Outlook 2000 is being a dick and won't download my emails.

Gabriel_Pitt

I'm having a weird problem with Outlook 2000 on my computer running XP with SP 3. When I try and download e-mails, the status bar will sit there and keep trying to DL the first one, until the operation times out. If I try and manipulate any of my folders or the messages there in, the whole thing locks up for a minute or so, until I get a message saying, "C:\Documents and Settings\Mainichi Yasumi\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\dgw.pst can not be accessed."

When I look for it manually, I can only get as deep as the 'Mainichi Yasumi' folder. 'Local Settings' is in there, I can't make another folder with that name because it already exists, but I can't make it show up. If I go to folder options and tell it to show all hidden files and folders, it still doesn't show up. I have to type the entire sequence into the address bar in order to reach the outlook folder. When I type the full address in, I can see the dgw.pst file sitting there in the folder, and I wonder if my inability to make the hidden folders show up has something to do with why Outlook is crapping out.

Does anyone have some advice on what's going awry here? I've checked to make sure my system is virus and malware free, have finely combed the registry to make sure everything is right there, uninstalled and reinstalled Outlook, everything except reinstalling XP. Any suggestions people can offer would be appreciated.

Draygo

Local settings is a system folder and is hidden by default.

In XP open My Computer
Click Tools at the top
Click Folder options in the tools menu.
Select the view tab at the top of the Folder Options Dialog box.
In the list below you will see a folder icon and the words "Hidden files and folders"
Click the radio button that says "Show hidden files and folders"
Uncheck the box 2 down from that that says "Hide protected operating system files (recommended)

Press ok

Browse to your C:\Documents and Settings\Mainichi Yasumi folder and you should now see Local Settings

Alternatively when you open up my computer make sure the address bar is displayed and just type it in manually.

Another method is to go to your control panel (classic view), click mail, click data files, then you can select the data file you are having issues with and open the file location to get into that folder.

HOWEVER.

Your problem is probably caused by that file being too big. I recommend archiving or deleting emails older than 2 years, or bigger than 1mb to free up some room. Alternatively you can create a new pst file and have all new mail delivered to that file, and you can keep the old pst file open so you can read any legacy mail. Make sure you remember to empty your deleted items folder after cleaning out your mailbox, the filesize will not decrease until this is done.

If the file size is not the issue it may be caused by corruption, which the answer is to use the repair tools provided by microsoft to fix the file. For more info: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/272227

If you need further assistance go ahead and post a reply. Also so I can help you better please tell me the total size of the .pst file you are having issues with.

Gabriel_Pitt

I didn't think about filesize, and my job requires the tossing around of lots of big files. It's at 1.99 gb right now.

I'd already unchecked the 'hide protected files' box, and the folders still weren't showing up.

Anything I try and do to change files, such as deleting any, or trying to empty my deleted items box gets me the 'cannot be accessed' error. Would a newer version of Outlook be able to handle a file that size, or am I screwed because XP hates 2 GB+ files?

Assuming that it's the size of the PST file that's the problem, I'll try archiving my the older e-mails and see if that clears things up.

Draygo

Outlook 2000 does not support pst files that are at or exceeding 2 GB.

This is precisely why it cannot write to the file anymore (doing so will make the pst file exceed 2 GB). This problem is not caused by your operating system it is simply a limitation in Outlook 2000.

Making room or creating a new pst file for your mail will solve your problem.

Gabriel_Pitt

Well, I tried deleting and archiving, but that made it really mad. Archiving first, but I got the same error message about not being able to access the .pst file, so I tried deleting one folder that I knew had a few big files attached to the e-mails, and actually got it to the deleted items folder, but when I tried to empty it, Explorer locked up, and then told me errors were detected in the pst file, and I needed to run Inbox Repair tool.

I did that, and it made it through the first phase, and then told me 'an error occurred which caused the scan to be stopped.'

If I try and open outlook it tells me the file cannont be accessed, do I want to create a new one.

Have I well and truly broken Outlook 2000? If I can get a newer XP compatible release of Outlook, will it be able to recover the file, or have I borked things good?

Draygo

For now create a new pst file and have mail delivered to that new pst file.

I can try to help you with getting that pst file repaired but there is always a chance its borked beyond repair.

Newer versions of outlook will not be able to read or repair it. Its a matter of getting the repair tool to run all the way through.

Gabriel_Pitt

I made a new pst file to start sending new mail to, and I've been able to partially restore what I lost - I made a backup pst as soon as the problem cropped up, and while it saved my inbox, a lot of my inbox sub folders didn't get copied over - (hence why the backup came in at 1.3 gb, I suppose). That is information I would like to retrieve if possible. The scanpst exe I tried to run was off the Office 2000 cd - I tried dling the one from the microsoft link that you provided above, but it failed to install, saying that one of the required scripts was missing. It didn't tell me which one though, just that I should contact my support personnel, or package vendor. :P Could the missing script be what was tripping up the scanpst from the CD too?

Draygo

the fixits typically need .net framework installed. So try updating your .NET by downloading the redistributable and see if that allows the fixit to run without problems. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/netframework/aa569263

And no it isnt likely that its the same script thats tripping up scanpst. Copying your error messages verbatim will help me help you find solutions.

also

when you first ran scanpst.exe it should have automatically backed up your outlook file. Considering you corrupted it when you attempted to delete messages from it you can try to open the backup. The filename should be outlook.pst.bak where outlook is the name of the original pst file. It should be located in the outlook folder under that local settings tree. Remember to copy the backup and rename the copied file, this way if you screw it up again you wont lose anything.

Further reading: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/287497