can't move/delete emails

[Bill H.]

Running Outlook 2002, sp3 on winxp home.

Version is now 10.6515.6626.

They can no longer send/receive email, nor move or delete messages in any
folder. However, we were able to delete msgs from the deleted folder, but
can't move/delete msgs from any other folder. There are three stuck in the
outbox.

The error msg (one of them) is "messaging interface has returned an unknown
error...try restarting Outlook" which does not help (restarting). Another
error msg is "can't move item" when we try to delete/drag stuff. I found
something about this that implied a fix was in sp1, but it was at sp2 before
I updated to sp3, and still the problem. Yes, the .pst file is 1.92 Mb.

How can we fix this? And isn't XP (or Outlook for that matter) supposed to
avoid the problem of >2gb files?

Thanks.

 

[Brian Tillman]

They can no longer send/receive email, nor move or delete messages in
any folder. However, we were able to delete msgs from the deleted
folder, but can't move/delete msgs from any other folder. There are
three stuck in the outbox.

First remove the ones stuck in the Outbox. See
http://www.howto-outlook.com/faq/messagestuckinoutbox.htm
Also, empty your Sent Items folder, if you can. Then use the Inbox Repair
Tool to check your PST for errors.

How can we fix this? And isn't XP (or Outlook for that matter)
supposed to avoid the problem of >2gb files?

No. Outlook 2003 is the version that overcame the 2GB PST limit.

 

[Bill H.]

Where is the inbox repair tool?

First remove the ones stuck in the Outbox. See
http://www.howto-outlook.com/faq/messagestuckinoutbox.htm
Also, empty your Sent Items folder, if you can. Then use the Inbox Repair
Tool to check your PST for errors.


No. Outlook 2003 is the version that overcame the 2GB PST limit.

 

[Brian Tillman]

Where is the inbox repair tool?

%CommonProgramFIles%\System\MSMAPI\1033\scanpst.exe

 

[Bill H.]

Niether worked. :-(

I made a new outlook folder and set it to default. Upon restarting, got a
msg about "do you want to import into the new folder" and I said no. Still
could not delete the msgs in the "old" outbox.

Ran the repair tool anyway, and it found no errors.

Used windows explorer to delete the "new" .pst and now outlook has this
additional "personal folder" that I can't delete. :-(

What now??

Thanks.

 

[Bill H.]

Say, would upgrading to Outlook 2003 fix the problem? Or just bring the
problem (can't send, can't delete) to the new version?

Thanks.

 

[Brian Tillman]

Used windows explorer to delete the "new" .pst and now outlook has
this additional "personal folder" that I can't delete. :-(

Deleting a PST before closing it within Outlook is a sure-fire way to
corrupt your mail profile. You'll now need to create a new one.

 

[Bill H.]

well, I had outlook closed before I deleted the "new" .pst file, so that's
OK, right?

 

[Brian Tillman]

well, I had outlook closed before I deleted the "new" .pst file, so
that's OK, right?

No. You must close the file within Outlook as well in order to remove it
from the profile.

 

[Bill H.]

How do I blow away the Outlook .pst file and get a new, fresh, uncorrupted
one? Does it work like OE where you just delete the files and when it
restarts, the missing files are rebuilt?

I'm thinking about copying all the emails to separate folders NOT in
outlook, starting over with a fresh .pst file, and then copying back in all
the emails (but keeping the .pst filesize lower).

Sound like a plan?

Thanks!

Bill

 

[Brian Tillman]

How do I blow away the Outlook .pst file and get a new, fresh,
uncorrupted one? Does it work like OE where you just delete the
files and when it restarts, the missing files are rebuilt?

FIle>New>Outlook Data File. After creating it, make it your delivery
location at the bottom left of Tools>E-mail Accounts>Next.

I'm thinking about copying all the emails to separate folders NOT in
outlook, starting over with a fresh .pst file, and then copying back
in all the emails (but keeping the .pst filesize lower).

Sound like a plan?

No. Create a new PST as above, make it your delivery location, and copy
from your old PST to the new that data you wish to keep. When done, close
the old PST in Outlook and stop Outlook. You can then delete the old PST.