Outlook Express hanging problem

[pooroldcodger]

Good morning all.
Last night I clicked on an old email, with no attachments, and from a known source. I had openend the email several weeks ago, but opened it again to refer back to it.
The message refused to open, so i reastarted Outlook Express (running in XP) and the basic "framework" of OE opened, but no messages or folders appeared.
In the error message was generated this:
msimn.exe 6.0.2900.5512: hungapp
I have tried togoogle this, but the only solution I could find involved messing with the registry, which scares the life out of me. But it seems like a common fault. Does anybody have any ideas on how to fix it?
Thanks in advance for looking

 

[Stu DemonD]

Tried starting Outlook Express in Safe Mode?

 

[pooroldcodger]

Tried starting Outlook Express in Safe Mode?

Good idea. I will have a go now. Thanks.

 

[pooroldcodger]

Tried starting Outlook Express in Safe Mode?

Tried that now, and also system restore to the day before the problem occurred, and it's still happening Don't know what to try next. I also ran a full system virus scan.
I'm a bit distracted today as it's my first chance to look in daylight and dry at my new acquisition (wrong place I know but couldn't resist), it's a cutel, box-shaped Fiat, 19 years old, and shares its name with a mammal that has great difficulty breeding in captivity!)

 

[pooroldcodger]

Tried starting Outlook Express in Safe Mode?

Looking on line this seems to be a common problem, but all the searches seem to be linked to sites that want you to download their miraculous scanning and fix program, which I don't trust.
I have re-booted twice. Tried starting in safe mode, ended something called SSMMgr.exe, but I am still not getting any emails.
Not sure what to try next :bang:

 

[Stu DemonD]

Ah, I didn't mean starting the program in Windows Safe mode, more like actually running the program in 'safe mode' .

For instance, I use Outlook and on the rare occasion it hangs, I have an Icon on my desktop with the target as:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12\OUTLOOK.EXE" /safe

but I would need to check the options on Express, haven't used it for years



Any good? http://www.techgenie.com/latest/how-to-start-microsoft%C2%AE-outlook-express-in-safe-mode/

 

[pooroldcodger]

Development. I shut down and re-started the computer, but then it automatically downloaded MS updates, which presumably means this has undone the roll-back that I did this morning.
Anyway, now 2 out of my 3 email id's are displaying! Unfortunately not the one I really need, but i suppose it's progress. Now I just have to figure out why the imap folder isn't actually showing any messages inside it.

 

[pooroldcodger]

Ok, that was a handy tip, thanks. Outlook Express started up really fast in safe mode, but one of my imaps is still not displaying anything. I think i will try re-creating it. Maybe that will work?