WinXP/Outlook Express/Office 97....

[TheDoctor]

I am running Windows XP Professional (2600)

I recently decided to install a version of MS Office as I did not yet have any version installed.

I seem to have lost my Office 2000 CD...grrr 😡 , but I did manage to find a copy of Office 97 Pro.

I went about my ways and installed a full install of Office 97 onto my WinXp system.

The problem started here, after I rebooted I got a bit worried when I went to check my email. Office 97 installed Outlook 97 over Outlook Express. (Or so it seemed)

I didn't want to use Outlook 97 at all, so I thought the best thing to do was just to simply uninstall Outlook. I did this, rebooted and noticed that it didn't repair any of my Outlook Express (OE v6 btw) icons or shortcuts.

SHOCK...HORROR!!.. I thought that Outlook had overwritten Outlook Express and then when I uninstalled Outlook, I thought that it took Outlook Express with it.

Anyway, I found that OE was still installed and proceeded to created some new shortcuts to the Outlook Express executable.

All was fine untill Outlook Express opened and told me that it was not the default mail client. Grrr again... So I left the little checkbox enabled and clicked YES (OE is the default).

The problem now starts everytime I open either Outlook Express OR Internet Explorer (v6). Both programs fail to STAY as the default mail client/internet browser. They both open and tell me that they are not the default mail client/browser.

My question is:
Why is this STILL happening?
What is reclaiming the default status for both browsing and email?
Is it Office 97?
Is their a registry key that I can edit to manually tell Windows that I want OE as default mail and IE as default browser?

All help appreciated.

-TheDoctor

 

[Qumahlin]

just see what program a html file on your harddrive points to if you double click on it...I had that problem once before..I just told it I didn't want to make it the default, and not to notify me again and it still worked fine and everything opened fine so ah well 🙂

hope that helps

 

[Lactic.Acid]

In your internet settings under default programs, check that OE is selected, not Outlook. My guess is there's a reg key resetting the default to Outlook (how nice of MS to "repair" these errors for you, eh?) Either reinstall or hunt th MS KB for a solution if nothing else works.
/L.A

 

[TheDoctor]

Re: WinXP/Outlook Express problem...

Interestingly, I checked Internet Explorer Properties for a sign of Outlook Express being my default mail client.
In the Programs tab and under Email, I CANNOT select any program. OE is, however, selected as default news reader.

I am now sure that there has to be a reg key that corresponds to this problem, but a search on the MS KB has turned up absolutely nothing.

Anybody else with the same problem?
Anybody found a solution?

Regards,
-TheDoctor