Outlook 2003; Windows 7; Error: "Unable to open your default e-mail folders.  
The information store could not be opened."  Outlook then closes when you 
click ok.
Outlook 2003 works fine on a Vista installation, but when Windows 7 upgrade 
is carried out the error message above always comes up. I have tried deleting 
the mail profile and recreating it, and creating a new Windows user, but the 
end result is always the same. I have checked the Application Data/Local/etc 
file permissions. What am I doing wrong?  Is there a bug?  My machine is a 64 
bit HP Pavilion Intel Quad core processor, and I am setting up POP3 mail.

"cornsplicer" <cornsplicer@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message 
news:1B3E69FC-55E8-47D5-8296-30C6FF6C9530@microsoft.com...

> Outlook 2003; Windows 7; Error: "Unable to open your default e-mail folders.
> The information store could not be opened."  Outlook then closes when you
> click ok.
> Outlook 2003 works fine on a Vista installation, but when Windows 7 upgrade
> is carried out the error message above always comes up. I have tried 
> deleting
> the mail profile and recreating it, and creating a new Windows user, but the
> end result is always the same. I have checked the Application Data/Local/etc
> file permissions. What am I doing wrong?  Is there a bug?  My machine is a 
> 64
> bit HP Pavilion Intel Quad core processor, and I am setting up POP3 mail.

Use the Mail applet on Control Panel to make sure you've properly configured 
your mail profile.
-- 
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook] 

Thanks for the reply Brian.  

I have already tried deleting profiles, creating new one's etc.  The problem 
is still there.  

Interestingly, I tried accessing the .pst file created by Outlook 2003 from 
another machine with an Outlook 2003 client, and it found and opened it ok.  
I also tried moving the .pst files to a different folder altogether using the 
forcePSTpath instruction in the registry.  The behaviour remains the same.  

As it all worked ok before I upgraded from Vista to Windows 7, I think there 
must be something in the environment preventing Outlook 2003 on my machine 
reading the file it has successfully created when a new profile is generated. 
 I notice for example that the registry still contains Windows Mail entries - 
I presume inherited from the original Vista installation.  I also wondered 
whether anything in Windows live could affect things? 

Anyway, any insights will be most helpful.

"Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]" wrote:

> "cornsplicer" <cornsplicer@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message 
> news:1B3E69FC-55E8-47D5-8296-30C6FF6C9530@microsoft.com...
> 
> > Outlook 2003; Windows 7; Error: "Unable to open your default e-mail folders.
> > The information store could not be opened."  Outlook then closes when you
> > click ok.
> > Outlook 2003 works fine on a Vista installation, but when Windows 7 upgrade
> > is carried out the error message above always comes up. I have tried 
> > deleting
> > the mail profile and recreating it, and creating a new Windows user, but the
> > end result is always the same. I have checked the Application Data/Local/etc
> > file permissions. What am I doing wrong?  Is there a bug?  My machine is a 
> > 64
> > bit HP Pavilion Intel Quad core processor, and I am setting up POP3 mail.
> 
> Use the Mail applet on Control Panel to make sure you've properly configured 
> your mail profile.
> -- 
> Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook] 
> 
> .
> 

"cornsplicer" <cornsplicer@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message 
news:87656EF2-F440-4CBA-915E-36612F05DCB7@microsoft.com...

> I have already tried deleting profiles, creating new one's etc.  The problem
> is still there.

What were the exact steps you used?
-- 
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook] 

1. From control panel started email tool (Outlook is not running at this 
stage).
2. Removed existing profile by highlighting the profile in "Show Profile" 
and then clicking the remove button.
3. Then clicked Add and followed the process to create a profile and set up 
a POP3 account. I have used a new name, and selected "always use this 
profile".
4. Then clicked on the properties button to see what datafile is created. 
5. Then viewed email account and checked where new mail is delivered.  Then 
clicked finished.


"Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]" wrote:

> "cornsplicer" <cornsplicer@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message 
> news:87656EF2-F440-4CBA-915E-36612F05DCB7@microsoft.com...
> 
> > I have already tried deleting profiles, creating new one's etc.  The problem
> > is still there.
> 
> What were the exact steps you used?
> -- 
> Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook] 
> 
> .
> 

"cornsplicer" <cornsplicer@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message 
news:A08010A1-EC20-49A2-A884-3741E979E264@microsoft.com...

> 1. From control panel started email tool (Outlook is not running at this
> stage).
> 2. Removed existing profile by highlighting the profile in "Show Profile"
> and then clicking the remove button.
> 3. Then clicked Add and followed the process to create a profile and set up
> a POP3 account. I have used a new name, and selected "always use this
> profile".
> 4. Then clicked on the properties button to see what datafile is created.
> 5. Then viewed email account and checked where new mail is delivered.  Then
> clicked finished.

That should work, but have you tried creating a fresh data file?
-- 
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook] 

Yes I have, but I will try it again later today and let you know the result.  
Do you think I should go all the way and deinstall/reinstall Office, having 
first deleted all the files in the Outlook folder?

"Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]" wrote:

> "cornsplicer" <cornsplicer@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message 
> news:A08010A1-EC20-49A2-A884-3741E979E264@microsoft.com...
> 
> > 1. From control panel started email tool (Outlook is not running at this
> > stage).
> > 2. Removed existing profile by highlighting the profile in "Show Profile"
> > and then clicking the remove button.
> > 3. Then clicked Add and followed the process to create a profile and set up
> > a POP3 account. I have used a new name, and selected "always use this
> > profile".
> > 4. Then clicked on the properties button to see what datafile is created.
> > 5. Then viewed email account and checked where new mail is delivered.  Then
> > clicked finished.
> 
> That should work, but have you tried creating a fresh data file?
> -- 
> Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook] 
> 
> .
> 

"cornsplicer" <cornsplicer@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message 
news:0D90111E-D7AC-4256-89C3-1A716A715662@microsoft.com...

