# Help! My email is broken. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 24, 2001, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-email-is-broken/95072 "2001-11-24T22:17:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drillrod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@drillrod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drillrod)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2001, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-email-is-broken/95072/1 "2001-11-24T22:17:21Z")
I’m using Outlook Express version 5.5 (actually the version says 5.50.4133.2400) with Windows Me. Today when we attempt to open Outlook Express, we get the following error message: > [@](#): > > Msimn has caused an error in MSOE. DLL > Msimn will now close. > Try restarting your computer We’ve restarted the computer a couple of times now and OE still won’t open. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. BTW I don’t think I’ll bother with the Email notification option for this thread. But, I will be checking back often. ---
**Author:** ![abuse\_angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d07c76/32.png) [@abuse\_angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abuse_angel)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2001, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-email-is-broken/95072/2 "2001-11-24T22:21:57Z")
if you called me for tech support, i would have you reinstall internet explorer, and call back if that didn’t work. if you happen to be an ev1 customer, i could send you a cd for reinstalling ie. ---
**Author:** ![drillrod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@drillrod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drillrod)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2001, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-email-is-broken/95072/3 "2001-11-24T22:25:17Z")
Thanks **Angel**. Actually, I bought the computer from Valuevision, a QVC-type channel. I’ve never attempted to use any type of tech support. I was afraid that I might have to reinstall OE. I’m hoping that I have the disk for it. Off I go, searching for disks… ---
**Author:** ![drillrod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@drillrod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drillrod)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2001, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-email-is-broken/95072/4 "2001-11-24T22:28:06Z")
I don’t have a disk that says Outlook Express, but I do have one that says Windows ME Emergency Recovery CD (Bootable). Is this what I should use? Will it do the trick? Jeez, I feel like such an idiot sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2001, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-email-is-broken/95072/5 "2001-11-24T22:45:18Z")
I just put your message,Msimn has caused an error in MSOE. DLL in a search engine (this works for ANY computer message you get), voila! possible answer spring forth . e.g. Error Message Using Some Rules in Outlook Express MSIMN caused an invalid page fault in module MSOE.DLL at memory address. [http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q225/0/96.asp](http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q225/0/96.asp) (W98 Nov. 23, 2000) Error Message If the Folders.dbx File Is Missing or Damaged MSIMN caused an invalid page fault in module Msoe.dll [http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q233/2/64.asp](http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q233/2/64.asp) (W95/98 Dec. 25, 2000) OLEXP: Err Msg: "This Program Has Performed an Illegal Operation and Will Be Shut Down MSIMN caused an invalid page fault in module Msoe.dll at address. [http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q238/6/56.asp](http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q238/6/56.asp) (W95/98/se Nov. 23, 2000) ([http://www.generation.net/~hleboeuf/ermsimn.htm](http://www.generation.net/~hleboeuf/ermsimn.htm)) ---
**Author:** ![drillrod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@drillrod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drillrod)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2001, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-email-is-broken/95072/6 "2001-11-24T23:08:35Z")
Thanks for the help **Handy**. Link #1 didn’t work because OE wouldn’t open at all. Link #3 didn’t apply. All folders were already Archive mode. Link #2 did the trick. I renamed the Folders.dbx as folders.old and Express opened right up as usual. I then tried Link #1’s advice, only to find that I hadn’t gotten around to actually setting any of those mail conditions. Very strange, but at least it works. Thanks for the help. I didn’t know that typing an error msg into a search engine would get you those results. Cool. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2001, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-email-is-broken/95072/7 "2001-11-24T23:19:27Z")
Purge OE from your computer. About every other virus or worm makes use of OE to replicate and spread. [http://www.visto.com](http://www.visto.com) has the best email I am aware of, and it gives you 9Mb of free storage. [http://www.yahoo.com](http://www.yahoo.com) is good, and you get 6Mb of free space. ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2001, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-email-is-broken/95072/8 "2001-11-25T06:46:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by drillrod \* > \*\*I don’t have a disk that says Outlook Express, but I do have one that says Windows ME Emergency Recovery CD (Bootable). > > Is this what I should use? Will it do the trick? Normally, I don’t shout but this is important ONLY USE THE EMERGENCY RECOVERY DISKS IF YOU DON’T MIND LOSING EVERYTHING ON YOUR SYSTEM AND GOING BACK TO THE SAME EXACT SETUP YOUR COMPUTER WAS WHEN YOU FIRST GOT IT ---
**Author:** ![drillrod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@drillrod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drillrod)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2001, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-email-is-broken/95072/9 "2001-11-25T19:02:53Z")
Thanks **Manny**. Sorry to get you to the point of shouting 🙂 So running that disk takes everything back to square one? Wow. I’ll remember that. ---
**Author:** ![abuse\_angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d07c76/32.png) [@abuse\_angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abuse_angel)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2001, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-email-is-broken/95072/10 "2001-11-25T20:17:35Z")
also, just so you know, there isn’t a disk to reinstall **outlook express** , you have to reinstall **internet explorer**. it’s not a big deal, though, and you don’t lose any settings in the process. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2001, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-email-is-broken/95072/11 "2001-11-25T20:24:22Z")
If you delete or hide folders.dbx then OE just creates a new copy next time you start it. I use this trick when I want to include a new folder from another computer or one I had as a backup or something. Just place it in the same folder and delete folders.dbx and OE will find it the next time you start it.