Q. What are the most common problems with Outlook Express?

A. Users of Outlook Express are probably quite used to various error messages that occur from time to time. These can make little sense, but are actually quite common. One of the most frequently seen error message looks like this:

Outlook Express could not be started because Msoe.dll could not be initialized

There are a few others, but they are pretty much variations on a theme.

Q. Why do these errors commonly occur?

A. At times, there may simply be a glitch that causes OE to malfunction temporarily. In other cases, the software may be corrupted. This is common after a bad shutdown or if your computer crashes while OE is open. However, there are a few easy fixes that you can try.

Q. How do I fix this problem?

A. First, close OE and then shut down your computer. Do not use the Restart function, but do a complete shut down. Let it sit for a few minutes and turn it back on. Restart OE. If the problem occurs again, you may have a corrupted file. If not, it was merely a fleeting error and nothing to be worried about.

If the problem does keep occurring, here’s what you can do. First, close OE and then reopen it and select work offline. You don’t want any new mail messages coming in during this process. Go to File/Folders/Compact and run the compacting tool. This will usually solve minor problems and allow OE to rebuild it’s file structure. Once again, close OE and restart it.

Now, if the problem keeps occurring, chances are that your main DBX file is corrupt. Save any important email addresses and close OE. Now, go to your hard drive/program files/outlook express/Store folder. Look for all the DBX files in this folder. Create a new folder and put all of these files into it. Now, reopen OE and let it rebuild its own structure. It may take a few minutes to complete.

Although this fix is very effective, it will remove your old mail in most cases. However, it is usually the best way to get OE back on track.

Q. How do I keep from having this happen again?

A. Although you really can’t make OE behave beautifully you can take steps to minimize the damage it causes if you do get an error. Go back to where you found your DBX files and save all of them to a USB drive. Now, if the error occurs again, you will be able to simply use these files to overwrite the ones that are corrupt. Try to backup these files once a week or more often if you have a heavy volume of email. That way you can reduce the amount of mail that you lose if a crash occurs. Always remember to shut down OE properly by using the File/Close feature. Never leave OE open when you shut down your computer, since this is the number one cause for DBX file failures.