An Outlook Express basic repair kit

Related Links • The Other E-Mail Threat: File Corruption in Outlook Express • Explanation of Regsvr32 Usage and Error Messages • How to reinstall or repair Internet Explorer and Outlook Express in Windows XP • Windows Market Place: Outlook Express repair tools

I received an e-mail the other day from my friend Katie asking for help with an Outlook Express problem. In her own field Katie is known as an intelligent and articulate, one might even say verbose, woman. But when it comes to anything computer-related, she shows a very different face. Her description of the problem consisted of just two lines: “My Outlook Express is acting funny. What should I do?”

I resisted the temptation to reply with a witty remark about booking Outlook Express into the Comedy Club. I also resisted the temptation to ask her for more details. That could easily have evolved into an e-mail exchange the length of a Wagner opera. Instead I sent her what I present to you here: a basic repair kit for Outlook Express. These steps repair the most likely causes of “funny” behavior in Outlook Express with a minimum of time, sweat, and tears.

Restart the computer

This simple step can resolve any number of problems resulting from improperly closed files, memory corruption, and damage to system files.

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Close other programs

You will need both Outlook Express and Internet Explorer open. Save your work in any other programs and close them. This allows your repair steps to do their job without other programs making demands on your computer at the same time.

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Delete the Temporary Internet Files

If you do not select the check box, the temporary files used by Outlook Express will not be removed.

Remove all offline files to delete Outlook Express temporary files.

This step often comes as a surprise. Each time you display a message, either in a message window or in the Preview pane, Outlook Express creates a temporary file to help it display the contents of the message. Each of those temporary files is stored in the Temporary Internet Files folder that is used by Internet Explorer. Sometimes one or more files in this folder are damaged, and that can cause Outlook Express to exhibit strange symptoms when displaying messages. All the files in Temporary Internet files truly are temporary, so there is no danger in deleting them. Doing so will not delete the actual messages in Outlook Express.

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Compact all folders

If an error occurs, close Outlook Express, re-open it, and begin the process again from the top. If the same error occurs again, close Outlook Express, restart your computer (or log off and then log on again), open Outlook Express and then begin the whole process again.

Let the compaction process finish before you try to use your computer.

Many bizarre behaviors in Outlook Express are caused by small errors in the file “Folders.dbx.” This file is the master index of the message store folder and damaged entries there can create all sorts of fun, such as the wrong message or folder being displayed. When you compact all folders you are also updating this master index. If you don’t compact all folders from time to time, you are more likely to see distinctly unfunny behavior. For more on preventing and recovering from serious file corruption please see my earlier column on file corruption in Outlook Express.

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Reregister Outlook Express

Damaged or missing entries in the Windows registry can prevent Outlook Express from being recognized as the default e-mail client. That it turn can cause odd behavior when replying to a newsgroup message or clicking an e-mail link on a Web page. A simple procedure causes Outlook Express to rewrite its main registry keys and so corrects such issues.

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Reregister libraries

Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs) are files that contain functions that may be shared by other programs, such as recognizing hyperlinks, displaying rich content, and so forth. These specific DLLs are used by Outlook Express, and can cause glitches in the visual display if they are damaged. Reregistering a DLL using regsvr32 is similar to reinstalling those functions and thus makes sure they are installed and working correctly.

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Create a new identity

This will create a new message store folder as well as all new registry keys. This should not be necessary unless our previous efforts have failed to correct the problems.

1.	Export your e-mail and news accounts in Outlook Express so that you can import them into a new Identity. 1. Click Accounts on the Outlook Express Tools menu. 2. Click the Mail tab and select the default account. 3. Click the Export button and select a location for the exported file. Make sure the extension remains “iaf” (for Internet account file). 4. Repeat steps 1.2 and 1.3 for all accounts. 5. Click the News tab and repeat steps 1.3 and 1.4 for all accounts. 6. After all mail and news accounts have been exported, click Close.
2.	On the File menu, click Identities, and then click Add New Identity.
3.	Type a name for the new Identity, and then click OK. A new Identity allows you to start Outlook Express with all default settings, a useful way to work around registry or file damage.
4.	Click Yes to switch to the new Identity.
5.	Click Cancel to close the New Account wizard. If you are prompted to import settings or messages, select “Do not import at this time” or Cancel.
6.	Click Accounts on the Tools menu.
7.	Click the Import button and select the first *.iaf file from step 1. Repeat until all accounts have been imported.
8.	Import the mail messages from your old Identity. • On the File menu, click Import, and then click Messages. • Select Microsoft Outlook Express 6 from the list of programs, and then click Next. • Select the name of the Identity to import, and then click OK.

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Reinstall or repair Outlook Express

By now you have repaired the most common causes of funny glitches in Outlook Express. If the strange behavior is still happening, it is time to reinstall or repair the basic Outlook Express program files themselves. Because both Internet Explorer and Outlook Express are integrated into Windows itself, doing so is a little more complicated than for most programs. Microsoft has therefore prepared a detailed guide to reinstall or repair both Internet Explorer and Outlook Express. Be sure to read the article carefully and follow only the steps for your version of Windows and Service Packs.

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Third-party repair tools

There are several third-party applications that are written specifically to repair Outlook Express. I personally have not tested any of them, seeing that most problems can be corrected with the basic repair procedures I’ve outlined here. One possible advantage of third-party tools is that they almost all include features to repair damaged message files. But for most cases of “funny stuff,” they really are overkill. If you type “repair Outlook Express” into your favorite search engine you are sure to find several to consider. For example, searching at Windows Marketplace yields some good examples of what is available.

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