Error message when you use a command-line switch to start Outlook: "Windows cannot find 'Outlook.exe /<switch>'"

When you use a command-line switch to control what happens when you start Microsoft Outlook, you may receive an error message that is resembles one of the following error messages: For example, you may receive the following error message when you use the /cleanreminders switch:

This behavior occurs because the command-line switch is included in the path and is enclosed in opening and closing quotation marks, or because the Outlook.exe file is not in the current path.

To use command-line switches, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type Outlook /switch. For example, type Outlook /cleanreminders.
   
   Note There is a space character between Outlook and the forward slash (/).
3. Click OK.

If you still receive the error message that is mentioned in the "Symptoms" section, use the following alternative steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. Click the Browse button, and then locate the Outlook.exe file. Typically, this file is located in the following path:
   C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Officexx
   Note In this path, xx represents a number between 10 and 12, depending on the version of Outlook that you are using. The following table lists the different numbers that represent the versions of Outlook.
   Collapse this tableExpand this table

   Number	Version of Outlook
   12	Microsoft Office Outlook 2007
   11	Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
   10	Microsoft Outlook 2002

3. Double-click the Outlook.exe file to obtain the full path and file name in the Run box.
4. Put the text cursor after the quotation mark, type a space, and then type the command-line switch.

For more information about Outlook command-line switches, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: