I’m running Outlook Express 5 under Windows ME. Recently, I was unable to launch the program and got the following message:
Msimn has caused an error in DIRECTDB.DLL. Msimn will now close.
I have not installed any new software. In fact, I can’t think of something I’ve done that would cause this error. But I can’t get into Outlook at all now; I am resigned for the moment to getting my mail from Mailstart.
Anyone have any ideas? Memory problem? (And yes, I know not to delete that DLL - or any DLL. I know they’re terribly imporant. I haven’t deleted anything since this happened or even shortly before it happened).
Hi dantheman. I am not sure why I am posting, by the time I hit reply I imagine several other more accurate posts will have already been submitted. However, it is Saturday night, I am waiting for my True Blave to finish getting ready, and I might (might) just post something useful.
Anyway, when I run into a DLL problem, the first thing I do is plug the DLL name into google.com or some other search engine. I just did, and it came up with this page from Microsoft, and several other hits from various places. Sometimes Microsoft page works right off the bat, sometimes you need to sift down in your google returns a bit to find someone with an identical problem, and hopefully a viable solution.
In times of great disgust, I have tried replacing the offending DLL. I’ve only done this a few times and have yet to run into a problem, but that does not mean I’m not headed for trouble. If this is a bad idea, I am sure (well, I would hope!) that a tech (or anyone with more knowledge than me - doesn’t take much) will post severe admonitions and warnings against simple replacement. What I’ve done, FWIW, is find the DLL on the net somewhere (again, I’ve only done it a few times and lucked out each time finding it) and download it to a temp directory. I then shut down everything I had running (including hitting ctl-alt-dlt to find tasks running in the background) that I didn’t necessarily need. I renamed the old troublesome.DLL to troublesome.BAK, and pasted the new DLL into the original’s location. I restarted, and the computer gods smiled down upon me. I don’t know if everything I did was necessary at the time, or even a wise idea. Corrections and exhortations are welcome!
When I get home from the office today, I’ll try both. (Actually, last night I reset the computer, forgetting to shut it down completely and then restart. Shoulda coulda woulda…)
The link you provided,Rhythmdvl, appears to have some useful information, although it does involve editing that all-important Registry, something one should never do unguided. The solutions provided in that link seem to be for Windows 98, but I’m sure they’d be applicable to Windows ME (how much different could they be…). I’ll give them all a whirl tonight and let you know what happens.
Incidentally, does your nick mean what I think it does - and you’re a fellow Deadhead?
Feh, I know that. I used Eudora for a while when the job I had installed it. But I like Outlook! I like it I like it I like it I like it! So there, nyahh…
Ok, I hate to bump this thread, since it’s rather mundane, but I did promise to let you guys know if the problem was fixed.
Good news, it’s fine now. The solution? handy was right. Restart the computer. It’s somewhat touching that such a simple task could solve what appeared to me to be a serious software problem. Simple enough, of course, that I should have known to do it without the wizened handy telling me. Ok, so I’m a fool. I just figured the problem was bad enough that a simple restart wouldn’t have taken care of it, but I was wrong.
Let this be a lesson to you young whippersnappers out there! Pay attention to handy. He didn’t get 8,000 posts fer nothing!
