Question

Outlook xp error - unable to open your default email folders

Asked by: Jamesey1

unable to open you default email folders. could not open the item. Try again.

Vista home basic with outlook xp. I can open the pst file on another computer and it appears fine.

I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling outlook but I can't get to a window to import. Tried copying the pst back into the folder as well.

when I click ok on the above error it get:

would you like to open the default file system instead

Yes takes me to what looks like my c drive etc. No closes outlook.

Any insight would be appreciated.

This Question has been solved and asker verified All Experts Exchange premium technology solutions are available to subscription members.

Subscribe now for full access to Experts Exchange and get

Instant Access to this Solution

  • Plus...
  • 30 Day FREE access, no risk, no obligation
  • Collaborate with the world's top tech experts
  • Unlimited access to our exclusive solution database
  • Never be left without tech help again

Subscribe Now

Asked On
2009-09-02 at 09:47:11ID24701971
Topics

Email Clients

,

Outlook Groupware Software

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
8

Trusted by hundreds of thousands everyday for fast, accurate and reliable tech support.

  • "The time we save is the biggest benefit of Experts Exchange to Warner Bros. What could take multiple guys 2 hours or more each to find is accessed in around 15 minutes on Experts Exchange." Mike Kapnisakis, Warner Bros.
  • "Our team likes having a resource that is more secure than just using Google and most experts using this service really know their stuff. It's nice to look here first versus using Google." Dayna Sellner, Lockheed Martin
  • "Anytime that I've been stumped with a problem, 9 out of 10 times Experts Exchange has either the accepted solution or an open discussion of the potential solution to the problem." Kenny Red, eBay Inc.

See what Experts Exchange can do for you.

Got a question?

We've got the answer.

Experts Exchange has been collecting answers to technology questions since 1996…3 million and counting! If you have a question, chances are we already have your answer.

Screenshot of Experts Exchange Knowledgebase

Need individual assistance?

Our experts are ready to help.

If you can't find the exact answer you're looking for, ask our exclusive community of 50,000 experts. You’ll get a personalized answer from a trusted professional.

Screenshot of Experts Exchange Knowledgebase

Want to learn from the best?

Read articles from industry experts.

Thousands of free tech tips, tricks, how-to’s and tutorials are available in our peer reviewed articles section. See for yourself how smart our experts are, no login required.

Screenshot of an Article

Working on a long term project?

Store your work and research.

Save solutions to your questions, answers you’ve discovered through searching plus helpful articles in your personal knowledgebase for easy future access.

Screenshot of Experts Exchange Knowledgebase

Access the answers to your technology questions today.

Subscribe Now

30-day free trial. Register in 60 seconds.

What Makes Experts Exchange Unique?

Members of the expert community talk about why the experience at Experts Exchange is different than what you will find anywhere else.

Trusted by the world's most respected brands.

image of each brand's logo

Faithfully serving IT professionals since 1996.

Experts Exchange Logo

Try it out and discover for yourself.

Subscribe Now

30-day free trial. Register in 60 seconds.

Related Solutions

  1. Outlook PST not working
    We have an Exchange server and Outlook 2002. Some users have PST files also that they use for archiving. These are stored on the network in their home folder. Outlook is now saying it is unable to connect to the PST files. When I tried to run scanpst on them, it said "U...
  2. Outlook pst maximum size?
    With outlook 2007 what is the max pst size that is allowed, is it 2GB? can it be made bigger and how?
  3. Import PST file on microsoft outlook 2003
    Hello, i need to import backuped pst file on outlook 2007 but the import/export menu wasn't able. What can i do? and why this manu wasn't able? Thanks

Free Tech Articles

  1. WARNING: 5 Reasons why you should NEVER fix a computer for free.
    It is in our nature to love the puzzle. We are obsessed. The lot of us. We love puzzles. We love the challenge. We thrive on finding the answer. We hate disarray. It bothers us deep in our soul. W...
  2. SCCM OSD Basic troubleshooting
    SCCM 2007 OSD is a fantastic way to deploy operating systems, however, like most things SCCM issues can sometimes be difficult to resolve due to the sheer volume of logs to sift through and the dispe...
  3. Migrate Small Business Server 2003 to Exchange 2010 and Windows 2008 R2
    This guide is intended to provide step by step instructions on how to migrate from Small Business Server 2003 to Windows 2008 R2 with Exchange 2010. For this migration to work you will need the fo...
  4. Create a Win7 Gadget
    This article shows you how to create a simple "Gadget" -- a sort of mini-application supported by Windows 7 and Vista. Gadgets can be dropped anywhere on the desktop to provide instant information, ...
  5. Outlook continually prompting for username and password
    There have been a lot of questions recently regarding Outlook prompting for a username and password whilst using Exchange 2007. There are a few reasons why this would happen and I will try to cover t...
  6. Backup Exchange 2010 Information Store using Windows Backup
    There seems to be quite a lot of confusion around the ability to backup Exchange 2010 using the built in Windows Backup feature. This stems from the omission of this feature prior to Exchange 2007 s...

