created a second account from system admin. account. Was in the process of cofiguring OE email program. Not sure what I did wrong, but when I try to open the address book, I get a message:

Cannot open address book. The address book may be installed improperly.

Can find no where to try to correct this matter. Can anyone advise?

Hi nondaj,

Search for your address book - Start, Find Files, All Files, use *.wab as the search term. It should be named {username}.wab. If you find more than one instance of the address book then the correct one will be that with the latest 'Date Modified'.

Navigate to the file, right click and select Properties. Make sure the Read Only box is unchecked. If it is already unchecked then try the following:

Copy the .wab file to a new location (C:\ or Desktop or anywhere you can find it again). Go back to the original file and rename it by changing .wab to .old (ignore the warning about changing file extensions). If you now start Outlook Express it should open with no warnings, but also no contacts (OE will create a new blank address book). Go to File, Import, Address Book and navigate to the copy you made. Click OK and your old addresses should be imported into the new blank address book.

Did as suggested but my 'search' brought up 'nothing'! I must really have made a "boo boo".

Also OE seems to be deteriorating more. I now can download email but cannot open it nor use any feature on the toolbar. Error message is:

There was an error opening this message.
An error has occurred.

I tried an MS help idea of reinstalling OE but could not find a way to do so. Is it possible? I searched the WinXP installation disc but was unable to come up with anything there.

Try reinstalling Internet Explorer as OE is part of it. Also run "sfc /scannow" without the quotes as you may have a corrupted system file.

cannot get the sfc scannow to run - monitor just flashes and nothing runs. Do not know how to reinstall Internet Explorer - can advise?

Sorry, possibly did not give you enough info.

Click Start>run - type in "sfc /scannow" without quotes and hit enter.

To reinstall I/E go to the following link:

http://www.filehippo.com/download_internet_explorer/

and choose the one you want. Either I/E 6 or the latest version of I/E 7.

Post back and let me know how you go.

got scannow to run but unfortunately it ended and I was not at my PC so not sure what to pursue next via this tip.

I tried to find a place to download IE6 but MS does not make it easy. Every place I clicked referred me to RegFix which on the surface sounds free but does not fix anything unless you buy it.

Would not mind investing in a Registry 'fixer' but have done so already and use it. So if it is supposed to be so good why do all these other 'free' registry fix programs scan my PC and find as many as close to a 1000 errors. Does not sound like what I purchased does much good. So not willing to make another investment in a registry cleaner program until I get a concensus from people/techs about what program is really good and effective.

Only other solution is to download IE7 which says it comes with a new Outlook Express program which it seems would fix my problem I am having here.

So with this accomplished so far, do you have a Reg. Fix program you consider good? Will start my research of all such now.

I really get 'bent out of shape' (and I am being polite in using this term) re all these programs that go to such lengths to offer free programs to 'fix' all your registry problems - until one discovers only the scan is free.

The link in my previous post leads to a download of I/E 7 or I/E 6. I/E 6 is down the right hand side at the bottom. So have another look there.

As regards to a reg cleaner, the only one I would go for is CClean. It also does a general clean as well and is free. I have been using it for a long time.

http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/

Set it up as per attached files. When running reg clean part make sure to save before deleting.

CCleanerIssues.gif
Description:
Filesize:	19.71 KB
Viewed:	31 Time(s)

Clipboard02.jpg
Description:
Filesize:	59.19 KB
Viewed:	31 Time(s)

Tried several different ways to read your CCleaner configuration but was unable to decipher anything - all was too blurred.

I do have CCleaner but am just learning how to use it. Maybe the web site has some instructions there?

Re IE6 - still not go. MS is surely pushing IE7. Found where the IE6 is on right side of page. Clicking it threw me into another page where again IE 6 is listed on right side but you cannot get a cursor hand to open it. IE 6 listed on left side of this page but each listing throws you to a IE 7 page to download it OR to a link of that Reg Cleaner someone is pushing people to buy. Am sure IE6 is around somewhere may just have to hunt a great deal for it.

May I ask what you are using and if IE7 do you have XP or Vista?

Hey hey just checked my Downloads file and lo and behold I have an IE 6 download long before. I always save all my downloads because I experienced once before looking for a program that MS was phasing out and one could not find it anywhere for love nor money:)

So maybe this old download I still have will suffice?

I run XP2 with I/E 7 and have been for some time. It is a lot safer than I/E 6.

In regards to CCleaner settings.

In Cleaner tick Internet Explorer, History, Recently Typed URLs, Windows Explorer, Recent Documents, Run (In Start Menu), Search Autocomplete, Other Explorer MRUs, System, Temporary Files, Clipboard, Memory Dumps, Chkdsk File Fragments, Window Log Files, Start Menu Shortcuts, Desktop Shortcuts, Advanced and Old prefetch Data.

In Issue Scanning Settings tick ActiveX and Class Issues, Applications, Application Paths, Obsolete Software, Run At Startup, MUI Cache, File Integrity, Start Menu Shortcuts and Desktop Shortcuts.

I hope it all makes sense to you. Post back if you are still having problems. I will be off the air for a while as it is nearly 17.30 here and time to eat.

Great will copy and set my CCleaner to these specs. Thanks so much. Maybe I should consider IE 7 then as I have XP 2 also. Worth giving it a try. Let you know how I make out. Again thanks for all of your help.

Have installed IE7 and had great hope that a new Outlook Exp. would be installed also. But having same problems. Can advise how to reinstall OE - so far have not found on web site.

Nondaj, not much joy here. I found a couple more links you may want to check out. Did you take a restore point before adding identities? If so you can go back to it. Also I am surprised you are unable to find a WAB file. Make sure you use your main keyboard for the * (above the 8 ) not the numeric keypad.

Here are the links. If no success it may be good idea to post it again.

http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.aspx?query=repair+outlook+express&dg=microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie6_outlookexpress&cat=en_US_1af493e1-1831-4a23-a891-078634d05944&lang=en&cr=US&pt=&catlist=&dglist=&ptlist=&exp=&sloc=en-us

BE CAREFUL WITH LINK BELOW - IT DOWNLOADS I/E 6 FOR SP1

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=1e1550cb-5e5d-48f5-b02b-20b602228de6&DisplayLang=en

Even my XP reference book did not help this time.

I tried that *.wab again but still came up with nothing - very strange. When I go into C drive and find OE folder, there is a wab file sitting there. Do not understand it.

Thanks for the links - will research them out and see what I can come up with. So far all the help I have seen is directed towards working in the registry. I am a bit 'chicken' about that so until something else comes along will just have to stick with my present email program which is Thunderbird. It does seem to be functioning fairly well so cannot complain.

Do thank you though for all your help, ideas and suggestions. Nice not to be alone with a problem even though we did not progress too much towards resolution.

If any resolution appears to resolve the situation will try to find this post to let you know what I was able to do so you can tuck the info away for further use for others.

There are more settings for CCleaner which I omitted to post. I'll do them after AAW 2007 has run tonight. BTW I found 4 WAB files on my PC so that is definitely your problem. Send me a PM or email when you have a solution as I am interested what it is and how to fix it.

Here is a safe reg cleaner from M$

RegClean.zip
Description:		Download
Filename:	RegClean.zip
Filesize:	334.87 KB
Downloaded:	27 Time(s)