Author Topic: HELP !!! Outlook corruption (Read 23170 times)

Carol Haynes · « **on:** October 24, 2007, 01:09 PM »

I am really SOOOOOOOOOOO (!!) frustrated.

I have been checking my Outlook PST file recently regularly and have found that EVERY time I open Outlook and close it again my PST file has "Minor inconsistencies". I don't have to do anything in outlook, like check emails, open emails or anything else - just Open app, close app => corrupt PST!

Has anyone else experienced this?

I have WinXP SP2, Office 2003 Pro.

With Outlook I have NOD32 and AdMuncher running ( both of which at least read incoming stuff) and also POPfile.

I have tried the following:

Fix the file using SCANPST - it then scans clean until next time Outlook is run.
Run "Office Detect And Repair", Delete profile and create new profile. Import mail from old PST file.
Reduce the size of PST file (currently 27Mb), repeat 2.
Change file format (Outlook 2003 can use 2003 format or XP/2002 format), repeat 2
Disable AdMuncher/NOD32 OMON and EMON/Remove POPfile

Nothing I do makes any difference at all.

Has anyone got any ideas how to troubleshoot this? There are no error messages unless I manually run SCANPST on my PST file. The log produced during the fix process tells me nothing at all:

Microsoft (R) Inbox Repair Tool
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp 1995-1996. All rights reserved.

**Beginning NDB recovery

**Attempting to open database

**Attempting to validate header

**Attempting to validate AMap

**Attempting to validate BBT

**Attempting to validate NBT

**Attempting to validate BBT refcounts

**Attempting to validate header NID high-water marks

**Beginning PST/OST recovery

**Attempting to recover all top-level objects

**Attempting to walk all folders

**Attempting to locate any orphaned folders/messages

**Attempting to check top-level objects for consistency

**Updating folder hierarchy

**Attempting to fix original file

**Attempting to copy back BBT

**Attempting to copy back NBT

There are absolutley no error message

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #1 on:** October 24, 2007, 01:18 PM »

Follow up - I just set up Outlook with a brand new empty PST file.

I set it as my default PST file (where emails are received) and after downloading 2 emails only the new file has errors (not even minor inconsistencies).

I set my old file as an additional PST that opens with Outlook and there are no issues when I open and look at emails etc..

It seems to be related to being the main PST file in the profile!

Strangely the fixing process actually makes the file BIGGER !! A chunk is added to the end of the file and just a few bites near the beginning are changed.

Armando · « **Reply #2 on:** October 24, 2007, 10:26 PM »

This is weird, Carol. I've never these kind of problems with Outlook (2003), even after BSODs, X1 crashes, and other similar disasters.
Is your Hard Drive in perfect shape? Any special Outlook extensions?

Ralf Maximus · « **Reply #3 on:** October 24, 2007, 11:00 PM »

Virus scanner? Maybe it's not letting go when it should...

I've heard unkind things about Office 2003 service pack 3, which came out last month. Its "enhanced security" prevents some ActiveX controls, macros and VBA from running, which may be timing out and leaving active handles.

What service packs have you applied?

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #4 on:** October 25, 2007, 04:33 AM »

This is weird, Carol. I've never these kind of problems with Outlook (2003), even after BSODs, X1 crashes, and other similar disasters. Is your Hard Drive in perfect shape? Any special Outlook extensions?
-Armando (October 24, 2007, 10:26 PM)

I too had issues like this with X1 - I have been experimenting recently with various desktop searches but they have all been unistalled now and the problem persists. Hard disc seems fine. The only extension I have is Attachment Options, an Evernote button and a SnagIt toolbar - all of which have installed for ages (in some cases years) without problems.

Virus scanner? Maybe it's not letting go when it should...
-Ralf Maximus (October 24, 2007, 11:00 PM)

NOD32 - I have tried disabling DMON and EMON which means it should not look at documents in Outlook at all - but it doesn't solve the problem. I have been using NOD32 for years without issues and there have been no recent updates to the program.

I've heard unkind things about Office 2003 service pack 3, which came out last month. Its "enhanced security" prevents some ActiveX controls, macros and VBA from running, which may be timing out and leaving active handles.

What service packs have you applied?

I applied SP3 - perhaps I was too hasty - maybe I should uninstall it again and see what happens!

Ralf Maximus · « **Reply #5 on:** October 25, 2007, 07:49 AM »

After reading through the newsgroups, a *lot* of people are experiencing bizarre problems after SP3. Some are running just fine. Many are surprised to discover they HAVE service pack 3, as it seems to have downloaded & installed itself automatically.

