Microsoft Outlook Express Windows Media player and Windows ME problems

billy the squid

Can anyone help me solve some problems I'm having with my software here

MS Outlook Express

When I click tools and then Send and receive all outlook says no new meseges at the bottom, but the grey progress box only appears for a millisecond when I try to check the other folders in outlook express it says "this program has performed an illegal operation in MSOE.DLL and will be shut down.


I have tried uninstalling Outlook Express 6 and it is replaced by outlook express 5 which I cant uninstall.

I have scanned for viruses and there are none

Windows Media Player

It says in the Media Guide and Radio Tuner that Windows media player is not configured for the internet and that I need to be connected to the internet for these features to work, even though I am connected.

Windows ME

I have shortcuts to certain applications like MS Word and Frontpage on my desktop and these dont work. Its like my computer has gone back to a time before i installed these programmes. everything else on my desktop works except word outlook frontpage and access

I'm baffled

any ideas on how I can repair these programmes.

btw my version of office is xp if that has anything to do with my problem but it was working properly before.

DiscoStu

Outlook express.

This looks like one or more of your oe data files has become corrupt. there are utilities out that may help salvage them but more tha likely you will have to erease them and start from scratch. im assuming your running WinME so the outlook express files will be stored in a path similar to this \Application Data\Identities\{44E81633-351E-4F7D-81C8-8554215D2B78}\Microsoft\Outlook Express

This folder may be in either the windows dir or program files and the CLSID(big alphanumeric string in the curly brackets)value will be different.

Windows Media Player.

Hmm.....odd. There is an option in the file menu called work offline. if there is a tick beside it click it and try again. if that dont work im stumped.

Shortcut problems.

Office and many other microsoft programs use a special type of shortcut that uses the CLSID of the program to run it and not the usual drag onto desktop type. if you install things sometimes these values can be messed up. go into the office dir and create shortcuts yourself of each programme they will work again.

billy the squid

outlook express

ok those folders with the long alphanumeric names. I have two of them is that right or is that not right. they both contain basically the same thing

what if I deleted them and reinstalled outlook again would that work do you imagine.

Windows Media player

the "work offline" option is not ticked.

office shortcuts not working

what you suggested might take a while I will try it and se how it goes.

thanks a million for your help

billy the squid

ok heres what has happened so far

I tried what you suggested with the windows media player and after a restart of the computer both the media guide and the radio tuner now work properly

Outlook express I deleted everything (i think) to do with outlook express. deleted all the shortcuts files in windows/applications in program files and even removed the registry key. its all in the recycle bin so if i seriously screw it up i can just restore it

I reinstalled it using an iol cd I have but now I have all the iol crap on my browser and outlook express still the same.

might mention that dispite being uninstalled and deleted and reinstalled the new installation still has my eircom.net account listed in my mail accounts.

My office problem remains the same I will try to reinstall that and see what happens

given that outlook expres and internet explorer seem to be linked in some way would removing internet explorer as well be of any good.

DiscoStu

open the dialogue for email account settings in outlook express and highlite your eircom.net email account then select export. save the file as eircom or somthing similar and put it on your desktop. In the folder for outlook express i mentioned earlier there should be a number of files there named folders.dbx, inbox.dbx, outbox.dbx and offline.dbx and possibly cleanup.txt, delete these files. now double click the exported file you placed on the desktop. this will put back your eircom.net email account but you will have lost all your emails and contacts up to that point.

make sure outlook express aint running while your doing this.

[edit]The different big long number and letter strings relate to different user profiles in outlook express. i couldnt tell you witch one to delete and deleting the other one might leave another user of the outlook express slightly pised off [/edit]