Outlook, IE7, Vista, and Express

[Chris Posey]

I just installed Vista Business yesterday. Now, I am unable to open Outlook
(I believe it's Outlook 2002). I get the following message:

Cannot start Microsoft Outlook. Outlook requires Microsoft Outlook Express
4.01 or greater. You can install Outlook Express by running IE5Setup.exe from
the IE5 folder located on your CD or through the Windows Update website."

I tried to run IE5Setup.exe, but I get a msg. that says a newer version is
installed, and then it terminates. I tried to revert back to IE6, but there
is no IE7 option under Vista's new "Programs and Features" replacement of
Add/Remove Programs. I then attempted to roll back the update, but it does
not show that IE6 was even on my computer previously when I view my updates
in Programs and Features. I tried to install the latest version of Outlook
Express, and I get the same mesage I got when I tried to install IE5 Setup.

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

Vista installs IE7 - there is no way to run IE6 on it. Windows Mail is the
replacement for OE. Check Help, About and see for sure what version you are
using.

 

[Steve Cochran]

You probably need to install a later version of Outlook on the machine. I
don't know that Outlook 2002 is compatible. At any rate the appropriate
place to ask about such issues is in the Outlook newsgroups since that is
clearly an outdated error message from Outlook 2002.

steve

 

[Revvi]

Have the same problem with Vista Home Premium and Outlook (2003) from Office
XP Professional.

Have tried the same things and even uninstalled and reinstalled Office but
to no avail. Anyone got any ideas?

 

[Michael Santovec]

Older versions of Outlook (2000 and 2002) require Outlook Express.
(Office XP is version 2002, not 2003)

Outlook Express is not available for Vista.

I don't know if Microsoft has an update or workaround to allow Outlook
2002 to run on Vista. I've done some searching but haven't found
anything one way or the other on this issue.

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

Verify the version of outlook so you know for sure and try reinstalling (or
repairing) it. I just did a quickie test with both Outlook 2000 and 2002 and
they both load ok and check mail. (Outlook 2000 requires corp mode, Internet
only mode requires wab.dll, which does not exist in Vista.)

I know Outlook 98 gave that error message - but I don't recall if 2000 or
2002 ever did. Because of security problems in Outlook 98, it's really
better if you upgrade to Outlook 2007 or switch to the mail and calendar
programs in Vista instead.

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

As an FYI, should you get more of these questions in the OE groups, Outlook
2002 runs fine on Vista. Outlook 2000 in IMO mode will not (missing
wab.dll) - it loads, but the address book is unavailable. Neither of these
versions brought up this error in my tests. I didn't test it with Outlook 98
yet - I'm pretty sure that version is the one that required IE4 and returned
that error if it wasn't installed.

Anyway, Microsoft is not going to provide a patch to make those old, out of
support version work in Vista. Users either need to upgrade or switch to
Vista's mail and calendar applications.

 

[Steve Cochran]

Except that many people are having major problems with Outlook 2007 as
posted in the vista.mail NG.

steve

 

[PA Bear]

Folks posting about OL problems in vista.mail NG: Who'd have guessed it?
<eg>

 

[Steve Cochran]

I bet they aren't getting WinMail questions there though. Except maybe the
occasional "where is OE? or "My Outlook is gone in Vista" (meaning OE <G>).

steve

 

[Steve]

Diane, how can I run Outlook 2000 in "corp mode" to bypass need for wab dll
problem which all us Outlook 2000 users are experiencing running Vista?

FYI...I considered moving all my email and account info to Windows Mail
(WM). Account imported ok from Outlook 2000. But WM just shuts down as soon
as I try File/Import/Messages/Outlook. Any alternative methods to import
Outlook 2000 messages into WM? Also, Contacts said they imported into
Windows Contacts but didn't.

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

tools, options, mail services tab (might be named slightly differently in
IMO mode) - at the bottom is a reconfigure mail support button. use it to
switch to corp. Because of security issues with Outlook 2000, I would
seriously recommend windows mail if upgrading to outlook 2007 is out of the
question.

for contacts; export from outlook in CSV format and import that file into
mail. not sure yet on the messages problem - corp. doesn't shut down but the
import fails because it says there is no default message client.