Outlook Express problem

[Tearose]

It was working fine yesterday. Today, when I try to send an email, I click on the compose button, and a window starts to open, then I get the error message that OE has experienced a problem and needs to close, do I want to send an error report, etc.
I checked to see if there were any automatic downloads that could have caused the problem. Windows Defender installed an update this morning. It's KB915597, but I can't find where it is in order to remove it, so I turned off Windows Defender and restarted my computer. It didn't help, the problem is still there.
What should I try next? (And please don't limit responses to Windows Defender- it may not have anything to do with the OE problem.) TIA
Jill

 

[eyec]

canned answer - reboot!
if that does not work please re-post.

 

[Tearose]

Of course I've rebooted, several times, in fact. I also removed Windows Defender and a couple free screensavers. So far, no joy. By the way, I can forward email, but the Create Mail button crashes the program every time.
Jill

 

[bcastner]

The original poster indicated that the machine was restarted.

This specific error is anything but specific. If a details button is shown, click it and note the extended information. You might start your troubleshooting with this Microsoft KB article:

http://www.insideoe.com/problems/bugs.htm#sig

 

[captaincrunch00]

Reinstall Internet Explorer 6.... Download the thing from Microsoft.
That will reinstall Outlook or fix any errors with it.

 

[riverider]

I don't find any updates from Microsoft as of 1:40 CST 08/03/06 for my Win.XP Can you deleat the program and re-install it?

 

[linney]

Some general things to try.

Do you see this problem in Safe Mode or in Normal Mode but as a different user?

See if System Restore will get you back to a restore point before your problem with Outlook Express.

Run the System File Checker program from the Run Box by typing.....Sfc /Scannow in it and have your XP CD handy.

How to Reinstall or Repair Outlook Express in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q318378

209169 - OLEXP: How to Create and Use Identities in Outlook Express 5.x and 6.0

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;209169&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

Problems with Outlook Express
thread779-1110771

Internet Explorer Fix

http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/IEFIX.htm

Removing adware & spyware
faq608-4650

 

[bcastner]

There were no XP OS hotfixes in July pushed through Automatic Updates.

Reinstall IE & OE​

. Windows XP with SP 2: Download Windows XP Service Pack 2 Network Installation Package or get your SP 2 CD ready and re-install Service Pack 2.

. Windows XP without SP 2: Install Service Pack 2 via Windows Update. This should give you a fresh copy of Outlook Express without any further tweaks. Optionally, you can reinstall Internet Explorer 6 SP 1 and Outlook Express using the method described below.

. Anything else: Install Service Pack 2

Because Internet Explorer 6 comes installed on Windows XP by default, you do not have access to the IE repair tool and have to repair/reinstall by using one of two, or maybe both, methods. Both methods are outlined below.

Method 1: Using the System File Checker

This method will scan all protected system files and restore ones that it finds do not match its internal database. This can take quite a while to complete so do not start this if you are limited on time. You may be prompted for the Windows XP CD, so make sure you have it available.

The steps to do this method are as follows:

Click on the Start button and then click on the Run option.
In the Open field type sfc /scannow and press the OK button.
Follow the prompts through the scan and when it prompts you to reboot, do so.
Test to see if the problem is resolved. If it is, you can stop reading this document. If not, you should proceed to the second method.


hod 2: Tricking Windows into letting you reinstall IE6

Since you already have Internet Explorer 6 installed the operating system will not allow you to reinstall over the existing installation. Due to this we are required to trick the operating system into thinking IE 6 is not installed. Please note that in order to use this method we are required to edit the registry. Incorrect editing of the registry can cause serious harm to your operating system so it is advised you proceed with extreme caution.

Follow these steps for repairing Internet Explorer 6:

Click on the Start button and then click on the Run option.
In the Open field type regedit and press the OK button.
Navigate to the key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{89820200-ECBD-11cf-8B85-00AA005B4383}
Under that key you will see a entry named IsInstalled. Right click on that entry and left click on Modify.
Change the Value from 1 to 0.
Exit regedit.
Follow these steps for repairing Outlook Express:

Click on the Start button and then click on the Run option.
In the Open field type regedit and press the OK button.
Navigate to the key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{44BBA848-CC51-11CF-AAFA-00AA00B6015C}
Under that key you will see a entry named IsInstalled. Right click on that entry and left click on Modify.
Change the Value from 1 to 0.
Exit regedit.
If you would like to repair both Outlook Express and Internet Explorer 6 then do both fixes above.

