Possible conflict between Outlook Express 6.0 and Norton Internet Security 2005

[JimOnSquam]

About a week ago, I received an automatic update, "Office XP SP3" from Microsoft. Following that, I noticed the "MS Outlook" icon in addition to my normal "Outlook Express" icon on the desktop which had not been there before. I assumed it was only MS trying to get their way. When I started Outlook Express, I got the ubiquitous error message telling me there was an error and the application had to be shut down and they were sorry about any inconvieance (yeah... right). For some reason, I decided to press the "Send error to Microsoft" button. To my surprise, I was taken to a website telling me the MS has determined this is an error with Symantec Antispam and to contact them.

OK... that sounds simple enough but nothing could be further from the truth. It has been incredibly difficult to even understand the support people let alone get any actual logical help. They have been taking me through their preset scripts for days now with no regard to symptoms or my input!!!

I can get OE 6.0 to run if I completely uninstall the Symantec (norton Internet Security) from my system. I also noticed another symptom which is that I am unable to make OE my default mail client even though I have removed MS Outlook by completely uninstalling MS Works and reinstalling without MS Outlook. When I start OE 6.0, I got this message...
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"Simple MAPI support could not be enabled. The MAPISTUB.DLL in the system directory may be corrupted. Deleting the dll and reinstalling should restore the file" [OK]
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Well, I deleted and replaced with another dll from another system and it did not fix the problem. However, once I said don't check for default mail app at starteup(unchecked box on messgae telling me it was not default) , OE 6.0 starts without error. However, it still won't let me make OE 6.0 my default mail client in Tools/Options. Looks like it changes but when rechecked, still NOT default.

I also have tried backing up to a checkpoint time before the Service Pack from MS. I have reinstalled Norton product several times as well and I get the OE 6.0 startup error whenever it is installed and not when I uninstall it.

Short of getting my money back from Symantec or doing a system reinstall from an image partition.. any suggestions?

 

[just_a_nobody]

I am not a big fan of Norton, so I guess, I would have also advised you to uninstall Norton, and get AVG Free, which is a free anti-virus program. Norton is a huge resource hog, which seems to think it is the boss, of your computer, once it is installed.

AVG Free: http://www.majorgeeks.com/download886.html

I don't use OE, or any microsoft email programs, I have Incredimail, which I really like. I had big problems with my microsoft email programs, simply because my email was an msn account, go figure.

 

[JimOnSquam]

Good advise

Well, I have to say that I agree with your advise completely. After checking out some of the other threads in here talking about Norton/Symantec, I quickly decided to ditch it. I gave them a call and even got a refund on the purchase. That was the first call to Symantec that actually accomplished something for me... amazing! I have also downloaded AVG Anti-Virus (30 day trial) and it looks like I will go for thr Free version after that. Actually picked off a problem on my system already that Norton was blind to. It amazes me how much the A/V segment Norton and MaAfee have when there are other obvious better choices. If nothing else, I have learned to poke around in these forums before making decisions. There is a lot of great info from folks without any inivestment in paticular products.

THANKS!!! Jim

 

[emgordon]

Possible conflict between Outlook Express 6.0 and Norton Internet Security 2005 "

Hi.....I am also having problems like yours. I have to disable NIS in order for OE to send and receive. Crazy. After reading about all the similar problems, I intend removing my Symantec NIS. puke:
I have another problem which I don't understand.....when M/Soft does it's automatic compacting in OE, I find my Inbox is totally empty!!! It is so annoying as I am forever losing emails if I have forgotton to save them to another folder. Can anyone help please? :evil:

 

[JimOnSquam]

Yeah... NIS can really turn out to be a real bag of s$#@. I didn't realize how invasive it was and how it had actually slowed down my system until I removed it completely and saw the difference. Now I am running AVG free and it works like a champ. It updates regurally and has caught many a virus trying to attack my system. I guess sometimes the simple straight forward solution is a better strategy.

As for compacting OE, I only do that rarely and rather try to keep the mail files under control by deleting old stuff I don't really need and periodicly doing an export of old mail.

One thing I have learned is to do regulart backups of all data and files I consider to be critical. I wish you luck with OE.

Jim

 

[emgordon]

Hi....thanks for your reply. BUT....I have no chice re the compacting. I have XP +SP2 and the compacting is automatic after 100 incoming emails. It just happens once I log out of OE and I'm always taken by surprise!! Apparantly there is no way of stopping it so how can you control it????? i'm intrigued as I'd love to turn it off but I have searched high and low only to be told it is set as a default process and thats that!! :bounce: