Article ID: 820111 - Last Review: October 27, 2006 - Revision: 2.4

You Receive an "Operation Failed" Error Message When You Start Outlook

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SYMPTOMS

When you start Microsoft Outlook, you may receive the following error message:
The operation failed.
If Outlook starts successfully, when you click the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Mail Format tab, you receive the following error message:
A recently installed program may cause Microsoft Office or other e-mail-enabled programs to function improperly. Outlook can resolve this conflict without affecting the program that originally caused the problem. Do you want Outlook to resolve this problem?
When you click Yes, you receive the following error message:
Outlook was unable to resolve the conflict between a recently installed program and Microsoft Office or other e-mail-enabled programs. Outlook needs to modify a system component that another program is currently using. To fix this program, please restart Windows
When you restart your computer and restart Outlook, you do not receive any error messages. However, you may not be able to send e-mail messages.

CAUSE

This problem occurs if the Exchange Server 2003 Administrative Tools and Outlook 2003 are installed on the same computer. A configuration where the Exchange Server 2003 Administrative Tools and Outlook 2003 are running on the same computer is not currently supported.
APPLIES TO
  • Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Enterprise Edition
  • Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Standard Edition
  • Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
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