# I 'broke' my MS Outlook **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 27, 2008, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-broke-my-ms-outlook/447040 "2008-04-27T04:19:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LVgeogeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b19c9b/32.png) [@LVgeogeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVgeogeek)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-broke-my-ms-outlook/447040/1 "2008-04-27T04:19:29Z")
I seem to have broken my Outlook mail. I went to log in to my mail and my laptop hadn’t recognised my wireless network yet so I got a messge that basically gave me an option to retry, work offline or cancel. I ment to hit cancel, but my mouse pointer hung up and, well, I hit work offline. Now I get the following message: unable to open your default e-mail folders. The file C:\documents and settings\my name\local settings\application data\microsoft\outlook\outlook.ost is not an offline folder. Now I cannot get it to give me a log in propmt or find a way to make it ‘work online’. Looking online for technical help has been useless. Anybody able to help? ---
**Author:** ![JimOfAllTrades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@JimOfAllTrades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimOfAllTrades)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-broke-my-ms-outlook/447040/2 "2008-04-27T05:11:29Z")
In both versions of Outlook I have access to (2000, 2003) just click File, and Work Offline should show a checkmark. Click Work Offline again to clear the checkmark and you should be live. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-broke-my-ms-outlook/447040/3 "2008-04-27T05:40:21Z")
Re-start your system and it will reset. If the work off line option pops even up after re-starting it’s likely your internet connection is not working properly, or even if your net connection is OK & you are connecting to a remote, off site Outlook server, that server may be down. ---
**Author:** ![LVgeogeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b19c9b/32.png) [@LVgeogeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVgeogeek)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-broke-my-ms-outlook/447040/4 "2008-04-27T07:57:44Z")
[QUOTE=RJKUgly] In both versions of Outlook I have access to (2000, 2003) just click File, and Work Offline should show a checkmark. Click Work Offline again to clear the checkmark and you should be live. [/QUOTE] I can’t even get outlook to open. It starts to open, but then I get that error message and the only option is to click ‘OK’ and then Outlook closes ☹ :mad: [QUOTE=astro] Re-start your system and it will reset. If the work off line option pops even up after re-starting it’s likely your internet connection is not working properly, or even if your net connection is OK & you are connecting to a remote, off site Outlook server, that server may be down. [/QUOTE] I restarted my computer and I still get the same thing. (This is my work laptop that the Outlook 2003 is on. My personal laptop is working fine and connecting to my home wireless network. I am posting this on my work laptop now.) Is there a back door into Outlook to clear the work offline option? ---
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-broke-my-ms-outlook/447040/5 "2008-04-27T11:10:07Z")
From memory IE and Outlook will share the Work Offline status. Fire up IE and set it to Work Online. That might fix Outlook. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-broke-my-ms-outlook/447040/6 "2008-04-27T15:46:45Z")
[QUOTE=LVgeogeek] I can’t even get outlook to open. It starts to open, but then I get that error message and the only option is to click ‘OK’ and then Outlook closes ☹ :mad: I restarted my computer and I still get the same thing. (This is my work laptop that the Outlook 2003 is on. My personal laptop is working fine and connecting to my home wireless network. I am posting this on my work laptop now.) Is there a back door into Outlook to clear the work offline option? [/QUOTE] Yes there is. I’m not at work, but IIRC in Control Panel there is an offline configuration applet for Outlook under “Mail” or “Outlook” or something similar. ---
**Author:** ![LVgeogeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b19c9b/32.png) [@LVgeogeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVgeogeek)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-broke-my-ms-outlook/447040/7 "2008-04-27T18:50:35Z")
[QUOTE=astro] Yes there is. I’m not at work, but IIRC in Control Panel there is an offline configuration applet for Outlook under “Mail” or “Outlook” or something similar. [/QUOTE] Thanks for all the help. I was able to get it back to giving me a log-in screen however, it’s still givivng me that weird error message. I guess I will call the IT dept. on Monday. I hate Outlook. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-broke-my-ms-outlook/447040/8 "2008-04-27T19:04:51Z")
[QUOTE=LVgeogeek] Thanks for all the help. I was able to get it back to giving me a log-in screen however, it’s still givivng me that weird error message. I guess I will call the IT dept. on Monday. I hate Outlook. [/QUOTE] If the corporate email server is down, regardless of whether the net is working or not that is exactly what you’ll get. Sometimes IT Depts will take a server down over the weekend to work on it. If you have an Outlook webmail option for accessing the server try that, and that will tell you definitively whether it’s a Outlook issue or a server issue.