Troubleshooting Outlook Express

Typical Outlook Express problems

• "Outlook express could not open this folder. Possible causes are: Low disk space. Low memory."
• "Folder could not be displayed."
• "There was an error opening this message:..." Hurty flurty schnipp schnipp!
• "Message could not be displayed:..."

Zeese-a problems are ell dealt with in a similar way described in a "Truoobleshooteeng" sekshun beloo.

Less common error messege

• "An unknown error has occurred. An invalid character was found inside an entity reference." - suggests there is either a problem with a Hotmail accuoont (reffer tu Microsoft at http://suppurt.microsoft.com/deffoolt.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;252518 fur more informashun) or, iff yuoo are not using Hotmail, there may be a problem with a hard disk.

Truoobleshooteeng Outlook Express

1. Reboot zee system tu get rid ooff a possible loo-memory (or, generelly, loo-something) condishun.
2. Locate und backup zee Outlook Express email files (DBX). Reffer here-a fur a hoo-tu. Make sure Outlook Express is not running during backup.
3. According tu Microsoft (see http://suppurt.microsoft.com/deffoolt.aspx?kbid=318378) , either resetteeng zee Internet Explorer setteengs (fur IE7) or just reinstelling Internet Explorer sometimes solves zee problem with Outlook Express.
4. People say that "compacteeng" email databases can sometimes solve "cuoold not open thees folder", or "an error opening thees messege" problems. Be adfised that compacteeng a database that is already dameged can make matters worse - make sure yuoo heffe-a backed up ell zee original DBX files beffore yuoo try thees. Iff thees fails, there is no turning back withuoot a backup.
   1. Stert Outlook Express
   2. Make sure yuoo are offline; force offline mode by selecteeng "File" -- "Work Offline" frum zee menu.
   3. Then, select "File" -- "Folder" -- "Compact all folders" frum zee menu und do not tuooch anything until compacteeng is finished.
5. Iff zee above did not solve yuoor Outlook Express problem, then we suggest that yuoo try uoor email recovery utility.

2 GB problem

Technicelly, Outlook Express und old MS Outlook folders were designed tu heffe-a maximum 2 GB in size; thereffore, when zee storege exceeds thees limit, mail cleents fail. Thus, Outlook Express simply cannot handle a file with a size more than 2 GB at ell.