The biggest problems with Outlook have to do with sending/receiving mail (it won't), the IMAP interface breaking, inability to create new accounts, and failure of add-ons and 3rd party software that "violates" Microsoft's new security policy. Only a few users have these problems, and nobody appears to have all of them.

Office's document imaging is completely and universally hosed after SP3.

The most alarming trend is that some (not all users) report they are unable to open documents saved in prior versions of Office, unless those documents are placed in a special "Exception" folder (?) as defined by the Office Administration tools. Apparently, the new security model considers documents in pre-2003 format to be dangerous by default.

There is rabid speculation that it's is a ploy to force users to upgrade to 2007 (which does not do any of this) but if that were the case, you'd expect to see EVERY service pack 3 user ranting... I mean, who doesn't work with Office 97/2000/XP documents occasionally? Personally, I think it's a bug. A bug in a stupidly conceived security patch -- backwards compatibility is *critical* in a business environment.

And here's the bad news: you can't uninstall SP3. There's simply no option for it. The only way to get rid of it is to either (a) roll back to a restore point prior to SP3, or (b) uninstall/reinstall Office 2003 and stop short of SP3.

One newsgroup poster who did the reinstall got everything working again, then reported that the next day SP3 was back! Automatic updates had helpfully downloaded & reinstalled the update, complete with a system reboot.

Good luck, Carol. Hope you have a backup image you can use...

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #6 on:** October 25, 2007, 08:04 AM »

What a complete PITA !!!

Why can't MS get its act together - apparently this applies to all Office 2003 service packs. They don't mind leaving useless shit scattered all over random partitions so why can't they leave the files required for a roll back!

For anyone interested here is the MS KB article relating to uninstalling Office 2003 service packs

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/873125

Darwin · « **Reply #7 on:** October 25, 2007, 08:07 AM »

One newsgroup poster who did the reinstall got everything working again, then reported that the next day SP3 was back! Automatic updates had helpfully downloaded & reinstalled the update, complete with a system reboot.

Could also be the installer lurking in a user folder somewhere and being set to run on restart. I've had this problem with other software packages - for example QuickTime and iTunes. You uninstall them and all is well, reboot and lo and behold their back! Creepy. Just a thought.

Ralf Maximus · « **Reply #8 on:** October 25, 2007, 09:21 AM »

Could also be the installer lurking in a user folder somewhere and being set to run on restart.

Ooooh, good thought. This ties in with the "SP3 wants to reboot" issue. It's commonly reported that SP3 automatically reboots the PC, but some workstations fail to shutdown for whatever reason. SP3 is 98% installed but awaiting reboot. The user then does stuff (like reinstall Office) and upon a manual reboot, hilarity ensues.

I swear, there's enough material here for an entire season of CSI:Windows.

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #9 on:** October 25, 2007, 09:38 AM »

LOL ...

I am not smiling too broadly in case I invoke the wrath of the windows gods but I seem to have fixed it by reinstalling Office from scratch.

I rebooted and got offered SP3 by automatic update but declined and told it never to offer it again.

So far I haven't got SP3 reappearing and having just downloaded about 50 emails my PST file wasn't corrupted at all. Fingers crossed - I will keep an eye on it over the next couple of weeks.

It also feels much nippier!

Armando · « **Reply #10 on:** October 25, 2007, 10:03 AM »

Wow. Frightening, amazing and shoddy at the same time.

At least your problem seems to have been solved!!!

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #11 on:** October 25, 2007, 10:41 AM »

We live in hope - I have just applied SP2 and all the pre-SP3 updates.

So far I have set up about 10 rules, reorganised emails etc., compacted my main PST file without problem.

Ralf Maximus · « **Reply #12 on:** October 25, 2007, 10:47 AM »

W00t!

Now I don't have to taunt you about Thunderbird. :-)

J-Mac · « **Reply #13 on:** January 29, 2008, 01:18 PM »

Sorry to rehash an older thread, but I read that Microsoft is just now putting out the MS Office SP3 on Microsoft Updates. Apparently, despite earlier reports that SP3 was being "stealth-installed with other Windows critical patches, it has never actually been available via automatic updates - at least according to Microsoft. They say they have been holding back on releasing it through the Updates system to allow enterprise users and developers time to thoroughly test it. Here's an article about this:

http://blogs.pcmag.com/securitywatch/2007/09/office_2003_sp3.php

I personally had only read an occasional blog post attributing various strange behaviors noticed after installing this service pack. (It has been available via manual download since September 2007). But now I see that MS has intentionally disabled several Office features due to FUZZ testing they have done to determine the latest security risks - real or potential. Ouch! Carol, no wonder you were seeing some confusing behavior in your Outlook's functions!

