uninstalling /reinstalling won't fix anything that Help, Detect and Repair
(or Office Diagnostics) won't fix. There are files left behind under your
windows under acct folder that won't be removed in an uninstall.

have you tried making a new profile? go to control panel, mail and add a new
profile. (leave the existing one in place for now.)

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook 2007: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/

Outlook Tips by email:


Outlook Tips: http://www.outlook-tips.net/
Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com
Subscribe to Exchange Messaging Outlook newsletter:




"Ralph" wrote in message
...
Diane,

Thanks for getting back. This problem of mine has been frustrating beyond
belief.

I even used some command switches and got back the same error message
cannot
open default folders.Information store will not open. When setting up an
IMAP
the "Testing Connection" doesn't seem to appear.

This entire problem started when I attempted to add a connection to an
exixting profile. At that point the program seemed to freeze and than I
started on this round.

My main account is through AOL and I've used IMAP settings. This works
fine
on my desktop computer. I can't understand why this problem on my laptop.

Do I understand you to mean that Outlook cannot be cleanly reinstalled at
any time?


"Diane Poremsky {MVP}" wrote:

Yeah, its not very good as an IMAP client.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook 2007: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/

Outlook Tips by email:


Outlook Tips: http://www.outlook-tips.net/
Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com
Subscribe to Exchange Messaging Outlook newsletter:




"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote in message
...
(which isn't saying much.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Diane Poremsky {MVP}" wrote in message
news:8BBCE4C3-B234-4604-853D-

- its pure IMAP now, which outlook supports as well it does any other
IMAP account.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook 2007: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/

Outlook Tips by email:


Outlook Tips: http://www.outlook-tips.net/
Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com
Subscribe to Exchange Messaging Outlook newsletter:

....as posted yesterday.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Diane Poremsky {MVP}" wrote in message
...
uninstalling /reinstalling won't fix anything that Help, Detect and Repair
(or Office Diagnostics) won't fix. There are files left behind under your
windows under acct folder that won't be removed in an uninstall.

have you tried making a new profile? go to control panel, mail and add a
new profile. (leave the existing one in place for now.)

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook 2007: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/

Outlook Tips by email:


Outlook Tips: http://www.outlook-tips.net/
Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com
Subscribe to Exchange Messaging Outlook newsletter:




"Ralph" wrote in message
...
Diane,

Thanks for getting back. This problem of mine has been frustrating beyond
belief.

I even used some command switches and got back the same error message
cannot
open default folders.Information store will not open. When setting up an
IMAP
the "Testing Connection" doesn't seem to appear.

This entire problem started when I attempted to add a connection to an
exixting profile. At that point the program seemed to freeze and than I
started on this round.

My main account is through AOL and I've used IMAP settings. This works
fine
on my desktop computer. I can't understand why this problem on my laptop.

Do I understand you to mean that Outlook cannot be cleanly reinstalled at
any time?


"Diane Poremsky {MVP}" wrote:

Yeah, its not very good as an IMAP client.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook 2007: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/

Outlook Tips by email:


Outlook Tips: http://www.outlook-tips.net/
Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com
Subscribe to Exchange Messaging Outlook newsletter:




"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote in message
...
(which isn't saying much.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Diane Poremsky {MVP}" wrote in message
news:8BBCE4C3-B234-4604-853D-

- its pure IMAP now, which outlook supports as well it does any
other
IMAP account.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook 2007: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/

Outlook Tips by email:


Outlook Tips: http://www.outlook-tips.net/
Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com
Subscribe to Exchange Messaging Outlook newsletter:

Ralph wrote:

I'm really a novice at this. I don't know what is meant by
"information store" I only know what the eror message said

I set up AOL using an IMAP type to connect, if this is what you
meant. Could you be more specific.

If you're using an IMAP account, then Outlook is probably complaining that
you haven't created a default folder set. IMAP folders can never be the
default folders, so Outlook needs a PST (Personal Folders file) that can be
the default. In Control Panel, run the Mail applet and click the Data Files
button. What do you see?
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

Brian,

I'm a little confused. I do run Outlook on my main desktop computer using
AOL as my default mail. I use the same exact settings and still can't open
the program.

Nevertheless, on this computer(laptop running Vista) I did set up another
account using POP3 through Road Runner.
And still won't open However I did what you suggested and checked the data
file and this is what it showed:

Personal Folder C:\User\Ralph\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\Outl ook4.pst

Is there anyway I can open the Outlook program without email accounts just
to get to my address book?
"Brian Tillman" wrote:

Ralph wrote:

I'm really a novice at this. I don't know what is meant by
"information store" I only know what the eror message said

I set up AOL using an IMAP type to connect, if this is what you
meant. Could you be more specific.

If you're using an IMAP account, then Outlook is probably complaining that
you haven't created a default folder set. IMAP folders can never be the
default folders, so Outlook needs a PST (Personal Folders file) that can be
the default. In Control Panel, run the Mail applet and click the Data Files
button. What do you see?
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

Ralph wrote:

I'm a little confused. I do run Outlook on my main desktop computer
using AOL as my default mail. I use the same exact settings and still
can't open the program.

I never said the IMAP account could be the default account. I said the IMAP
folders can't be the delivery location folders.