Now download fresh copies and reinstall:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=318378

http://www.petri.co.il/download_the_full_ie_package.htm

 

[Tearose]

I tried the fixes you suggested. sfc /scannow didn't do anything to solve the problem. I tried both registry fixes, and restarted, but when I tried to reinstall, it still saw that I have IE6, and wouldn't let me reinstall, so I changed the registry back the way it was. I looked at the details of the error message, and it mentioned ntdll.dll. I tried to replace the copy of that file in system32 with the one in the service pack files, but it wouldn't let me.

Do you have any other ideas?

 

[linney]

Why wouldn't it let you replace a file, do you have any relevant error message?

Maybe you have to rename the ntdll.dll that Windows File Protection stores in the C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache folder to something else so as to prevent WFP from replacing what ever you insert into the System32 folder?

 

[eyec]

I looked at the details of the error message, and it mentioned ntdll.dll.

can you tell us what it said, i.e. corrput, could not find, etc.

also have you tried a Restore from a time prior to your problems?

 

[Tearose]

Here's the error message detail that I get when I try to Create Mail in OE:
AppName: msimn.exe AppVer: 6.0.2900.2180 ModName: ntdll.dll
ModVer: 5.1.2600.2180 Offset: 000012f1

And this is the message I get when I try to replace the .dll file:
Cannot delete ntdll.dll: Access is denied

Make sure that the disk is not full or write-protected
and that the file is not currently in use.

Does that help?
Jill

 

[Tearose]

I've never used system restore before, but I'm trying it now.
I'll let you know if it works.
Jill

 

[linney]

I am not 100% sure that NTdll is causing your problem but if you wish to replace it this may have to be done out of the Windows environment with something like the Recovery Console assuming it is not just an access permissions problem.

How to install and use the Recovery Console in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307654&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

Try the Copy command. Remember what I mentioned earlier about WFP too.

 

[Tearose]

I'm willing to give up on the ntdll.dll. And System Rerstore says there have been no changes to my computer since the date I gave it, so it couldn't restore it. I did check, to be sure I have created mail successfully after the date I gave it.
Jill

 

[linney]

Have you considered (after saving current E-mails), deleting your Account and the creating a new Account?

Is there any information in the Event Viewer?

If they don't work you could try repairing windows by running it over itself. You will lose all your windows updates but your files will be untouched.

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP (Q315341)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q315/3/41.asp

 

[Tearose]

Actually I did see something in the event viewer- an occasional disk error, relating to an area of bad memory. Also probably not related to the OE problem- it doesn't occur at the same times as the OE crashes. I'm going to run some diagnostics today and see about the hard disk. If it needs replacing, the OE problem is solved in the process.
Jill

 

[Tearose]

Well, that didn't take long- I ran the IDE DPS self-test. After 3 seconds it said test failure, drive replacement recommended. Fortunately it's still under warranty. And I've just gotten a new computer ready to use, which hasn't been assigned to anyone yet. But I also have a lot of programs, some downloaded, that need to be transferred. So now my problem is no longer OE, it's where are all the parts of my programs kept?
Thanks for all your help.
Jill

 

[Glenn9999]

There were no XP OS hotfixes in July pushed through Automatic Updates."

It seems the OP found a possible solution, but I thought I'd mention that an OE hotfix got sent through effective today (just downloaded it). Don't know when it would have gone through automatic updates. It is KB920214.

Not to add anything, but I'm wondering if I should really mess with this hotfix or not given what I'm seeing here.

 

[bcastner]

You see nothing in this post that suggests a Hotfix was involved.

Today is the monthly "Patch Tuesday", hence the appearance of Hotfixes:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms06-aug.mspx