cwhitaker, does Outlook stop the splash screen?

Hi,

Thanks for your reply.  I have 128 ram and greater than 75% resources after startup.

Now I have rec'd a 2nd msg from my ISP that I have transmitted a msg with the Netsky B virus, but I have used every resource that I can find to detect it.  A file bill.bif?  I've searched all kind of ways to no avail.

Claire

I had this problem with OL2000 freezing at the splash screen when I was using it a few years back, and I resolved the problem by deleting the OUTCMD.dat (OL will rebuild it on the next run).

If I remember correctly, the file is stored in C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\.  I'm not using 98 anymore so I cannot confirm the location, but you can find the folder it is in by performing a search for the file on the hard drive.  The folder could be behind another hidden folder (or folders) so remember to change your Explorer view to show all hidden files and folders before your search.

If deleting OUTCMD.dat doesn't work, try removing all the files in the folder - if OL loads properly they will be rebuild, but you do lose any visual customization you may have had (e.g., with Outlook Shortcut Bar).

Hope this works for you.  Good luck.

Hi,  I appreciate your sticking with me in this.  Your 1st msg spooked me because I had no idea of what a splash screen is, though I am more adept than the normal user.  I am going to try this in the am with hopes for your solution.

Though did you see the thread about my report that my ISP sent me a 2nd msg that I sent an email with the Netsky b virus to an unknown person.  I have used several resources to detect that virus, to no avail.  If I had such a virus wouldn't it affect other prgms?  O/t OL, all are operating fine.

Claire

It may not have come from you. Viruses spoof the From and To addresses, taking names at random from the infected PC's contact list. So the infected PC may belong to someone who has both your address and the intended recipients's address in their contacts list. Your ISP probably has some automatic virus detection software that automatically sends the 'virus detected message' to the apparent sender, in this case you. There is no way of tracing the real sender.

If you are worried, look at

http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.netsky.b@mm.html

see in the technical details what the symptoms are and check if any occur on your PC. But as yoiu say you have done a virus scan (with latest updated virus definitions, I hope), it is unlikely to be there.

You can also run an online virus scan from

http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/

click on cjeck for security risk and choose virus scan.

I agree.  Most likely because someone else's computer has been infected and your email address is on it - I have received a few of those myself, but I don't think this has something to do the problem you are experiencing with OL since you have already scanned your computer several times and found nothing, plus Netsky carries its own SMTP engine to send email out so it doesn't need to "borrow" your email client.

Anyway, I guess you figured out what a program splash screen is, so was I correct in asking whether or not it froze at the splash screen?  You originally mentioned it froze after 10 seconds, but didn't specify from which point you started counting, so presumably it was from the point you told it to load, so the 10 seconds would coincide with the OL splash screen appearing on screen 

OL stores some of the settings and visual customizations in files on the hard drive at the folder I mentioned in an earlier reply, and the files can get damaged or corrupted due to a bad program shut down during a previous session, and that is when OL can get stuck trying to read it when you load it again (during which the splash screen loads).  Unfortunately a reinstallation or repair will not fix the damage file(s) since those files are not created during Office setup, thus they are not recongnized by Office setup, so the only thing one can do is to delete and let OL rebuild using its built-in defaults.

Now if it freezes after loading OL is complete then we may have a different problem.

Hi and thanks again.

I deleted the outcmd.dat, and it is acting better.  After OL loads I have about 30 seconds now.  So I am going to delete the rest of the files in that folder.

After that I am going to detect and repair.  Could it be the problem that I am using the Office 2000SR-1 to detect, while I have updated to 2000SR-1a?

I did that update after I started having problems, hoping that might help.

Claire

Hi,

I did all I said in the last msg.  But it is still timing out.  The only file it rebuilt was microsoft outlook internet setting.FAV.  But this time it is 32k as opposed to the one I deleted, 25k?

Hmmm, Claire

Hello again,

I think I am getting closer to the problem. I believe it is that I had too many saved email messages.  I had a folder that I had forgotten about that had 5,000 email msgs.  I deleted that but because OL would freeze, and my messages aren't deleted until I exit the program, the folder was still there.  Finally I was able to delete it and close out of the program properly.

It acts much better now but still freezes.

As for the deleted file outcmd.dat it has not been rebuilt, nor has extend.dat, microsoftinternetsettings.nick, outitems.log.

I note that in the local settings path where is the outlook.pst file, there are three other files:  extend.dat, outlook.bak and outlook.log.  The last two are dated 4/6/04, which is about the time I started having problems

Any clues?

Thanks for your help.  Claire