OLEXP: Error Message: Outlook Express Could Not Be Started Because MSOE.DLL Could Not Be Loaded

When you attempt to start Outlook Express, you may receive the following error message:

This issue can occur if you uninstall Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 and then reinstall Windows 98 to restore Internet Explorer 4.x. This process does not remove Outlook Express 5.

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

To resolve this issue, remove Outlook Express 5, and then reinstall Outlook Express 4.x:

1. Click Start, click Run, type Regedit, and then click OK.
2. Double-click to expand the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE folder, expand the Software folder, and then expand the Microsoft folder.
3. Double-click to expand the Windows folder, expand the CurrentVersion folder, and then expand the Setup folder.
4. Double-click to expand the Migration folder, and click the 100 value.
5. On the Edit menu, click Delete, and then click OK.
6. Quit Registry Editor.
7. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
8. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
9. Click the Install/Uninstall tab, click to select the Microsoft Outlook Express 5 check box, and then click Add/Remove.
10. When you receive the following message, click Yes:
    Uninstall requires at least Internet Explorer 5 to work correctly. If you continue, setup may not be able to restore the previous version of this application. Do you want to continue?
11. Click Yes to continue, and then click Yes to restart your computer.
12. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
13. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
14. On the Windows Setup tab, click to select the Microsoft Outlook Express check box, and then click Apply.
15. When you are prompted, insert the Microsoft Windows 98 CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive, click OK, and then click OK again.