Word 2003 cannot be used as email editor - also "no such interface supported" error

[Darren Healey]

I apologize in advance for posting this in different newsgroups, but I'm new
at this type of forum and am not sure how it's supposed to work.

At one time, I was able to use Word2003 as my email editor in Outlook2003.
Now I am only able to use it to create new mail messages. If I try to
forward or reply to an existing message, I get the following error:

"Microsoft Word is set to be your e-mail editor. However, Word is
unavailable, not installed, or is not the same version as Outlook. The
Outlook e-mail editor will be used instead."

I have tried doing a detect & repair, same error.

Uninstall/reinstall, same error.

Uninstalled, rebooted, deleted the "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office" and
"C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\OFFICE11" directories,
deleted the registry key "Software/Microsoft/Office" under both HKCU and
HKLM, rebooted, and reinstalled...same error.

Applied all updates from the office update web site...same error.

An interesting problem that I believe is related is when I compose a NEW
email message in Word2003, and click either the "Check Names" button on the
toolbar, or the To../Cc.. buttons and then OK, I get a dialog box stating
"No such interface supported".

I can find about 10-15 references to this same problem when doing a web
search, but I have not been able to find any solution posted. There is
nothing on microsoft's knowledge base on this.

I think my only option is to format and reinstall the system, but I wanted
to be sure there wasn't a fix out there first. Any help would be
appreciated.

 

[GJ.Oomens]

I apologize in advance for posting this in different newsgroups, but I'm new
at this type of forum and am not sure how it's supposed to work.

At one time, I was able to use Word2003 as my email editor in Outlook2003.
Now I am only able to use it to create new mail messages. If I try to
forward or reply to an existing message, I get the following error:

"Microsoft Word is set to be your e-mail editor. However, Word is
unavailable, not installed, or is not the same version as Outlook. The
Outlook e-mail editor will be used instead."

I have tried doing a detect & repair, same error.

Uninstall/reinstall, same error.

Uninstalled, rebooted, deleted the "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office" and
"C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\OFFICE11" directories,
deleted the registry key "Software/Microsoft/Office" under both HKCU and
HKLM, rebooted, and reinstalled...same error.

Applied all updates from the office update web site...same error.

An interesting problem that I believe is related is when I compose a NEW
email message in Word2003, and click either the "Check Names" button on the
toolbar, or the To../Cc.. buttons and then OK, I get a dialog box stating
"No such interface supported".

I can find about 10-15 references to this same problem when doing a web
search, but I have not been able to find any solution posted. There is
nothing on microsoft's knowledge base on this.

I think my only option is to format and reinstall the system, but I wanted
to be sure there wasn't a fix out there first. Any help would be
appreciated.

Is the service 'DCOM Server Process Launcher' started and set to
'startup type automatic? If not, make sure it is and delete normal.dot.
Try again.

 

[Brian Tillman]

I apologize in advance for posting this in different newsgroups, but
I'm new at this type of forum and am not sure how it's supposed to
work.

I see you're posting with Outlook Express. Include multiple newsgroup
names, separated by commas, in the "Newsgroups" field at the top of the
compose window so that exactly the same message gets posted to the multiple
groups and set the "Followup-To" field to the one group where you want to
track the answers (click View>All Headers to see the Followup-To field).
Posting a question separately to more than one group is called
"multiposting" and is bad USENET manners. Posting my including multiple
groups in the "Newsgroups" field is called "crossposting" and is
appropriate, especially when the Followup-To field is used.

I can find about 10-15 references to this same problem when doing a
web search, but I have not been able to find any solution posted. There is
nothing on microsoft's knowledge base on this.

Russ Valentine has posted this frequently enough in response to very similar
questions:

"There appear to be a whole host of causes for this error message. Most have
no solution. Here are a few that do:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q284900
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q319796
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q196871
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q223934"

 

[Darren Healey]

GJ, thanks for the suggestion.

The "DCOM Server Process Launcher" service is set to automatic, and it is
running. Under task manager, I see a WINWORD process. Closing Outlook and
killing the WINWORD process, then re-trying....same problem. I notice that
the WINWORD process does go away by itself when closing outlook, and comes
back up when outlook is started. Outlook is able to start word up fine
(it's able to use it for new emails, just not replying or forwarding
them....mysterious).

