Re: OE6 crashing after XP SP2 installed

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Nospam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote...
1: In OE | Help | About - What are the version numbers for msoe.dll.

Version number below (in "original post"):

2: You added some posts/replies, but I don't know what the original problem
was. I could Google, but...........

Here are my first seven posts. That should get us up to date.

_ Original post:

OE 6.00.2900.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)
XP Pro Version 2002 SP2

I'm having stability problems with OE6 after an install of SP2 and
the other recent batch of XP security patches from Microsoft. I'm
seeing a couple of different behaviors:

1) When switching identities, OE can crash during the switch. If I
attempt to restart it, OE will say another instance is already
running. I will have to kill msimn.exe before I can restart OE.

2) If OE doesn't crash when switching identities, then at some point
fairly soon I will be unable to open a message. Several dialogs will
open when this happens, concluding with an insufficient memory
dialog.

I will have to exit OE and, again, kill msimn.exe before I can
restart OE and open a few messages before the problem re-occurs.

It's acting like a memory leak of some sort, but I can't find any
support or KB entries for this problem on the MS support pages.

Any help appreciated. I don't want to switch mail clients if I don't
have to!

_ Second post:

Nospam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote...
If this happened immediately after installing SP2 and its updates, was your
anti-virus running when you downloaded SP2? The can often prevent a clean
install.

Remove SP2 via Add/Remove Programs, (the updates will be removed at that
time automatically). If it is working well now, download SP2 again with your
A/V disabled. Also have it disabled when you download the updates again.

Run a Defrag after you're done.

Thanks, Bruce -- I'll give it a go tonight.

_ Third post:

Nospam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote...
If this happened immediately after installing SP2 and its updates, was your
anti-virus running when you downloaded SP2? The can often prevent a clean
install.

Remove SP2 via Add/Remove Programs, (the updates will be removed at that
time automatically). If it is working well now, download SP2 again with your
A/V disabled. Also have it disabled when you download the updates again.

Run a Defrag after you're done.

Alright, I've done this -- remove SP2, test OE. Works great. D

Deactivate AV, reinstall SP2, reboot, re-deactivate AV, reinstall
other patches, OE crashes silently when "switching user".

Looks like I gotta find another mail client. 8(

_ Fourth post:

Nospam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote...
Order a free SP2 CD and see if you and get it to work that way. Something is
preventing a clean install.

Free SP2 CD:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/sp2/cdorder/en_us/default.mspx

OK, I've ordered the CD. Hopefully now there's only 4-6 more weeks
of this baloney.

Thanks for your assistance, Bruce.

_ Fifth post (false negative):

I was able to get OE6 to behave itself:

From Bruce Hagen's suggestions:

1) uninstalled SP2
2) turned off anti-virus
3) reinstalled SP2
4) reinstalled latest MS XP patches
5) defragmented drive
6) turned on anti-virus

When that didn't solve the issue:

7) noticed that a few OE mailboxes were listed as "unable to
defragment" in the defrag report ([5], above)

8) created a couple of folders and filtered messages out of those
mailboxes to make them smaller

9) let OE compact its files

10) Voila! Stability restored.

11) ran defrag again, just for grins

Thanks Bruce. Hope this helps someone else with this problem.

_ Sixth post:

Nospam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote...
YW & Glad it's fixed.

Spoke too soon. It ran like a bat out of hell for about 20 minutes,
and now it's back to its old tricks.

Not sure what you mean by *Mailboxes*. POP3 accounts don't use them.
Possibly you mean the Inbox and other folders that Message Rules were
filtering mail into?

Yes, that's what I meant. I'm obviously quite the OE expert.

I've ordered the SP2 CD, but I can't wait 4-6 weeks to have a
functioning email client.

In the event I opt to cross my fingers and wait it out, I'm saving
your general OE advice:

Thanks again. Wish the reward for your efforts was better.

General Outlook Express advice:

Do not archive mail in default OE folders. They will eventually become
corrupt. Create your own user defined folders for storing mail and move your
mail to them. Empty Deleted Items folder regularly. Keep user created
folders under 100MB, and Default folders as empty as is feasible.

After you are done, follow up by compacting your folders manually while
working *offline* and do it often.

Click on Outlook Express at the top of the folder tree so no folders are
open. Then: File | Work Offline (or double click Working Online in the
Status Bar). File | Folder | Compact all folders. Don't touch anything until
the compacting is completed.

In Tools | Options | Maintenance: Uncheck Compact messages in background and
leave it unchecked. {N/A if running XP/SP2}.

Turn off e-mail scanning in your anti-virus program. It is a redundant layer
of protection that eats up CPUs and causes a multitude of problems such as
time-outs and account setting changes. Your up-to-date A/V program will
continue to protect you sufficiently.

Clear the Temporary Internet Files often. In IE | Tools | Internet Options |
Delete Files button. And check the box to Delete Offline content.

And backup often.

Backup and Restore:

http://www.insideoutlookexpress.com/backup/

http://www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx

http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx

_ Seventh post:

Nospam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote...
The CD may well come sooner. The 4 to 6 was when they were getting hundreds
of requests a day.

Have you checked for Spyware & Malware, etc.? Seems hard to believe the
problems you are having.

Thoroughly checked. (I'm a software engineer, albeit for Unix
systems.) I had this exact OE problem with the original XP Pro (pre-
SP1). Posted on microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers in July '03.

Dell computer, XP Pro pre-loaded, etc. SP1 fixed it. Ran without a
hitch for 3 years until this bit with SP2.

Download and run these freeware tools to check for problems and run them
often. Use the option to Check For Updates prior to every use.

AdAware SE:
http://www.lavasoft.de/

SpyBot S & D:
http://beam.to/spybotsd

CWShredder:
http://www.intermute.com/products/cwshredder.html

I'll make sure to hang on to this thread and hope you will post back with
positive results, no matter when.

Good luck, S. S.

Thanks, Bruce. I'll post any good news. :)

.

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