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Outlook Express 6.0 in XP Opens Slow

Discussion in 'Internet Explorer & Microsoft Edge' started by tvjohns, 2003/03/03.

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  1. 2003/03/03
    tvjohns

    tvjohns Inactive Thread Starter

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    My Problem:
    Outlook Express 6.0 has recently started opening *very slowly* on a Dell computer I bought in Nov. '02. This is a P-4 2.0 GHz machine running XP, with 512 MB of RAM onboard. This is my first experience with XP, which so far I find considerably inferior to Win98, despite XP's vaunted stability (the sucker still locks up, just w/out the happy BSOD).

    I have read, but NOT yet tried, the standard litany of fixes for this problem:

    "A corruption of one or more of the following files: psbase.dll, pstorec.dll, pstorerc.dll and pstores.exe. Extract fresh copies from your IE6 installation files using System File Checker." "Corruption or removal of imagehlp.dll," re-install that one. Re-install Outlook Express [that one sounds unnecessarily difficult, but typical of Microsoft's idea of "new and improved"].

    My Questions:
    #1: I have run SFC (System File Checker) with the /scannow switch, which is supposed to check for any changed or corrupted files. It didn't flag anything as changed or corrupted.

    Given this clean report, should I bother going through the hassle of re-installing psbase.dll, pstorec.dll, pstorerc.dll, pstores.exe, imagehlp.dll, etc?

    More precisely, can I trust the SFC report of "no changed files" as reliable and accurate, meaning I needn't bother with re-installing the files---OR does any knowledgable person here know better and recommend that I replace the files anyway?

    Question #2: To re-install the files, I am used to exiting to a DOS prompt and copying new versions over old. I understand I'm not supposed to be able to get to a DOS outside of Windows XP and, please correct me if I'm wrong, I assume I can't do the new-file-copy-over-old routine from a DOS window. From my reading, I have the impression I should be able to do these file replacements from the Windows Recovery Console, which sounds like XP's version of a crippled-up DOS. Is this so?

    Question #3: Will just downloading and installing the latest version of IE/OE, or the latest Service Pak be likely to solve my problem, instead of going through all this file replacement hassle? [My version of OE is 6.00.2600.0000 (xpclient.010817-1148)]

    Any advice, i.e., step-by-step routines, you can give me on this problem will be much appreciated--AND if anyone knows of a simpler method to fix OE 6.0, AS WELL AS other causes and solutions for this slow-opening problem, I should also be glad to hear about it.

    Thanks very much for your time and attention.
     
  2. 2003/03/03
    Abraxas

    Abraxas Inactive

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    It is unfortunate that your experiences with XP are not all happy ones. My experience has been the opposite and I think XP is by far the best OS I have ever used. Getting used to it after 9x was not easy since it requires some changes in thinking.

    If your machine is "locking up ", then there is something wrong with it. This is not the normal state of affairs.

    SFC is very rudimentary in XP (and does not exist in ME) since System File Protection effectively obviates the need or usefulness for it. It gives no report--it simply replaces files with the originals from the disk if they have changed. That is one reason that it is not advisable to use it---upgraded files are replaced with older versions. The SFC tool in SP1 seems more discriminating---it seems to me that it does not replace upgraded files. But its use is still not recommended.

    There are a number of reasons why OE may be slow, from too many files in Deleted or boxes, to tweaks that remove the Messenger from popping up. If you have done any of these things, please advise us.

    Rather than trying a patch here and there, I'd suggest just reinstalling OE to see if that solves your problem.

    The files you mention can be easily replaced from the command line or the really very functional Recovery Console, but I'd suggest doing the whole job:

    How to Reinstall or Repair Internet Explorer and Outlook Express in Windows XP
    http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;130510

    If you have not installed the service pack, I'd highly recommend it.

    Categorized List of Fixes in Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1)
    http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=/support/ServicePacks/Windows/XP/SP1FixList.asp

    Service Pack 1a is exactly the same as 1 without MS Java Virtual Machine. That can be downloaded separately, if you like.
     
