Outlook crashes due to iTunes sync add-in - Page 3

JnC · 07-10-2007, 06:00 PM

Instead of an old machine that was recently "built up" by the IT department, we tried a newer machine that was just being used for a conference room. Installed iTunes. Ran Outlook. No crash. Outlook showed both plug-ins present. Ran a sync with only the Calendar selected. All of calendar info came across.

I know this isn't much of a "solution" for home users but if corporate folks are having difficulties, try another machine.

TechnoDoc · 07-10-2007, 09:00 PM

I've tried everything...no luck at all.

Contacts and calendar don't sync, and outlook crashes with every launch!

pmgower · 07-11-2007, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by myaffee

I tried everything suggested here to no avail. Outlook crashed every time i OPENED it as long as the iTunes sync plug-in was enabled.

Someone else suggested that perhaps the problem was a large PST file. Mine had grown to over 6 GB, so I tried creating a brand-new one and switched Outlook over to use the new PST for default mail delivery. I was then able to immediately sync with iTunes. Clearly iTunes has a problem with large PSTs or perhaps there was some subtle corruption in the PST which Outlook didn't care about but hung iTunes up. I deleted some email and compressed my original PST and was able to get it to work again. My revised PST is at about 4 GB and things seem to be working.

I tried loading outlook after installing iTunes 7.3 on my wife's PC which did not have outlook setup at all. After i setup outlook (without email accounts setup at all...aka empty contacts, calendar, everything) it still crashed Outlook. This is very frustrating!

-Paul

Tmerf · 07-13-2007, 12:43 PM

Ok...after a week of tinkering and throwing things around the room...I belive I have at least found a way to disable the add ins if you are using Outlook 2003. Despite previous posts direction to hold the ctrl button while clicking the shortcut to Outlook to bring it up in safe mode, it still crashes the program almost immediately. Plus ‘03 doesn’t prompt you to disable the addin after the program crashes.

So I figure why not upgrade to 2007 since more people seem to be having better luck with that. So I did. NO LUCK...Still crashes as soon as you open it. (BTW for reference sake I am using Win XP Pro MCE '05) HOWEVER, the safe mode deal WORKS on 2007. Then you can use previous advice to go to "Tools>Trust Center>add-ins> and click "go" down at the bottom to bring up the check boxes to disable the offending add ins "itunes outlook addin" and "outlook itunes sync addin".

This will allow users like me that just needed to get back to being able to use Outlook again without it crashing to get back to pre-apple screw up. You can then uninstall 2007 and reinstall 2003 and the addins STAY disabled. Long process but it does work.

Now I know what your saying...I can't afford to just blow another 150 bucks to, sort of, fix something that I just paid 600-800 dollars for that really doesn't fix the problem...Well Microsoft fortunately did something nice and made a 60 day free trial available for download...It's big, it requires registration, and it expires in 60 days BUT at least its is free and it's fully functional.

In any case I have scoured the internet for work arounds and tried every single uninstall/reinstall/repair combination or solution I could find and this is all I could come up with that actually worked. At least now I can use outlook and still sync music, programs, video, etc to my iphone…Just no calendar and contacts yet…

Guess we all have to be patient with apple YET AGAIN…God I hate waiting for incompetence to work itself out…

Hope this is some help.

Tmerf · 07-13-2007, 12:51 PM

BTW...I forgot to mention...If you update itunes after you do this work around (just did it), the new version itunes rechecks the addins and you have to go through the whole process again.

fourtea · 07-14-2007, 10:17 AM

FYI. I tried every solution I could find for this problem and nothing worked. Our tech guru, Paul, suggested that my outlook pst file might be corrupted or too large. I made a copy if it and deleted all the emails, then compacted the file. No help. I tried running MS's repair tool on the pst file. No help.

I finally exported my contacts into a new pst file. I then exported my calendar into the same new pst file. I again saved my original pst file. I then renamed my new pst file to the original name, opened outlook, enabled the itunes addins and restarted outlook. Wow, no error!!

I was then finally able to sync with my iPhone!!! I hope this helps someone else.

eederise · 07-14-2007, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by fourtea

FYI. I tried every solution I could find for this problem and nothing worked. Our tech guru, Paul, suggested that my outlook pst file might be corrupted or too large. I made a copy if it and deleted all the emails, then compacted the file. No help. I tried running MS's repair tool on the pst file. No help.

I finally exported my contacts into a new pst file. I then exported my calendar into the same new pst file. I again saved my original pst file. I then renamed my new pst file to the original name, opened outlook, enabled the itunes addins and restarted outlook. Wow, no error!!

I was then finally able to sync with my iPhone!!! I hope this helps someone else.

What about your emails?

fourtea · 07-14-2007, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by eederise

What about your emails?

If you are referring to the email messages, they do not sync to the iPhone (that I am aware of) so I didn't need to export them. I setup the email account manually on my iPhone. When I was done I simply deleted the temp pst file and renamed my original pst file back to its original name and restarted outlook.

This is somehwat cumbersome, but it was the only way I could get sync'ed. At least I now have all my current contacts and calendar events on the iPhone. I will either have to manually make changes on both in the future, or get my pst file repaired.

There are programs available that will repair pst files, but they are spendy. I may try one and will post the results when I do.

Good luck! I hope this helps.

finagle69 · 07-14-2007, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by fourtea

FYI. I tried every solution I could find for this problem and nothing worked. Our tech guru, Paul, suggested that my outlook pst file might be corrupted or too large. I made a copy if it and deleted all the emails, then compacted the file. No help. I tried running MS's repair tool on the pst file. No help.

I finally exported my contacts into a new pst file. I then exported my calendar into the same new pst file. I again saved my original pst file. I then renamed my new pst file to the original name, opened outlook, enabled the itunes addins and restarted outlook. Wow, no error!!

I was then finally able to sync with my iPhone!!! I hope this helps someone else.

that's the same sequence i posted on the previous page, which still does't allow export of existing emails as stated.

The problem with doing this is that this must be repeated any time you wish to sync with your PC, which for me is often, as i'm constantly adding calendar events and contacts.

ipvfletch · 07-14-2007, 12:00 PM

I don't believe it's a PST issue or anything of the sort. It seems like poor software programming on Apple or Microsoft's behalf. And I'm sure neither would admit to it being their fault..

The weird thing is it worked the first couple of times, but once it "made outlook unstable" and was disabled, it doesn't work anymore, even after I enable it and synch!

I'd love to see Apple or Microsoft fix this ASAP. I'm sure a LOT of people are running into this.....