Nevertheless, on this computer(laptop running Vista) I did set up
another account using POP3 through Road Runner.
And still won't open However I did what you suggested and checked the
data file and this is what it showed:

Personal Folder
C:\User\Ralph\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\Outl ook4.pst

And is that PST the one used for the delivery location?

Is there anyway I can open the Outlook program without email accounts
just to get to my address book?

A new mail profile with no email accounts should work.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

I had a little more success. I deleted all my mail profiles. The program than
openned with a Welcome screen saying "Welcome to Outlook? would you like to
open an email account. I filled in "no" the next screen showed and than this
error message appeared " Unable to open email folder. Outlook could not start
because a data file to send and receive emails could not be found.To add a
data, double click on the mail folder icon in Window control panel.

I did that and than the same old message came on saying unable to open
default folders. Information store could not be found"

At this point I'm more than willing to just have my address book and have
the account open. Any more suggestions?

Thanks,

Ralph

"Brian Tillman" wrote:

Ralph wrote:

I'm a little confused. I do run Outlook on my main desktop computer
using AOL as my default mail. I use the same exact settings and still
can't open the program.

I never said the IMAP account could be the default account. I said the IMAP
folders can't be the delivery location folders.

Nevertheless, on this computer(laptop running Vista) I did set up
another account using POP3 through Road Runner.
And still won't open However I did what you suggested and checked the
data file and this is what it showed:

Personal Folder
C:\User\Ralph\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\Outl ook4.pst

And is that PST the one used for the delivery location?

Is there anyway I can open the Outlook program without email accounts
just to get to my address book?

A new mail profile with no email accounts should work.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

Ralph wrote:

I had a little more success. I deleted all my mail profiles. The
program than openned with a Welcome screen saying "Welcome to
Outlook? would you like to open an email account. I filled in "no"
the next screen showed and than this error message appeared " Unable
to open email folder. Outlook could not start because a data file to
send and receive emails could not be found.To add a data, double
click on the mail folder icon in Window control panel.

With Outlook closed, go into Control Panel, run the Mail applet, click Show
Profiles, then Add to add a new profile whose name is different from any
existing profile, then click the Data Files button to add a PST (since you
need one even if you have no mail account). Select the option to always
choose this new profile so that it always opens. Do all this prep before
starting Outlook. Close out of the Mail applet and start Outlook. You may
be asked if you want to create a mail account. Answer No. Outlook should
open with a full set of folders but no account. You'll get the choice to
continue with the no mail configuration. If you have an existing PST with
contacts in it, use FileOpenOutlook Data File to open it. Open its
Contacts folder, select all the items in that folder with Ctrl-A, then click
EditCopy to Folder, specifying the default Contacts folder as the
destintion. Do this with any folder in the old PST that contains data you
want to keep, like the Calendar (although you'll need to display it in a
table view before Ctrl-A will work). When you have all the data you wish,
right-click the old PST's root and choose Close.

I tried all this myself, so I know it works.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

Brian,

I did everything you said, I went to mail applet ect. I did not create a
mail account.

I got back the original error message "Unable to open your default email"
"The information store could not be openned"
"Brian Tillman" wrote:

Ralph wrote:

I had a little more success. I deleted all my mail profiles. The
program than openned with a Welcome screen saying "Welcome to
Outlook? would you like to open an email account. I filled in "no"
the next screen showed and than this error message appeared " Unable
to open email folder. Outlook could not start because a data file to
send and receive emails could not be found.To add a data, double
click on the mail folder icon in Window control panel.

With Outlook closed, go into Control Panel, run the Mail applet, click Show
Profiles, then Add to add a new profile whose name is different from any
existing profile, then click the Data Files button to add a PST (since you
need one even if you have no mail account). Select the option to always
choose this new profile so that it always opens. Do all this prep before
starting Outlook. Close out of the Mail applet and start Outlook. You may
be asked if you want to create a mail account. Answer No. Outlook should
open with a full set of folders but no account. You'll get the choice to
continue with the no mail configuration. If you have an existing PST with
contacts in it, use FileOpenOutlook Data File to open it. Open its
Contacts folder, select all the items in that folder with Ctrl-A, then click
EditCopy to Folder, specifying the default Contacts folder as the
destintion. Do this with any folder in the old PST that contains data you
want to keep, like the Calendar (although you'll need to display it in a
table view before Ctrl-A will work). When you have all the data you wish,
right-click the old PST's root and choose Close.

I tried all this myself, so I know it works.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

Ralph wrote:

I did everything you said, I went to mail applet ect. I did not
create a mail account.

I got back the original error message "Unable to open your default
email" "The information store could not be openned"

I'd say you have something outside of Outlook incorrectly configured on your
system; possible Windows user profile issues or file ownership problems.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

He should create a mail account first. Outlook may require that before it
can create a data file.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Brian Tillman" wrote in message
...
Ralph wrote:

I did everything you said, I went to mail applet ect. I did not
create a mail account.

I got back the original error message "Unable to open your default
email" "The information store could not be openned"

I'd say you have something outside of Outlook incorrectly configured on
your system; possible Windows user profile issues or file ownership
problems.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]