Fixing Outlook 2003 Beta 2

Outlook 2003 Beta 2 Users: Here’s the Fix for All the Instabilities

_To fix Outlook 2003 beta 2, you must delete your current Outlook profile and create a new one. The problem is that when you delete your profile, you essentially lose all the information in your local folders (e.g., email, calendar, contacts), so note all your email account settings and back up your local folders before beginning the fix process. (I usually just export the relevant folders to individual .pst files, but--again--drop me a note if you need help with this process.) Then, to delete your profile, right-click Microsoft Outlook in the top of the Windows XP Start Menu (or open the Control Panel Mail applet), then click the Show Profiles button. Select your current profile (it will probably be the only profile), and click Remove. Remember: You MUST back up your data before deleting the profile. Click Add to create a new profile, supply a name, and, if the new profile is the only profile, choose the option "Always use this profile". When you restart Outlook, you'll need to reenter your email account information and import all the data you exported. I've been testing this fix for 2 weeks, and I haven't had many hard crashes; every once in a while, Outlook hangs briefly but then springs back to life. In the past, the beta crashed every hour or two. The fix is a huge improvement, and yes, the problem is already fixed in post-beta 2 builds internally at Microsoft. Let me know if you have any questions. And, please: Back up before you apply this fix!_ > >

There’s also a tip for Fixing Outlook 2003 Beta 2 with Exchange.