> Yes I have, but I will try it again later today and let you know the result.

OK.

> Do you think I should go all the way and deinstall/reinstall Office, having
> first deleted all the files in the Outlook folder?

It might, but I doubt it.  I'd delete the mail profile from the registry 
first.
-- 
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook] 

Brian, 

I have tried deleting and recreating the prolie from the control panel.  No 
Joy.  Then I deleted the profile from Registry and recreated it from the 
control panel. No joy.  Then I deinstalled and reinstalled outlook. Still no 
joy.

At this point I'm a bit stuck!

"Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]" wrote:

> "cornsplicer" <cornsplicer@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message 
> news:0D90111E-D7AC-4256-89C3-1A716A715662@microsoft.com...
> 
> > Yes I have, but I will try it again later today and let you know the result.
> 
> OK.
> 
> > Do you think I should go all the way and deinstall/reinstall Office, having
> > first deleted all the files in the Outlook folder?
> 
> It might, but I doubt it.  I'd delete the mail profile from the registry 
> first.
> -- 
> Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook] 
> 
> .
> 

"cornsplicer" <cornsplicer@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message 
news:FFB82904-73FD-455A-89EC-F5C862C934A7@microsoft.com...

> I have tried deleting and recreating the prolie from the control panel.  No
> Joy.  Then I deleted the profile from Registry and recreated it from the
> control panel. No joy.  Then I deinstalled and reinstalled outlook. Still no
> joy.
>
> At this point I'm a bit stuck!

Me, too.  If this were happening to me, I'd consider a fresh install of 
Windows.
-- 
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook] 

Brian,

I have done a clean install of Windows 7, as you suggested.  After 
installing SP3, Outlook 2003 now works ok with the file it created on 
installation.  There is still a problem when you try to open the backup .pst 
file - Outlook stops working, Microsoft looks for a solution, and then 
Outlook starts itself again.  This happens after "File/Open/<filename> 
selected, and it doesn't seem to recognise the file.  I have run scanpst on 
the file and it reports it as ok.  However I feel I am now making some 
progress at last, although I still have to reinstall the rest of my 
applications.  Thank you for your help.

"Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]" wrote:

> "cornsplicer" <cornsplicer@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message 
> news:FFB82904-73FD-455A-89EC-F5C862C934A7@microsoft.com...
> 
> > I have tried deleting and recreating the prolie from the control panel.  No
> > Joy.  Then I deleted the profile from Registry and recreated it from the
> > control panel. No joy.  Then I deinstalled and reinstalled outlook. Still no
> > joy.
> >
> > At this point I'm a bit stuck!
> 
> Me, too.  If this were happening to me, I'd consider a fresh install of 
> Windows.
> -- 
> Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook] 
> 
> .
> 

"cornsplicer" <cornsplicer@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message 
news:E85C7D36-E351-443A-A7B8-E6DCB9BA4B66@microsoft.com...

> I have done a clean install of Windows 7, as you suggested.  After
> installing SP3, Outlook 2003 now works ok with the file it created on
> installation.  There is still a problem when you try to open the backup .pst
> file - Outlook stops working, Microsoft looks for a solution, and then
> Outlook starts itself again.  This happens after "File/Open/<filename>
> selected, and it doesn't seem to recognise the file.  I have run scanpst on
> the file and it reports it as ok.  However I feel I am now making some
> progress at last, although I still have to reinstall the rest of my
> applications.  Thank you for your help.

So, SCANPST.EXE says the file is OK but Outlook crashes when you try to open 
the PST?  You say "File/Open/<filename>", but Outlook expects 
File>Open>Outlook Data File, then the file specification.  Are you trying to 
open it in Outlook?

I don't know what else to suggest.  Perhaps someone else will have an idea.
-- 
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook] 

Brian,

Although Outlook 2003 stopped working and restarted itself, it turns out 
that it had lodged the pst file in the navigation pane and it subsequently 
opened correctly.  So in effect I am sorted out now.  I'm not going to worry 
why it wanted to shut down and restart itself.  Once again thank you  for 
your help and support.

Regards,
Cornsplicer

"Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]" wrote:

> "cornsplicer" <cornsplicer@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message 
> news:E85C7D36-E351-443A-A7B8-E6DCB9BA4B66@microsoft.com...
> 
> > I have done a clean install of Windows 7, as you suggested.  After
> > installing SP3, Outlook 2003 now works ok with the file it created on
> > installation.  There is still a problem when you try to open the backup .pst
> > file - Outlook stops working, Microsoft looks for a solution, and then
> > Outlook starts itself again.  This happens after "File/Open/<filename>
> > selected, and it doesn't seem to recognise the file.  I have run scanpst on
> > the file and it reports it as ok.  However I feel I am now making some
> > progress at last, although I still have to reinstall the rest of my
> > applications.  Thank you for your help.
> 
> So, SCANPST.EXE says the file is OK but Outlook crashes when you try to open 
> the PST?  You say "File/Open/<filename>", but Outlook expects 
> File>Open>Outlook Data File, then the file specification.  Are you trying to 
> open it in Outlook?
> 
> I don't know what else to suggest.  Perhaps someone else will have an idea.
> -- 
> Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook] 
> 
> .
>