Outlook - cant get outlook 2003 to work in Windows 7

Asked By Tommcdow47

06-Dec-09 11:51 AM

installed office 2003 standard (sp3) in windows 7 and get a trouble message
when launching. A popup box called configuring outlook comes up with the task
message  box called microsoft office outlook stating "unable to open your
default email folders. Outlook would not start  because a data file to send
and receive could not be found". I went back into the windows control
panel>user accounts>mail and verified a pop email exists but there no entries
under the data tab. I selected add (under data tab) and the only entry to
select from was "Business contact manager database" so I clicked add and got
the trouble message " windows shell common DLL stoped working". At this point
I do not know if 2003 is compatible in win 7(tried running outlook in the xp
compatable mode with no luck. I still have the old PC running and am able to
copy over a file if needed. Any help apreciated.
Tom

06-Dec-09 12:55 PM

Office 2003 is fine on win7
In the Mail Applet create a new Profile, add your accounts and add a new
data file, test the accounts

06-Dec-09 03:09 PM

Hi DL, thanks for your reply. I can add a new profile and setup email
accounts but when I try to add outlook data files,, only one choice comes up
called "busness contact manager database" when I click add,, the trouble
message "windows shell common DLL stoped working. If i now go back to the
data file tab i see the business contact manager in there but it is status is
not available. One note, the PC came with a trial office installed which i
uninstalled. I have also uninstalled 2003 twice and run the repair on it with
no sucess

06-Dec-09 06:09 PM

And you are not able to add a new data file?
(you dont want to add a BCM data file)

07-Dec-09 07:09 PM

Hi DL, The add button only allows me to add a data file from the box on the
left. It does not allow me to create a new file name and add it,,, it only
allows me to select a choice from the box on the left and the only entry in
that box is "Business contact manager database". There are no other choices
there. I do have my old pc up and running so I could possibly copy that
subdirectory from the old to the new if I knew it is name.
Thanks again,
Tom

08-Dec-09 05:46 PM

Hi,
Did you solve this problem, and if so how. I havejust installed Office 2003
on my new Win 7 64bit machine. I get exactly the same message when I try to
open Outlook.
Part of an answer you got earlier was this -- In the Mail Applet create a
new Profile, add your accounts and add a new data file, test the accounts --
Please tell me how I find the Mail Applet?

I have XP and Outlook 2003 on my old machine and I need to import/export
everything to the new pc.

Thanks,
Ruth

09-Dec-09 09:04 AM

Hi Ruth, The problem is not solved. to get to the mail aplet go to
START>CONTROL PANEL>USER ACCOUNTS AND FAMILY SAFETY>MAIL>  ....When you get
to the data file tab see if you can anything other than Business contact
manager database. thats my only choice and when i try and add that i get the
outlook DLL stoped working trouble message.
Tom

15-Dec-09 04:33 PM

Solution to my problem:
Recently I purchased a custom built laptop with windows 7 installed. I
requested no other programs in the build. When my PC arrived it had a trial
version of office installed so I uninstalled it and installed my office 2003
with outlook and could not get outlook to work. The problem was caused by
files left behind when the office(trial version) was removed. The uninstall
does not remove all the office 2007 files. Certain files left behind are not
backward compatiable with office 2003. After spending a lot of time trying to
find a solution I was annoyed and contacted Lenovo to find out why they put
office 2007 trial version in my PC even though I requested no additional
software from them. They told me that my version of windows 7 has Office 2007
trial version bundled by microsoft with windows 7?????????. I anticipate as win 7
becomes more popular more people will have the same problem.

1. Remove the profile by going to control panel\mail\show profiles and
delete the profile.

2. Locate the file mapisvc.inf in C:\Program Files\Common
Files\System\Msmapi\1033.

3. Rename it to mapisvc.old or whatever you want.

4. Remove MSMAPI32.DLL in the same folder.

5. go to win 7 install/uninstall programs and highlight the outlook program
and click on the repair button.
6. go into the control panel applet for mail and you should now be able to
add a outlook data file

7.Restart Outlook and go back through the setup to create the profile again
and that should fix.