I closed outlook, deleted the normal.dot file, and tried again, but that did
not fix the problem.

I have also tried creating a new user account in XP, logging in under the
new account, creating a completely new mail account etc, and am seeing the
same problem. That seems to rule out any user specific files under my
profile directory like the PST or template files, but of course this is all
guesswork.

This leads me to believe that it is a system wide setting in HKLM or a bad
file somewhere. I'm guessing that the uninstall/repair/reinstall procedures
would have cleaned up any of these that are directly related to office, so
it's probably a 3rd party software that messed something up.

Is there any type of logging I can turn on somewhere that would give me more
information? Ideas anyone?

 

[Darren Healey]

Russ Valentine has posted this frequently enough in response to very
similar questions:

"There appear to be a whole host of causes for this error message. Most
have
no solution. Here are a few that do:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q284900
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q319796
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q196871
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q223934"

Thanks for your help Brian, appreciated!

I had previously come across the above mentioned links, and unfortunately,
they do not apply to my situation

Q284900 - Cause is described as having Office XP installed with Office 2000.
I ONLY have 2003.

Q319796 - Cause is previous version of office registry entries - I have
never had a previous version of office on this system. Symptom is not even
the same. Note that I have already tried deleting the mentioned registry
keys...

Q196871 - Symptom is not the same, and my computer name does not have a @ in
it :|

Q223934 - Again, this relates to different versions of word...I've never had
any other version besides 2003.

Any other ideas anyone?

 

[GJ.Oomens]

GJ, thanks for the suggestion.

The "DCOM Server Process Launcher" service is set to automatic, and it is
running. Under task manager, I see a WINWORD process. Closing Outlook and
killing the WINWORD process, then re-trying....same problem. I notice that
the WINWORD process does go away by itself when closing outlook, and comes
back up when outlook is started. Outlook is able to start word up fine
(it's able to use it for new emails, just not replying or forwarding
them....mysterious).

I closed outlook, deleted the normal.dot file, and tried again, but that did
not fix the problem.

I have also tried creating a new user account in XP, logging in under the
new account, creating a completely new mail account etc, and am seeing the
same problem. That seems to rule out any user specific files under my
profile directory like the PST or template files, but of course this is all
guesswork.

This leads me to believe that it is a system wide setting in HKLM or a bad
file somewhere. I'm guessing that the uninstall/repair/reinstall procedures
would have cleaned up any of these that are directly related to office, so
it's probably a 3rd party software that messed something up.

Is there any type of logging I can turn on somewhere that would give me more
information? Ideas anyone?

Do you use any add-ins? If yes, you could disable them, to see if they
cause the problem?

 

[Darren Healey]

Excellent idea. Here's what I found under Tools -> Options -> Other ->
Advanced Options... -> Add-In Manager:
LDVP
Google Desktop Search Outlook Addin
Exchange Extensions property pages
Windows CE Support

I have tried unchecking all of these and restarting my system, but it didn't
fix any of the problems.

I believe that LDVP is part of Symantec Antivirus Corporate Edition 8.0, and
Windows CE Support is part of ActiveSync. When I get some free time I will
try uninstalling these 2 things in addition to the google desktop search
engine. Symantec AV is going to be tough, as it will require a MANUAL
uninstall...got to love those.

As far as the Exchange Extensions property pages, I think that was installed
with office. BTW, I don't use exchange.

 

[GJ.Oomens]

Excellent idea. Here's what I found under Tools -> Options -> Other ->
Advanced Options... -> Add-In Manager:
LDVP
Google Desktop Search Outlook Addin
Exchange Extensions property pages
Windows CE Support

I have tried unchecking all of these and restarting my system, but it didn't
fix any of the problems.

I believe that LDVP is part of Symantec Antivirus Corporate Edition 8.0, and
Windows CE Support is part of ActiveSync. When I get some free time I will
try uninstalling these 2 things in addition to the google desktop search
engine. Symantec AV is going to be tough, as it will require a MANUAL
uninstall...got to love those.

As far as the Exchange Extensions property pages, I think that was installed
with office. BTW, I don't use exchange.

Yes, that's standard (Exchange Extensions). No com add-ins? You could
also clear/delete the formscache, just to make sure that it's not
interfering.
drive:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\FORMS