Outlook 2007 Reading Pane Crash Problem -- Help!

[pjmpjm]

I'm running Vista Business with Outlook 2007 (latest update installed).

After about a week of operation of the newly updated Outlook 2007, I
suddenly found that whenever I tried to view an e-mail message by double
clicking on it, or by opening the reading pane, Outlook stopped operating. It
produced an error message and shut down.

(I think the problem began to happen right after I re-booted after receiving
the regular Microsoft Vista updates on this past Wednesday. There were five
of them (Vista updates) that were installed upon rebooting. This factor may
be unrelated to the problem.)

The continuing failure to view an e-mail happens with any message (and I've
tried hundreds by now) so the problem isn't related to a specific, badly
behaving e-mail message.

All other functions of Outlook continue to operate normally. E-mail comes in
and goes out. I can compose messages normally. I can move messages to various
folders. Rules and alerts work. Archiving works.

I can also reply and forward e-mail normally. In fact, this is now the only
way I can read my e-mail. I 'reply' to it and then read it in the newly
opened message! Obviously, this is extremely awkward.

I have now disabled all Outlook add-ins except for the indexer.

Starting Outlook in SAFE mode doesn't make any difference.

There are more details I can provide if anyone can try to help me.

I've taken many, many more steps over the past week and can outline them. I
won't list them here so as to keep my problem statement brief.

Thank you very much for any advice anyone can offer. This problem is ruining
my enjoyment of e-mail!

Patrick in Australia

[pjmpjm]

A follow-up to my statement of my Outlook 2007 crashing problem (whenever I try to view a message by double-clicking or with the Reading Pane) -- here are selections from the Vista Event Viewer:

Here are the WARNING and ERROR messages:

8:41pm
OUTLOOK.EXE
12.0.6014.5000
46031a52
mspst32.dll
12.0.6014.5000
4603165b
c0000005
0007cd9c
1214
01c794821a375cd8

8:42pm
2 user registry handles leaked from
\Registry\User\S-1-5-21-1573256379-3222886877-3485941756-1003: Process 664
(\Device\HarddiskVolume3\Windows\System32\winlogon.exe) has opened key
\REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-1573256379-3222886877-3485941756-1003 Process 960
(\Device\HarddiskVolume3\Windows\System32\svchost.exe) has opened key
\REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-1573256379-3222886877-3485941756-1003

8:49pm
Microsoft Office Outlook
Outlook has detected a problem with the existing NormalEmail.dotm. Would
you like to create a new NormalEmail.dotm?

9:06pm
OUTLOOK.EXE
12.0.6014.5000
46031a52
mspst32.dll
12.0.6014.5000
4603165b
c0000005
0007cd9c
538
01c794858088f140

9:07pm
Context: Windows Application, SystemIndex Catalog Details: A server error
occurred. Check that the server is available. (0x80041206)
URL mapi://{s-1-5-21-1573256379-3222886877-3485941756-1003}/

9:09pm

OUTLOOK.EXE
12.0.6014.5000
46031a52
mspst32.dll
12.0.6014.5000
4603165b
c0000005
0007ce2b
1068
01c79485d1ab34c0

9:48pm
Context: Windows Application, SystemIndex Catalog Details: A server error
occurred. Check that the server is available. (0x80041206)
URL mapi://{s-1-5-21-1573256379-3222886877-3485941756-1003}/

I've used SCANPST on both outlook.pst and archive.pst without any improvement. I also used a freeware registry cleaner which found errors and fixed them -- but without any improvement to my crashing problem.

Any ideas will be much appreciated!

Thanks from

Patrick in Australia

[Keith_Clark]

Allo Patrick,

I pulled my hair out with this issue also. I found your posts on 5 separate forums, I've replied to two.

I work for a computer company and I have been experiencing the same problem with a client for the last 3 weeks. I had taken all of the steps that you have mentioned to include: updating windows, office updates, uninstalling and reinstalling, repairing, running virus and anti-spyware, etc.

My symptoms were somewhat the same, Outlook would crash frequently when it was first installed, eventually you couldn't read any mail without it crashing. If you dig into the crash reports Office tries to send, it will tell you that it has a faulting module mscvr80.dll.

Of course, the errors in the event log were very generic and all they say is that it crashed. As you mentioned, the reading panel may show up as a disabled item as a result of the crashes, but that is not actually indicative of the issue, just a side effect of the crash.

This problem appears to have been created on this particular machine by the Symantec Antivirus 10.1 Exchange client extension. Workstation had Symantec Antivirus Corporate version 10.1.0.394

I disabled this by going to: Tools................Trust Center..............Add-ins...........Manage...........Exchange Client Extensions

If I have time, I'll update this client to 10.1.5.5000 and see if the issue re-occurs. I have a feeling it may not, as I have installed this client on other workstations with current antivirus.

Hope it helps, good luck!!

Keith

[Keith_Clark]

Hello,

I have again confirmed that it was a Symantec issue with Microsoft Outlook 2007.

First, I disabled the Exchange client extension.
Afterwards I uninstalled Symantec, rebooted, and reinstalled the exact same version (didn't have a new one handy yet)
Re-enabled the Exchange client extension in Outlook and VOILA,

Everything magically works beautifully now. A good guess would be that Office install conflicts with the Symantec version of a shared file. - maybe this mscvr80.dll file that Outlook complains about.

Refer to my previous post for how to find the client extension box in Outlook.

Keith

[pjmpjm]

Hello again Keith

I've just made my way through all the forums I'm following and have found your messages here as well!

Thanks again for your advice!

I won't repeat all that I wrote in the previous forum, except to say that Symantec isn't installed on my computer, so isn't the culprit here. However, the same type of issue may be involved, so your input is very useful. It may also help others who are having similar troubles with Outlook 2007 and its Reading Pane but who haven't posted anywhere.

I'll be in touch later in the weekend (late Friday night here in Australia) and give feedback, one way or another, about my *complete* re-install of Office 2007.

I'm getting very tired of reading e-mail via the Reply and Forward functions!

Best wishes

Patrick in Australia

patrick@mpx.com.au