    Last edited: 2003/03/03

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  4. 2003/03/04
    Bmoore1129

    Bmoore1129 Geek Member

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    tvjohns

    When I cold boot in the morning, my OE did open slowly (about 30 sec). I replaced the imagehlp.dll from IEMIL_2.cab and that changed to about 10 seconds. After that, OE opens almost instantly. It just takes a little longer on first open in the morning.

    I went to XP from 98se and have not had a screen freeze and have not had to reset even once. I did a clean install.

    Abraxas

    Your first link doesn't go where it is supposed to.

    I did the messenger tweak. I have removed messenger. Does that make some difference?

    Agree about SFC. A look at the MS site reveals that SFC is a Beta program. I had some questions about it on another thread and have decided not to use the thing again. I liked the way it worked in 98se. I wonder why it doesn't at least work like that in XP.
     
  5. 2003/03/04
    Abraxas

    Abraxas Inactive

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    Thanks, Bill. That link to repair IE/OE should be:
    http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;318378

    You'll find a lot of useful and similar tweaks to the OE fix at this site:
    http://www.tweakxp.com/tweakxp/display.asp?id=108

    The sfc thing did work well in 98 (though keeping it updated took some work). But XP is a different animal. I'd rather see it removed completely. With SFP, the ease of repair installation, and being able to expand files from the command prompt, sfc in the NT kernel does more harm than good.

    SFC is by nature incompatible with SFP. Why would a file check be needed if SFP automatically replaces changed/corrupted files? And which file should SFP protect, the updated file or the known good one on the CD? One exception---I hacked uxtheme.dll and needed to give permission for that to replace the original file. If I had done that a lot, some of the files in XP would not have been the original versions.
     
    Last edited: 2003/03/04
  6. 2003/03/06
    tvjohns

    tvjohns Inactive Thread Starter

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    Abraxas, et. al.,

    Thanks for your help, your time and attention is much appreciated. I had indeed canceled out MSN Messenger--I don't like the newer versions and seldom use the older version I do like from my Windows 98 days.

    The link to TweakXP.com showing the Registry edit did the trick for me. I reproduce it here below for any others who may find it useful:

    Wrom: JJPHSCRTNHGSWZIDREXCAXZOWCONEUQZ

    "For some users when they remove windows messenger or just disable it from starting up automatically they experience a great slow down when launching Outlook express.

    "Users who experience such a slow down will find a error in the system error log saying

    " 'The server {FB7199AB-79BF-11D2-8D94-0000F875C541} did not register with DCOM within the required timeout.'

    "The solution this problem is quite simple. Just Open up regedit and search for the string {FB7199AB-79BF-11D2-8D94-0000F875C541}§ and modify the keys InProc32 and LocalServer32 default key to a empty string (i.e., double-click on the value in the right pane of Regedit and delete text so it remains blank--I always export a KEY to a RegEdits folder before such an edit as a safeguard, tvj).

    "After a reboot, Outlook will start up as fast as possible. "

    I recommend everyone bookmark

    http://www.tweakxp.com/tweakxp/

    Thanks again, TV Johns
     
  7. 2003/03/06
    Abraxas

    Abraxas Inactive

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    Thanks for letting us know. Big problems often have small solutions.
     
  8. 2003/03/06
    Bmoore1129

    Bmoore1129 Geek Member

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    I try to go to the tweakxp link (yours or tvjohn's) and I get:

    Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server error '80040e14'

    The log file for database 'V014U43QED' is full. Back up the transaction log for the database to free up some log space.

    /tweakxp/content/count.asp, line 6

    Any idea what that means?:confused:
     
  9. 2003/03/06
    Abraxas

    Abraxas Inactive

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    Try again later. They seem to be having some problems. I can get to the main site, but no links there seem to work.
     
  10. 2003/03/23
    tvjohns

    tvjohns Inactive Thread Starter

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    3:55 PM 3/23/2003

    RE: Bmoore's complaint he couldn't open the TweakXP.com web site---

    Like Abraxas, on my 1st logon, I was able to open the main page, but couldn't open any sub-pages, though I tried repeatedly.

    However, going back to this web site later the same day, I could open all pages that I tried.

    They did seem to have some problems, or maybe just high traffic--as you could expect for any site labeled "Tweak XP." 8>)

    Lots of neat stuff on that site makes it worth going back to. ;)
     
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