OL97: Troubleshooting Outlook Bar Problems

ID: Q162248

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Outlook 97

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, you should first make a backup copy of the registry files (System.dat and User.dat). Both are hidden files in the Windows folder.

SUMMARY

This article describes steps you can take to troubleshoot Outlook Bar display and behavior problems that may occur in Microsoft Outlook 97.

MORE INFORMATION

Display Problems

Display problems include the inability to turn the Outlook Bar on or off or an improperly positioned Outlook Bar. The Outlook Bar display is set in the Windows Registry.

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall Windows. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the Changing Keys And Values Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe). Note that you should make a backup copy of the registry files (System.dat and User.dat) before you edit the registry.

If you are experiencing display problems, quit all programs. Next, back up your System.dat and User.dat files. Finally, use the Windows Registry Editor to delete the following Registry key:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Outlook\ 
   Office Explorer\Frame

The next time you start Outlook, this Registry key is rebuilt automatically.

Behavior Problems

Outlook Bar behavior problems include shortcuts that do not work or error messages when you use the Outlook Bar. You can rebuild the Outlook Bar by starting Outlook with the command-line switch, /ResetOutlookBar. Rebuilding the Outlook Bar will remove any custom shortcuts. Follow these steps to use this command-line switch:

1. In Windows 95 or Windows NT Workstation 4.0, use the right mouse button

   to click the Microsoft Outlook icon, click Properties, and then click
   the Shortcut tab.

   In Windows NT Workstation 3.51, click the Microsoft Outlook icon, and
   then click Properties on the File menu.

2. In the Target box or the Command Line box, type the path to the

   Microsoft Outlook application file, type a space after the path,
   and then type /ResetOutlookBar.

   NOTE: If any path listed in the Target box (or Command Line box)
   contains spaces, such as C:\Program Files, you must enclose the path
   in quotation marks and use the correct case for each character in the
   path. The /ResetOutlookBar switch must go outside the quotation marks.

3. Start Outlook from the modified icon.

If the reset command-line switch does not solve the problem, search your hard drive for "*.fav" (without the quotation marks). Your search should find a .fav file for each profile. The file format is "Profile Name.fav". Back up and delete the .fav file for the profile that contains the problem Outlook Bar. The next time you restart Outlook with the same profile, it recreates, the *.fav file. Because the *.fav file contains Outlook Bar settings, this procedure removes any custom shortcuts.

REFERENCES

For more information about other command line switches, type "control" in the Office Assistant, click Search, and then click to view "Control what happens when you start Outlook."

For additional information about undocumented command-line switches, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q156982
   TITLE     : OL97: Additional Command-Line Switches for Microsoft
               Outlook

For more information on Outlook Bar and Shortcut issues, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID:  Q163147
   TITLE     :  OL97: Error in the Shortcuts File Starting or Quitting
                      Outlook

Additional query words: 97

Keywords          : GnlUif 
Version           : WINDOWS:97
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: June 3, 1998