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Outlook hangs

slowtime
Grafter
Posts: 42
Thanks: 12
Registered: ‎06-05-2009

Outlook hangs

I've a problem with Outlook in that email from BT (I've been using their online inquiry service) freezes Outlook.
If I try and 'reply' or 'forward' one of their emails then Outook gives me a small window with the message 'Starting Word as your email editor' and then just hangs there.  I have to go to MS Task Manager to get out of Outlook but even then it seems to have the same effect on all other email I have recived in that I can 'reply' or 'forward' without freezing it all up.  The only work-around is to re-boot and to remember not to 'reply' or 'forward' an email from BT!
It only happens for BT email and both BT and Plusnet say 'It's not me guv.'
I run XP Pro SP3 and have Outlook version 2002.
Any ideas?
7 REPLIES 7
dvorak
Moderator
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Posts: 29,473
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Registered: ‎11-01-2008

Re: Outlook hangs

I'd switch off word as your email editor, I used to have loads of problems with it.
From office 2003 onwards it has no longer been the default.
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slowtime
Grafter
Posts: 42
Thanks: 12
Registered: ‎06-05-2009

Re: Outlook hangs

...thanks for your post    So how do I turn off 'Word'?  Can I still spell-check my emails aotomatically?
dvorak
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 29,473
Thanks: 6,623
Fixes: 1,482
Registered: ‎11-01-2008

Re: Outlook hangs

Here you are:
  1. From the main Microsoft Outlook window, click the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Mail Format tab.
  2. Select or clear the Use Microsoft Word to edit e-mail messages check box.
You can still spell check as normal
Customer / Moderator
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slowtime
Grafter
Posts: 42
Thanks: 12
Registered: ‎06-05-2009

Re: Outlook hangs

...it works!!!  Thanks for your post.  Problem solved.
dvorak
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 29,473
Thanks: 6,623
Fixes: 1,482
Registered: ‎11-01-2008

Re: Outlook hangs

No problems - glad it's sorted  Smiley
Customer / Moderator
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KenA
Grafter
Posts: 92
Registered: ‎28-08-2007

Re: Outlook hangs

Some email messages contain graphics and other content which Outlook will not always download every time (to protect you from trojans etc).  But when you forward a message, that content needs to be downloaded so that the whole message can be forwarded (or replied to).
As you used Word as the email editor, it would be Word which would be trying to download the content.  But you might have your firewall configured to block Word accessing the internet, or it's just that access is slow or denied elsewhere.
One way to check would be to examine the incoming message for embedded links & graphics etc, to confirm if this is the case.
I usually screen my emails first using Mainwasher (free here http://www.mailwasher.net/) and you can also use this program to look at the raw content in the original email.
Personally, I request subscription emails in plain text format wherever possible.
slowtime
Grafter
Posts: 42
Thanks: 12
Registered: ‎06-05-2009

Re: Outlook hangs

...thanks for this.  I'll check it out.