microsoft, windows

Cannot open the Outlook window – what sort of error message is that?

404 Comments

I’m actually enjoying Outlook 2007 on my desktop, especially since applying the February patch. It opens in a couple of seconds even from cold. I’m running on Vista 64-bit, and not using cached Exchange mode.

Until today, that is. Started Outlook and got this bewildering message:

This Microsoft article suggested I might not have a default gateway. That was nonsense; so I opened Mail setup (I can get to this through the Properties of the Outlook shortcut), clicked Show Profiles, added a new profile and set the new one as default.

Outlook works fine now. I’m not impressed with the error message though.

Update

While using a new profile works, there is an easier fix as noted in many of the comments to this post. You can run Outlook with the /resetnavpane argument. Here’s the step by step:

1. Press Windows key and R together to open the Run dialog.

2. In the Open field, type:

outlook.exe /resetnavpane

image

Note: there is a space between outlook.exe and /resetnavpane. There are no other spaces in what you have to type.

3. Click OK. Outlook should open.

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404 thoughts on “Cannot open the Outlook window – what sort of error message is that?”

  1. Thanks everyone for all your help- what a stupid message to get up and no way of accessing outlook to fix it. Just followed your instructions and seems perfect…Run outlook.exe /resetnavpane
    Not sure why this happens or if it will do it again?? Any answers?? Thanks again.

  2. I did as the above suggested. I typed “run” in the “start search” space of my program files. I then typed “Run outlook.exe /resetnavpane” in the run program, and it opened up my Outlook Express and my email now works again! Thank you all!!!

  3. cannot start microsoft outlook.cannot open outlook window…that is the message I am getting…if you could please help I would appreciate it thankyou Gail

  4. Thanks! I have been trying for days to open my outlook folder!! I ran typed the ‘outlook.exe /resetnavpane’ into the search section at the start button, double clicked and hey presto – it opened. Thank guys

  5. Thanks for the post. I accessed outlook profiles via control panel/mail and set up a new profile as above. It created a new PST file but once I had outlook up and running I went into data file management and pointed it at the original pst file, I then got all my emails, folders and calender entries back. Thanks again for the help.

  6. Had same problem and done as you said

    Start pane then RUN and taped it outlook.exe /resetnavpane

    Outlook opened ok right away.

    Thanks guys

    I’ve been so destroyed by this error can’t understand either.

  10. I don’ t undestand where to type in run outlook.exe /navpane I opened properties and entered it under add a profile – I am so frustrated. please help

  15. It works however when I started up again I had to do it again…is there a permanent fix?

  19. Great Fix. I looked all over the internet. Everyone else had different(more complicated) fixes.
    Thanks
    OS Windows 7 64 bit
    OutlooK 2007

  21. Tim, I have the same problem as the crowd, however, I need to do this everyday upon start-up. I’ve already tried MS repair with the disc…didn’t fix. I’ve also tried changing the extend.dat to extend.old. Is there a permanent fix for my problem?

    Thank You
    Christine

  22. @Christine

    Did you try the other option, deleting the Outlook profile?

    The other obvious thing to check would be any add-ins that you can disable.

    Tim

  23. Marvellous solution! A million thanks. If only I found this site five hours ago to save me a dull Monday morning………….

  24. Wow..fast reply! I did disable add-ins by typing in outlook /a in the run box. Didn’t work either. Not sure how to delete the profile. Thank you Tim

    Christine

  25. Fantastic! It worked perfectly. Hope it will fix this permanently. You are a lifesaver!!! Thanks Tim.

    Jude

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