Error Message: DDE Server Window: Outlook.exe - No Disk. There Is No Disk in the Drive (325369)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Outlook 2000
This article was previously published under Q325369

SYMPTOMS

After you download and install Microsoft Office 2000 Service Release 1 (SR-1), and you try to start Microsoft Outlook 2000, you may experience one of the following symptoms:
  • You receive an error message similar to the following:
    DDE server window : outlook.exe-no disk. There is no disk in the drive.
  • All the messages that you had before you installed the Service Release are missing.

CAUSE

This issue may occur when one of the following conditions is true:
  • The Personal Folder (.pst) file is damaged.
  • The journal log files Offitems.log and Outitems.log are damaged.
  • You have the wrong version of the Msvcrt.dll file.
  • The removable media on which the .pst file was located is no longer available.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, use the following methods in the order that they appear:

Method 1: Repair the Personal Folder File

  1. Create a backup copy of the Personal Folder file (.pst):
    1. Start Windows Explorer and go to the C:\Documents and Settings\userID\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook folder.
    2. Right-click the file Outlook.pst, and then click Copy.
    3. Locate and click the folder where you want to put the backup of your Outlook.pst file, right-click in the right pane of Windows Explorer, and then click Paste. (You can put the backup file in the same folder as Outlook.pst.)
  2. Click Start, click Run, type outlook.exe /cleanpst in the Open box, and then press ENTER.
  3. Click Yes when you are prompted whether you want to re-create shortcuts. Note that Outlook opens with no messages in its folders.
  4. On the File menu, click Import and Export, and then click Import from another program or file in the Choose an action to perform list. Click Next.
  5. In the Select file type to import from area, click Personal Folder File (.pst), and then click Next.
  6. Click Browse, and then locate and click Outlook.pst (or the backup file that you created in step 1c). Click Open, and then click Next.
  7. Under Select the folder to import from, click Personal Folders, make sure that the Include subfolders check box is selected, and then click Finish.

Method 2: Rename the Outlook Journal Log Files

Note If you rename the journal files, you will have to reenter all journal entries.
  1. Search for the Outitems.log and Offitems.log files. For additional information about using Search, see Windows Help and Support.
  2. Rename the files as Outitems.old and Offitems.old.
  3. Start Outlook.

Method 3 - Install the Latest Windows Service Pack

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows XP. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322389 How to Obtain the Latest Windows XP Service Pack

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:1/9/2006
Keywords:kberrmsg kbprb KB325369
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