How do I correct the problem of Outlook 2003 closing when using Word as the email editor

Outlook generates the message that it must close after I send an email having used Word as the email editor. I have changed my options to not use Word as the editor, but continue to have word pop up and go thru the recovery procedure. And, outlook closes. In addition, I have had my entire office 2003 basic reinstalled on my machine. The problem also affects another program that interfaces with Office, CS Practice Suite from Thomson Reuters, and I get an error that all functions with Outlook are disabled due to a"Cataxtophic failure (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8000FFFF (E_UNEXPECTED)) and then a Server Stack Trace: with a list of Exception rethrown at [0]: Exception rethrown at [0]:
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.HandleReturnMessage(IMessage reqMsg, IMessage retMsg)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.PrivateInvoke(MessageData& msgData, Int32 type)
   at CreativeSolutions.Common.Office.Outlook.SafeMailItem.get_SenderName()
   at CreativeSolutions.Common.Office.Outlook.Mail.Get(String filterString, Int32 maxCount, Int32& inboxEmailCount)
   at CreativeSolutions.Practice.Infolets.Outlook.StaffEmailPortletAsyncOperation.DoWork()
   at CreativeSolutions.Common.ProgressDialog.AsyncOperation.InternalStart()