Accounts (2000 SP-3)

[hlewton]

unkamunka,

Thanks.

[jscher2000]

Sorry to hear this is not working correctly.

> I guess the next thing would be to try to uninstall and reinstall just Outlook if that is possible.

I don't know if that's possible. Make a good backup of everything, just in case.

Does your spam filter plug in to Outlook? Which product is it? If it doesn't have its own convenient interface to allow you to disable it temporarily for testing, you can uncheck it in the COM Add-ins dialog (perhaps under Tools>Options>Other>Advanced, or use the Customize dialog to drag a button onto your menu bar for quick access). Because anti-spam add-ins and anti-virus add-ins intercept message downloading, they could be causing issues. Perhaps they can be uninstalled and reinstalled before you undertake the bigger effort.

> I just noticed another strange thing that Outlook just started doing yesterday. It is delivering copies
> of emails I have already received.

If your download aborts prematurely, Outlook or the server (I'm not sure whose fault it is) fails to note the partial progress and when you check again, you get that and more. There is, if I recall correctly, a file whose name starts with rhc somewhere on the computer that tracks the last downloaded message. I doubt that this file is editable in any useful way, but if there were a lock on that file that prevented Outlook from updating it, that could cause a lot of problems. Just a wild theory.

[jkipk]

Since this just started occurring have you considered doing a System Restore? There are times that I have looked back through the SR points to see what and when new stuff was installed/changed, and tried to figure out problems that way. You can always "redo" the System Restore if it does nothing and/or the wrong thing. I haven't seen any squawking in the newsgroups etc any problem like this related to a critical update or some such, but it wouldn't be the first time.....

kip

[hlewton]

Jscher2000,

Does your spam filter plug in to Outlook? Which product is it? If it doesn't have its own convenient interface to allow you to disable it temporarily for testing, Yes it is very easy to turn it off. It is Spam Sleuth by Blue Squirrel. But, I also have it on the other machine that works correctly.

If your download aborts prematurely, Outlook or the server (I'm not sure whose fault it is) fails to note the partial progress and when you check again, you get that and more. I don

[hlewton]

jkipk,

I had actually thought about that but I can't exactly pinpoint the time. I'm not entirely certain what I would lose doing a "System Restore." Do I lose the latest emails I have received since the time I choose for the restore and do I lose the latest data files I have created since that point in time? I think I do not lose the data files but I'm not sure about emails. I can go back about 4 weeks but I'd like to know for sure what I'd lose in the process.

If nothing else, even though I have a lot of hours invested in setting up this machine, I'm thinking of taking it back to my computer builder and starting over fresh again.

Thanks

[unkamunka]

Emails are data. Thus they are not lost when doing System Restore.

[hlewton]

unkamunda,

Thanks for the info.

[jscher2000]

> Spam Sleuth by Blue Squirrel

Well, this program has two different modes: one where it stores your mail locally at user-defined intervals (POP3 Proxy) and one where it plucks spam off the server (leaving legitimate messages) at user-defined intervals. Please confirm that the configuration is identical on both PCs.

Let me assume you're using POP3 Proxy mode. To test whether it is Spam Sleuth that is going down during the switching, try shutting it down (right-click its tray icon, Exit) and restarting it individually. If that restores your ability to check mail from Outlook, I would try to uninstall and reinstall the program.

But if you are using the POP3 Proxy mode, then you should never get double messages because all the messages are being cached locally. Ahhhhh....

[hlewton]

Jscher2000,

Please confirm that the configuration is identical on both PCs. Spam Sleuth is set identical on both machines and it is in what is called

[hlewton]

kip,

I have chosen 2 System Restore points and get the same message with both that my computer cannot be restored to that point. I believe it is because the Recycle Bin has been emptied and/or RegCleaner had been run recently.

I think System Restore is functioning properly because I created a new restore point and did not empty the recycle bin or run RegCleaner and was able to restore to that point. Who would have thunk it?

Thanks.

[jkipk]

You may still be able to glean a little info from SR, by looking at the name of the restore points. For example, Windows Update creates a restore point before installing an update, and so if you were to know the approx date of a snafu, and looked at SR, you might see "installed xp update xxxxx". That might lead you to try and uninstall that patch manually and see if it helped. I realize this is not going to probably help in this particular case, but SR can provide some tracking information as to changes on your computer whether or not you actually run a Restore.

I wonder if this tact may help: Make copies of your .pst files, and then delete the accounts, and also delete the .pst files from where Outlook stores them. This would give you a "clean" Outlook. Then re make the accounts, and copy the .psts back. This would be less involved than uninstalling Outlook, and may (or may not) jolt Outlook back into behaving itself.

Please be quite careful if you attempt this. I do not in any way wish for you to lose anything!!!

[hlewton]

kip,

Thanks for all the good info. I am waiting on a call now from a friend who helps me when I get in over my head like now. I will try the ".pst" thing and go from there.

Again, thanks.

[hlewton]

I have found the cause of my problem and DaveA was probably right on and I didn't fully understand what to look for. Even though I shutdown Outlook and check the task manager and it doesn't show it running on the "Applications" tab it does sometimes show it running on the "Processes" tab. If I end the process from the

[DaveA]

Sorry I was NOT cleqr about checking the "Processes".

Do you have a Pocket PC or Palm attached? or running a Fax program? These will all keep Outlook running. You are JUST going to have to check Task manager and the processes.

[hlewton]

DaveA,

I think you probably was clear enough I just didn't even think to check the "Processes" tab.

I don't have either a FAX or a Palm PC attached.

Thanks for the help.