Cloud Class Webinars

  1. Avoiding Bugs in Microsoft Access
    Alison Balter takes and in-depth look at avoiding bugs in Access. In this webinar you will learn about using the immediate window to debug your applications, invoking the debugger, using breakpoints to troubleshoot, stepping through code, setting the next statement to execute, ...
  2. Top 10 Best New Features in Visio 2010
    Scott Helmers gives live demonstrations of the top 10 new features in Visio 2010. This webinar will teach you how to create compelling diagrams by adding shapes to the page with a single click, linking the shapes in a diagram to data in Excel (or SQL Server, or SharePoint), ...
  3. IT Consultant Business Secrets Revealed
    Michael Munger, Experts Exchange tech pro and IT consultant, pulls back the curtain on his very successful businesses and answers question on every IT consultant and business owner should know about. He shares secrets on what he did to solve the 5 most common problems in IT, ...
  4. Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
    Quest CTO, Mike Billon, gives an overview of the steps involved in building a dunamic disaster recovery plan. Through case studies and an examination of software/hardware tooles for monitoring and testing, you'll gain a better understandin of where you are, where you want ...
  5. Organize Your Visio Diagrams with Containers and Lists
    Scott Helmers uses cross functional flowcharts, wireframe diagrams, data graphic legends and seating charts to teach you: how to ustilize all three new structured diagram components in Visio 2010, the best practices for organizeing shapes in previous version of Visio, how to organize ...
  6. How to Us Objects, Properties, Events and Methods in Microsoft Access
    Alison Dalter gives an in-depbth look at objects, properties, events and methods in Microsoft Access. In this webinar you will learn about using the object browser, referring to objects, working with properties and methods, working with object variables, understanding the ...

Join the Community

Give a Little. Get a Lot.

Join the community of experts here and help other tech pros by answering question in your area of expertise. You can earn FREE access to all Experts Exchange's premium features and resources.

Join the Community

Answers

 

by: WolfherePosted on 2009-09-02 at 10:03:40ID: 25243075

Your Outlook 'profile' is corrupt. If you follow the instructions here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822238 , you can repair the Office profile. By removing and re-installing without doing the repair, you are maintaining the corruption under local settings. In other words, the re-install or removal is not removing everything. Keep your pst handy once you have done the repair.

 

by: raiden69Posted on 2009-09-02 at 10:04:22ID: 25243082

Hi

the following applies to outlook 2000, but should be the same.

http://forums.techguy.org/web-email/226084-unable-open-your-default-e.html

Have a look and let us know if it works

 

by: Jamesey1Posted on 2009-09-02 at 11:39:32ID: 25244154

hi guys,

first option didn't do anything.

second option. I ended up creating a new  profile. Now I have to figure out how to put the outlook.pst back in.

Tried to import but it tells me the pst i have is not compatible. (i copied the pst to another computer and pasted it into the outlook folder in another vista machine. this machine is running outlook 07. made an export and carried it via usb drive back over.)

Can i rename the outlook.pst to match the new profile (email)? or is there another trick?

 

by: raiden69Posted on 2009-09-02 at 23:40:35ID: 25248290

Hi
Did you create a new data file on your outlook 2007 machine when you were able to access the problematic pst?
*Create the new data file on the PC where you can access the outlook XP PST.
*Then create a new data file (select outlook 97 - 2002 PST)
*Name the PST appropriately
*When done and in outlook select all the mails in the outlook xp PST and drag it over to the new data file you created
*Copy the new PST and import PST to Pc with Outlook XP


 

by: Jamesey1Posted on 2009-09-03 at 08:19:26ID: 25251575

hmm, I copied and pasted the outlook folder into a machine with a fresh install of outlook 2007. The pst opened fine and I can view the emails.

I have created a new data file as above. Now i'm trying to move the mail over. there are many subfolders under the inbox that I am having trouble moving. I also have to find a way to move the contacts.

 

by: Jamesey1Posted on 2009-09-03 at 09:09:20ID: 25252100

I have also tried to get the original office 97 running hoping to create and create and export or simply upgrade to office xp in place. haven't been able to get 97 to run on vista.

Perhaps I can export to something else like windows mail, outlook express... then import to office xp?

 

by: Jamesey1Posted on 2009-09-03 at 09:36:16ID: 25252379

At this point the best clarification of the my question is I have a working office outlook 2007 file that I am trying to import into office outlook xp with with folders and contacts.

Can this be done

 

by: raiden69Posted on 2009-09-03 at 15:36:28ID: 25255593

Hi
You can transfer your contacts by exporting it to a csv file via outlooks import/export feature,under the File menu.Then import the same way again.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

3 Ways to Join

30-Day Free Trial

The Experts

98% positive feedback on 31,087 answers since March 2000. angeliii is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for his work with MS SQL Server & Develoment.

He has also proven his knowledge of Visual Basic Programming, PHP Scripting and Oracle Databases.

The Experts

97% positive feedback on 10,752 answers since July 2000. lrmoore has more than 18 years experience in the networking industry.

The six-time Mircosoft MVPs specialties include firewalls, virtual private networking, and network management.

Testimonials

"...and excellent source for support... Kind of like having your very own IT dept." Electriciansnet

Testimonials

"I was apprehensive at signing up at first. However... it has already made my life as an IT administrator much easier." JaCrews

Testimonials

"WOW! You guys have great, active, and knowledgeable people on here." moore50

Business Clients

Business Clients

In the Press

"If you’ve got a question... Experts Exchange can supply an answer.”

In the Press

"...an invaluable aid for both IT professionals and those who require tech support."

In the Press

"where IT professionals provide quick answers on just about any topic"

Business Account Plans

Loading Advertisement...