, then check it on and click OK three times and
close Outlook. Then re-open Outlook from the Tools menu select Options
and your Project Web Access tab should appear. Click on Project Web
Access tab and set your configuration and you should be good to go.


5b. If it is checked, then click Remove and click OK three times and
close Outlook. Open Project Web Acess and from the Home page click the
Work with Outlook... link and re-install the Outlook Add-in. Re-open
Outlook and check the Tools --> Options for the Project Web Access tab.
if it's there, then set your configuration and you should be good to go.

5c. If it is not listed, then click Add and type the following in the
File Name: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\MPSADDIN.DLL and
click OK four times. Close and re-open Outlook and check the Tools -->
Options for the Project Web Access tab. if it's there, then set your
configuration and you should be good to go.

Let us know if this helps

--
Rolly Perreaux, PMP, MCSE
Project Server Trainer/Consultant

TriMagna Corporation
Microsoft Gold Partner
http://www.trimagna.com

 

[SteveD]

Hi Rolly,

Thanks again for your Help.
Now, since my last post I have performed a re-install of outlook,
setting all customizations etc .. to default. This seemed to be good. I
finally got rid of all evidence of the add-in installation .. no menus,
no custom forms, no comm add-ins.

So now I install the add-in again. Bearing in mind that I have
successfully installed this add-in on 10 or so other computers here,
also bearing in mind that it used to work on this machine also!

This time, I get nothing!, no menus, no toolbar, no options tab! ... as
per you post below, the add-in is in the dialog box and is checked. the
file MPSADDIN.DLL is now in c:\program files\microsoft
outlook\OFFICE11\ ( and it wasn't there before i reinstalled )
there are 2 registry entries in HKLM /..... /office/outlook/Project
Server/

but alas ... nothing

I am about to inspect the registry & program files folder on a computer
which is working fine.

In the meantime, if you have any other ideas, I'd love to hear them

Thanks
Stephen

 

[Rolly Perreaux]

Maybe a reboot? :-S

Stephen, I am truly at a loss.
There is definitely something very strange happening on your computer.

I wish I could help out more. But I will try to research it some more
and if I find something I will definitely reply to this thread.

Please do likewise as I would love to know

Cheers,

--
Rolly Perreaux, PMP, MCSE
Project Server Trainer/Consultant

TriMagna Corporation
Microsoft Gold Partner
http://www.trimagna.com

 

[SteveD]

I have looked at one of the other computers. The registry looks the
same and the MPSADDIN.DLL is the same.

..... and yes, I have rebooted ( more than once )

Is it possible that outlook is blocking the addin from running setup
scripts or something ?

I remember from the other installations that when outlook is first run
after installing that it goes ahead and creates the toolbar and then
the help file automatically pops up ... none of these things happens on
this one!

I have looked at the security tab ... same as other machine.

At this point I am wondering if my next course of action is to
uninstall outlook completely and try to start from scratch .... but I'm
guessing that this is still no guarantee that it will work.

 

[Rolly Perreaux]

Comments inline...

I have looked at one of the other computers. The registry looks the
same and the MPSADDIN.DLL is the same.

.... and yes, I have rebooted ( more than once )

Is it possible that outlook is blocking the addin from running setup
scripts or something ?

That could be a possibility. By default users in Active Directory do not
have the rights to install software. Do you have Administrator rights on
your machine?

I remember from the other installations that when outlook is first run
after installing that it goes ahead and creates the toolbar and then
the help file automatically pops up ... none of these things happens on
this one!

I have looked at the security tab ... same as other machine.

At this point I am wondering if my next course of action is to
uninstall outlook completely and try to start from scratch .... but I'm
guessing that this is still no guarantee that it will work.

You could use the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility instead

Description of the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301

"Important Warning

The Windows Installer CleanUp Utility is provided "as is" to help
resolve installation problems for programs that use Microsoft Windows
Installer. If you use this utility, you may have to reinstall other
programs. Caution is advised."

It might do the trick

--
Rolly Perreaux, PMP, MCSE
Project Server Trainer/Consultant

TriMagna Corporation
Microsoft Gold Partner
http://www.trimagna.com

 

[SteveD]

Have already tried using the Cleanup utility ... no luck
I do have administrator rights ... and also, the add-in worked fine on
this machine for a few weeks before it went hay-wire.

mmm ... maybe time to ask my boss for a new computer ! lol

 

[Rolly Perreaux]

Stephen, I'm truely at a loss

I wish I could help you more, but maybe it might be the excuse you need
for that new computer.

Again, my apologies...

--
Rolly Perreaux, PMP, MCSE
Project Server Trainer/Consultant

TriMagna Corporation
Microsoft Gold Partner
http://www.trimagna.com

 

[Sheri]

Hi Steve,

Am having the same problem ...but with Project Server 2007 Beta and MS
Outlook 2003 with Project Web Access and MS Office Project 2007 Beta. Should
you ever find a solution, I have set the "Notify me of replies".

Sheri.