Outlook stops responding when you open or create new messages (319045)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Outlook 2002
  • Microsoft Outlook 2000
This article was previously published under Q319045

SYMPTOMS

If you attempt to open or create a new message in Outlook 2000, the program may stop responding.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur because the following files are corrupted:
  • The Outcmd.dat file.
  • The Extend.dat file.
  • The Frmcache.dat file.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this behavior, rename the corrupted files and then run the Detect and Repair utility to replace them. To do this, follow these steps:

NOTE: Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.
  1. On the taskbar, click Start, and then click Search.
  2. In the Search Results dialog box, click All files and folders under Search Companion.
  3. In the All or part of the file name box, type outcmd.dat, and then click Search.
  4. In the right-hand pane, right-click the Outcmd.dat file, and then click Rename.
  5. Type outcmd.old, and then press ENTER.
  6. Repeat steps 2 to 4 to rename "Extend.dat" to "Extend.old" and "Frmcache.dat" to "Frmcache.old."
  7. Start Microsoft Outlook.
  8. On the Help menu, click Detect and Repair.
  9. In the Detect and Repair dialog box, click to select the Restore my shortcuts while repairing check box, and then click Start. Follow the instructions on your screen to complete the repair process. The Detect and Repair utility recreates the files you renamed.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:1/7/2006
Keywords:kbRepair kbcorrupt kbprb ocsso KB319045
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