[I saw your piggyback post in someone else's thread in OE General newsgroup.
Stick with this thread, please, to avoid confusion.]

Do you have this Registry key?...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\WAB\WAB4

If not, STOP; If so, is there a DWORD named UseOutlook (NB: no space) and is
its value set to 1 (one)?

If not, STOP; If so, Address Book is configured to share contacts with MS
Outlook, even if you don't use it (can happen with the install of MS
Office). Change the value to 0 (zero), Address Book should be available to
you and all should be well. (If that DWORD is not present, don't create it,
and don't alter any other DWORD values.)

Note that any changes (additions, deletions, edits) made while sharing was
enabled will not be available (displayed) in Address Book when sharing is
disabled.

cf. http://www.insideoe.com/files/wab.htm#share
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=191946

If you don't use MS Outlook or any of its features (e.g., Calendar), why not
remove it from your install of Office? = Find the listing for MS Office in
Add/Remove Programs Click on the Change button Select Add or Remove
Features ... (have your Office CD handy, just in case it's needed).


Tip: As long as you have MS Outlook installed and you install any Outlook
updates (e.g., the monthly Junk Mail Filter Update), your problem is likely
to return (and you may well find that your choice of default Mail Client has
been "hijacked" to Outlook, too).
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE, OE, Security, Shell/User)
AumHa VSOP & Admin; DTS-L.org

KimRyan131 wrote:
These are the error messages I am getting and when Adress Book - "UNABLE
TO
OPEN THE ADDRESS BOOK. ADDRESS BOOK MAY NOT BE INSTALLED PROPERLY"

When I click on "Create Mail" in the Task bar - " THERE WAS AN ERROR
OPENING
THIS MESWSAGE. AN ERROR HAS OCCURED"
When I try to reply to an e-mail - THE ADDRESS BOOK FAILED TO LOAD. OE IS
INCORRECTLY CONFIGURED, PLEASE RE-INSTALL."

I also get a message that says "UNABLE TO UPDATE PUBLIC FREE/BUSY DATA.
AN
ERROR OCCURRED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE WINDOWS ADDRESS BOOK"

I get these messages when I try to open any of my mail in the INBOX or
other
files.

I have Windows XP with Outlook Express 6. I recently did a Windows
Update
and now cannot open the Address Book. I did notice that my addresses did
end up in Microsoft Outlook (which I do not use). I did what someone
suggested by typing WAB \a and I received a message asking if I wanted to
use this with my Vcard Viewer. Like a dummy I said yes. (I believe that
is what it said). Needless to day, it still doesn't work. I tried
exporting the address book out of Microsoft Outlook but get an error
message. I tried to import the address book in Outlook Express and get an
error message.

Any help out there???
Any help?