x-posted to a more expert OE group, for a more exact response!

A couple of questions -
1) Have you recently reinstalled ME over itself?
2) Have you had 'Compacting in background' enabled?
3) are you using the default Identity in OE?
4) Can you open emails properly from folders other than the Inbox??

Try this
Open OE, and go to Tools | Options | Maintenance and turn off Compacting (
do it manually - and frequently!)

Create a new Identity and see if things work properly in that Identity - if
so, then Import your files to the new Identity.



--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2006, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.crashfixpc.com/millsrpch.htm

http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's
"BrianZ" <beezer000@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1132406015.759988.237710@g44g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...
> My Outlook Express program has taken ill: My contacts list is gone
> (message: Address Book failed to load. Outlook Express is incorrectly
> configured, please re-install.) OE retrieves new messages and I can
> read inbound messages in the preview pane, but cannot launch the
> messages. (Message: There was an error opening this message. An
> error has occurred). Attempting to Create mail generates the same
> message.
>
> I am able to move items between folders and empty my Deleted Items
> folder, for whatever that's worth.
>
>>From browsing these posts, I understand that OE is intimately tied to
> IE. I am running Internet Explorer 6.00.2800.1106 under Windows ME
> 4.90.3000. My OE version is 6.00.2800.1123. The OE functions appear
> to be running fine.
>
> Is there any reasonable expectation of being able to cure Internet
> Explorer in place? Or do I need to wander down the scary path of
> uninstall/reinstall for IE/OE? If the former, what is suggested to
> attempt a quick fix?
>
> If the latter, can someone direct me to the extensive discussion of
> this process that I know is somewhere on the net? I remember seeing a
> reference to this process someplace amongst these postings (from Noel
> Paton, perhaps?), but cannot find it now that I need it.
>
> Thanks for any assistance.
>
> Regards,
> Brian Z
> beezer000@gmail.com
>