Outlook 2003 registry or installation problem when trying to access mail accounts

Hi
Thanks for the help, but still doesn't work!?
The answers to 1, 2 & 3 are Yes, I have tried that.

I have tried your manual reinstall but still have the problem.

Anything else I can try?

If it helps, when I try to open a new mail message I get:
"The messaging interface has returned an unknown error.  If problems persist, restart Outlook"

Still the same error when I try to open Tools/Email Accounts.

Other thoughts would be appreciated....

Search for Outl*.dll, you should find three files:
1. Outlacct.dll
2. Outlcm.dll
3. Outlph.dll

Rename any copies of each file to .old instead of .dll and then run a detect and repair of Outlook which will copy these files off the CDROM.

Still same error?

Yes, still the same error.

Don't know if this helps, but I can run outlook express 6.0 no problem.

And I get a similar ("messgaing system has returned an unknown error") error if I try to add a contact, a task, calendar entry etc.  But I can read everything in my pst file ok.

Are you still getting the registry error messages as well?

The other error message ("the messaging system has returned an unknown error") is often associated with a malfunctioning "business contact manager" from the small business version of office 2003.  Any chance you are using that?

If not, then I'd lean toward pst file corruption.  That shouldn't have been causing the registry errors, but perhaps is involved the the other one.  To check this, you can:
1.  go to MAIL icon on the CONTROL PANEL
2.  click on DATA FILES and then on ADD
3.  choose OFFICE OUTLOOK PERSONAL FOLDER FILE (PST) and click OK
4.  leave the location as the OUTLOOK folder, file name as whatever, click OK
5.  on the next screen change the PERSONAL FOLDERS name to NEW PST FILE and click OK, the click CLOSE
6.  click EMAIL ACCOUNTS->VIEW OR CHANGE EXISTING EMAIL ACCOUNTS
7.  at the bottom of the screen choose NEW PST FILE from the "Deliver new e-mail to the following location" then FINISH
8.  start Outlook, if prompted that the default delivery point has changed, choose yes
9.  try to open a new email and if successful, address it to yourself, click send, wait 30 seconds, click send/receive

Yes, still getting the registry error.

No, I'm not using the small business version - it is Office 2003 Pro.

I tried what you suggested above, but when I click on Data files nothing happens?!  (not even an error, just nothing...)  Nothing happens when I click on Email accounts either.  

Profiles works OK but I get "There was an error accessing your system registry" when I try to add one.  If I close and open again it does get added and there are no errors when I try to remove it.

Thanks for all your help, I'm sorry this is so dreadfully hard?!

OK, I'm beginning to think something is wrong with either Windows or the Windows User Account.

If on the control panel you go to USER ACCOUNTS, try adding a new user and give it administrator rights.  Then log off of Windows and log back on to the new user account, and try going to the CONTROL PANEL and the MAIL icon and see if you can create new profiles, add data files, add mail accounts, etc.

I'm not sure if this is how it is supposed to happen or not, but when I created the new user account the Mail Icon didn't exist at first.  So I tried to open Outlook (which was unsuccessful) and then the mail icon appeared in the control panel.

Once the mail icon appeared I still had all the same problems...

Thanks so much for your help, that has sorted it out, finally!  Sorry it took me so long to try it, it was obviously a major disruption to do but worked out in the end.

Cheers!

Emily

I have the exact same issue above and have done all the above...Can someone please help. Im seriously frusterated.

Just wanted to say thanks for helping, I had the same issue but with office 2007, I used this guide as a template and was able to hunt down all the registry keys etc to get my installation working.