neoshiro
asked on
How to remove a personal folder from the folder list.
I use Outlook 2000. I have several pst files in my Outlook folder list that I had moved to a different directory or deleted, before closing them in Outlook. Now I can't close these pst files. When I try to click on the folder, I get the message "The set of folders could not be opened. The path specified for the file xxx.pst is not valid."
Even if I try to recreate the folder and file, I then get the message "The operation failed. An object could not be found."
How can I "close" or delete these personal folders from my Folder List?
Even if I try to recreate the folder and file, I then get the message "The operation failed. An object could not be found."
How can I "close" or delete these personal folders from my Folder List?
Tools to Services. It should list the personal folders you have and you can delete the appropriate one(s)
To remove extra PST(s) from the folder list:
Outlook 97 or Outlook 98/2000 (Corporate Mode)
- On the Tools menu, click Services.
- Highlight Personal Folders service you want to
remove and click "Remove".
Note: Standalone users require 1 Personal Folders Service. Those connecting to an Exchange server normally do not use a Personal Folders file when mail is kept on the server.
Outlook 98/2000 (IMO [Internet Mail Only] Mode)
- On the View menu, click Folder List.
- Right click on the root folder of a folder list.
- Right click on the root of the extra set of Personal Folders
and choose "Disconnect" or "Close".
For the most stuborn of PSTs that will not remove from the folder list.
IMPORTANT: The following information 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.
- Start RegEdit (Win9x/NT) or RegEdt32 (NT).
- Navigate to:
* Win9x users
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software
* WinNT users
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software
- Look in the tree under that point (it should be full of keys with long hexidecimal value names) and look for a section that references the PST file you want off of your folder tree. Export that section (for safety) and then delete it.
Outlook 97 or Outlook 98/2000 (Corporate Mode)
- On the Tools menu, click Services.
- Highlight Personal Folders service you want to
remove and click "Remove".
Note: Standalone users require 1 Personal Folders Service. Those connecting to an Exchange server normally do not use a Personal Folders file when mail is kept on the server.
Outlook 98/2000 (IMO [Internet Mail Only] Mode)
- On the View menu, click Folder List.
- Right click on the root folder of a folder list.
- Right click on the root of the extra set of Personal Folders
and choose "Disconnect" or "Close".
For the most stuborn of PSTs that will not remove from the folder list.
IMPORTANT: The following information 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.
- Start RegEdit (Win9x/NT) or RegEdt32 (NT).
- Navigate to:
* Win9x users
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software
* WinNT users
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software
- Look in the tree under that point (it should be full of keys with long hexidecimal value names) and look for a section that references the PST file you want off of your folder tree. Export that section (for safety) and then delete it.
ASKER
I've tried all the above (Tools/Services, etc.) but these PST files don't show up so I still can't delete them, and I can't "close" them from the Folder Listing.
Neo_mvps,
your registry suggestion seems to have the best hope. I've gone into the registry and to the location you specified, however, the Hex type listing I see does not appear to show which is a PST file. You mention that I should look for "a section that references the PST file" but I can't find such a section. Any other suggestions?
Thanks.
Neo_mvps,
your registry suggestion seems to have the best hope. I've gone into the registry and to the location you specified, however, the Hex type listing I see does not appear to show which is a PST file. You mention that I should look for "a section that references the PST file" but I can't find such a section. Any other suggestions?
Thanks.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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neoshiro,
Try closing Outlook. Then go to Start, Settings, Control Panel, click on the Mail (or Mail and Fax) icon. Then click on the Show Profiles button. This will list all the profiles on your machine. Double-click on your profile. This will display all the items for your profile. You should see the problem *.pst files here under the name you gave them when adding them to your profile. Highlight the ones you don't want and click on the Remove button. After removing all that is undesired close out of Control Panel, then restart Outlook and they should be gone.
Hope this helps.
Try closing Outlook. Then go to Start, Settings, Control Panel, click on the Mail (or Mail and Fax) icon. Then click on the Show Profiles button. This will list all the profiles on your machine. Double-click on your profile. This will display all the items for your profile. You should see the problem *.pst files here under the name you gave them when adding them to your profile. Highlight the ones you don't want and click on the Remove button. After removing all that is undesired close out of Control Panel, then restart Outlook and they should be gone.
Hope this helps.
ASKER
This appears to be the best solution. I've had no success with any other suggestions. Thanks Neo_mvps.
To any coming onto this page to fix the somewhat notorious 'an object...' when trying to remove an Outlook personal folder. I tried everything posted here on my outlook 2000 and nothing worked. Here is what I finally figured out did work, along with some commmentary.
1. You need to close outlook
2. You need to know where the .pst file is for the folder you are going after. If you do not know you can search your harddrive for .pst files, or you can look at the registry entries at:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software
You can find the actual file locations within the long hex keys.
3. You now need to move the .pst file of the folder you are trying to remove out of the disk dir that it is in currently and which is pointed at by the registry.
4. Now delete the above given key with all its subkeys (Microsoft Outlook Internet Settings).
Now when you bring up outlook your folder should be gone. The key insight here is that the personal folder info is stored in the 'master' or default .pst file. Its also in the registry. If you just delete the registry entry without moving the underlying .pst files, then the master .pst will simply restore the registry and continue on broken. When you delete the registry setting and move the file, OL2000 apparently then deletes the personal folder info in the master .pst file and you are now a happy camper.
Hope that helps someone.
1. You need to close outlook
2. You need to know where the .pst file is for the folder you are going after. If you do not know you can search your harddrive for .pst files, or you can look at the registry entries at:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software
You can find the actual file locations within the long hex keys.
3. You now need to move the .pst file of the folder you are trying to remove out of the disk dir that it is in currently and which is pointed at by the registry.
4. Now delete the above given key with all its subkeys (Microsoft Outlook Internet Settings).
Now when you bring up outlook your folder should be gone. The key insight here is that the personal folder info is stored in the 'master' or default .pst file. Its also in the registry. If you just delete the registry entry without moving the underlying .pst files, then the master .pst will simply restore the registry and continue on broken. When you delete the registry setting and move the file, OL2000 apparently then deletes the personal folder info in the master .pst file and you are now a happy camper.
Hope that helps someone.
Maybe this can help
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q182062
:O)Bruintje