For information about the differences between Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Outlook Express e-mail clients, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

257824 OL2000: Differences Between Outlook and Outlook Express

Symptoms

When you start Outlook Express, you receive the following error message

Outlook Express could not be started. The application was unable to create the font cache object. Your computer may be out of memory or your hard disk is full. Contact Microsoft for further assistance. (0x8007000E, 183)

followed by

Outlook Express could not be started because MSOE.DLL could not be initialized. Outlook Express may not be installed correctly.

Cause

File versions or libraries in the Windows Registry are incorrect or damaged.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, remove Outlook Express, delete the Outlook Express information in the Registry key for Active Setup, and then reinstall Outlook Express. For detailed instructions, see the "More Information" section.

More Information

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:

322756 How to back up and restore the registry in Windows

Remove Outlook Express

Use the following steps based upon your installation type.

If you have updated Internet Explorer and Outlook Express from their original versions, use the following steps to remove Outlook Express:

  1. Close all running applications. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

  2. In Control Panel, double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.

  3. Click the Install/Uninstall tab, click Microsoft Outlook Express 5, and then click Add/Remove.

  4. Outlook Express will be uninstalled. Click OK to close the Add/Remove Programs window, and then close Control Panel.

Edit the Active Setup information in the Windows Registry

  1. Click Start, point to Run, and then type regedit to start Registry Editor.

  2. In Registry Editor, locate the following key:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{44BBA840-CC51-11CF-AAFA-00AA00B6015C}

  3. Click the {44BBA840-CC51-11CF-AAFA-00AA00B6015C} key, and then click Export Registry File on the Registry menu.

  4. Pick a location to save the file by using the Save In box, and then type a name for the file in the File name field. Click Save.

  5. When the file is saved, return to the {44BBA840-CC51-11CF-AAFA-00AA00B6015C} key, and press the DELETE key on your keyboard. Confirm that you want to delete the key, and then close Registry Editor.

Reinstall Outlook Express

If you have updated Internet Explorer and Outlook Express from their original versions, use the following steps to reinstall Outlook Express:

  1. Click Start, point to Settings and then click Control Panel.

  2. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.

  3. Click the Install/Uninstall tab, click Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x and Internet Tools (the 5.x represents the version you have installed), and then click Add/Remove.

  4. The Setup Wizard starts, and you are prompted with a choice of actions. Click Add a component, and then click OK

  5. The Component Options window opens, and you see a list of check boxes. Click to select the Outlook Express check box, and then click Next.

  6. Outlook Express is reinstalled. You may be prompted to restart your computer. When the operation is complete, open Outlook Express.

Need more help?

Want more options?

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.