Disappearing programs

[boryan]

I don't know if this is the correct forum, hope it is. Just bought new Dell system, XPPro, SP2, brand new version of Office for Small Business 2003. Everything installed fine, joined the domain, mapped some drives. Set up Outlook mailbox for Exchange and an additional time and billing software that runs on our network. All my programs work great, except Outlook and this time and billing software (Timeslips) open up and then immediately close and disappear. Word works, Exel works, I've "repaired" the whole Office installation. No error messages, no nothing. So has anyone had this happen? Logged in as administrator and sometimes as administrator of the whole domain. The setup in Exchange is the same as everybody else's on the domain, and even if it was wrong, I wouldn't be getting the disappearing act. I have a new employee starting Monday, so if anyone can help me with this I'd appreciate it. They kind of like having a workable system.

 

[BFOJ]

Delete the *.tmp files, empty the Recycle Bin, restart the computer, then try starting Outlook again.

 

[boryan]

Thanks that worked, but why?

 

[BFOJ]

I can't really explain that in detailed theory, perhaps a programmer or engineer could better answer the question. But, let's assume you know how these tmp files are created, their purpose(s), and that over time they accumulate, and most should automatically delete when application(s)close normally, that most can be deleted safely as you have done. With exceptions of course, such as the current ZL*.tmp file that ZoneAlarm creates each time you start that program, applications that are currently using a particular temp file, logfiles that are currently in use, etc.

Of course the reality is that these temp files are left on your computer when an application didn't terminate properly, loss of AC power or a reset, or windows doesn't shutdown properly. There are other reasons as well.

Although my thinking may not be on target, I suspect that when an application that creates temporary files starts, it attempts to create one or more temporary files that already exist for that application, even if the new temp files may have a different name than the existing file, that the particular application's compiled programming can't properly handle this situation (or conflict), resulting in the program terminating. I realize this is probably not very technically accurate, but somewhere in the ballpark.

I have found if you don't do all three steps 1) delete the *.tmp file(s) 2) empty the recycle bin and 3) restart, your chances of resolving the situation isn't as reliable.

Bottom-line: The reason I suggested this solution is based on the twenty+ years I've seen this particular solution resolve many, many different kinds of symptoms, including applications that terminate upon starting as in your case, BSOD's, computers that freeze, communications problems, yada, yada, yada. My last comment is that I notice this is particularly true of Microsoft Office and Corel Office programs.

Glad it helped your situation, boryan.