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?”

  3. I tried it also. I was on the point on re-installing Outlook. The suggestion of typing outlook.exe /navpane in the run window worked perfectly. Thank you so much. Now I dare not turn off my computer. I hope I can access it again.

  4. I faced the same problem and was very upset but thanks to the solution that i tried this and opened like magic.

    thanks.

  5. You are a life save I have spent 10 hours today trying to fix this issue and you have fixed it in 2 seconds xxxx many thanks

  8. Perfect! Thanks for the note about the space btw exe and / and how to get to run. I found these instructions elsewhere but not with the space data or how to get to run. I love you!

  9. Great solution, you rock! Got no where on MS website, took me 2 secdonds to read your solution and got ‘er up and running, thanks a ton!

  10. Thank you so much!!! Thought I was up the creek without a paddle!! Need to remember to put a space after the exe before the forward slash. For some reason it couldn’t find it without one. Others may know this but I didn’t. Thanks again.

  11. It all starts with an automatic Windows update, and things just disappear.
    Thanks so much, spent hours scanning, cleaning, checking EVERYTHING and here you are with a 30 second fix!!!
    Great job, thank you

  12. How brilliant was that – an answer that actually worked!! I could type all of the comments and thanks as above but I won’t!! – suffice to say the outlook.exe /resetnavpane solution worked and I am so grateful. Thank you.

  13. This worked!

    My itunes stopped working at the same time, started getting the error message The song blah blah blah could not be used because the original file could not be found.

    Are these two things related???

    Thanks

  14. Thanks a lot! Another guy told excatly the same answer, but did mention space between outlook.exe and /resetnavpane. Thanks dude
    Pramod

  15. Thank you!!!!!!!! The space thing was throwing me off. Thanks for making it so clear.

  16. Thanks who ever you are. I was really struck until you came along. Well done and thank you for sharing your knowledge.

  17. wow. iot worked and quick. I was hella stressed, all my work contacts are in my outlook. 😉

  18. Thanks, worked like a charm. The MSFT knowledge base is Brer Rabbit’s briar patch. This made it easy.

  19. I have tried the fix for 2 days and well over 10 times, but it doesn’t help me. Let me give you the entire message I am getting and perhaps my problem is deeper than all the others. Here is what I am told when my Outlook shuts right down again each time, even after trying outlook.exe /resetnavpane: Cannot start Microsoft Outlook. Cannot open the Outlook window. The set of folders cannot be opened. The file C:UsersCharlieAppDataLocalMicrosoftOutlookOutlook.pst is not a personal folders file.

    I am remebering to put the space after exe so I know that is not the issue.
    I am completely baffled. Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated!

  20. @Charlie

    If you get the message that outlook.pst is not a personal folders file, I’d guess that the file is corrupt. There are repair utilities that might help, or you could try deleting it and creating a new one, or deleting the profile. I’d also check the hard drive in case it is failing – if so, you will get more problems.

    Tim

  23. Thank you ….this worked for me, i encountered the problem after syncing my iphone

  25. Dear Tim,
    i’ve defragmented my C drive and later i am facing exactly the same problem as Charlie above.

    Cannot start Microsoft Outlook. Cannot open the Outlook window. The set of folders cannot be opened. The file C:UsersTU@GAAppDataLocalMicrosoftOutlookOutlook.pst is not a personal folders file.

    Then by your suggestion i checked Event Viewer and noticed a lot ERRORs under Source and Session Microsoft Office 12. Don’t know what to do!? What kind of repair utilities are u suggesting and what will happen if i delete profile? will i loose all my mails etc? Please, please advise. Thank you…………

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