One disabled feature that surprised me is that Office will no linger allow saving nor opening the TIFF image format. Yeah, but almost every other imaging app still does use this format - and every fax machine ever built, I think!

Way to go, Bill!

Jim

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #14 on:** February 06, 2008, 04:01 AM »

Apparently you can still open TIFF files but there are a number of file formats that are not available in SP3.

Here are a few articles:

Main Office 2003 SP3 info page

Restoring missing file formats

Relating to TIFF

Having said all that there is still no info about other issues being resolved or SP3 having been updated since its original release.

MS are now pushing it as a critical update but if you go to Windows Update via a web browser (eg. in IE Tools > Windows Update) you can elect to have MS not offer those updates again and they then don't appear in automatic updates either.

Personally I am sticking at SP2 until there is some real reason to make the change.

J-Mac · « **Reply #15 on:** February 06, 2008, 04:23 PM »

Thanks for that, Carol. I'm sticking with SP2 here also.

Jim

Cloq · « **Reply #16 on:** February 06, 2008, 08:27 PM »

We live in hope - I have just applied SP2 and all the pre-SP3 updates.

So far I have set up about 10 rules, reorganised emails etc., compacted my main PST file without problem.
-Carol Haynes (October 25, 2007, 10:41 AM)

You might want to give www.aid4mail.com a shot just in case you want to try another email program, aid4mail does a great job exporting/importing into various email clients.

Ex-Outlook user here. Started with TheBat!.. was lured by Outlooks all in one interface and functionality.. was good till I couldn't open my pst folder one day. I am still not sure to this day if it was an update or if outlook crashing on me that may have caused corruption. long story short, went back to TheBat.

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #17 on:** February 07, 2008, 05:47 AM »

Yes - I looked at Aid4Mail before but I think it is quite pricey for what it does.

I am finding MailStore Home a really useful archive and search engine for emails. The great thing is you can add a load of PST files into your Outlook profile, get Mailstore to archive and index them and then remove the PST files from your profile again. Mailstore still has access to all the archived emails so you can then dump off all the old PST files to a backup and still have access to all your email without having to load PST files).

I recently emailed them about some missing features and they are planning a MailStore Plus sometime soon which will lift some of the restrictions of the free version.

Armando · « **Reply #18 on:** February 07, 2008, 10:52 AM »

I am finding MailStore Home a really useful archive and search engine for emails
-Carol Haynes (February 07, 2008, 05:47 AM)

Thanks for the info Carol. And what kind of archiving format is MailStore Home using... do you know?

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #19 on:** February 07, 2008, 11:00 AM »

I'm not sure but you can export emails to Outlook, Outlook Express amongst others ... see:

If you export to disc or CD/DVD it outputs individual emails in .eml format. You can also export the whole archive in one go to a folder set with .eml versions of the emails - they can then be imported into many apps, and you can import them back into MailStore too.

Within the program you can search your archive and also preview your emails in the built in viewer (though you don't see the graphics). Emails can automatically be viewed in a range of applications directly from Mailstore if you want to see it in its original format and get to attachments.

The only restriction on the free home version that I find irritating is that you set up profiles for different sources and you are restricted to 3 profiles in the version. That isn't a problem if you use Outlook, Thunderbird or Outlook Express but if you have multiple IMAP email accounts (say in GMail) each IMAP account needs its own profile.

Armando · « **Reply #20 on:** February 07, 2008, 11:08 AM »

I see! Thanks you very much Carol.

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #21 on:** October 16, 2008, 02:53 PM »

zwr, it would have been polite to mention that you are related to that product and how. No body really minds people promoting their own products provided they are up front about it.

Having said that I have looked at AOR in the past myself when looking for a solution but at $250 you would have to be damn sure there was lots of missing data that you couldn't live without.

BigJim · « **Reply #22 on:** October 16, 2008, 03:42 PM »

I'll second both of your comments, Carol. You'd have to hav a lot more money than sense to need/want that package!

jgpaiva · « **Reply #23 on:** October 25, 2008, 10:33 AM »

Since reply 21 on this thread was posted, the user posted again recommending the same software, but this time with exactly the same words he used to promote this software on the whole web (tens of results for parts of the text of the post).
Thus, I removed the other post and banned him.

Cloq · « **Reply #24 on:** October 25, 2008, 03:27 PM »

Dang.. I am glad your issue was solved and fixed, Carol!

I just recently switched to Outlook 2007 (made more sense since I now own a wm6 smartphone). Good thing I haven't downloaded any SP's for it.