Did you try bringing over your old OS user profile or do anything strange is
salvaging the data from the external drive? (In other words, yes you/they
did a clean install of Windows XP applied the service packs and security
updates, then installed Office/Outlook 2003 and applied service pack 3.
Created a new Outlook e-mail profile that uses a new PST and then try
opening the old PST via File Open Outlook Data File.)


"boysie" wrote in message
...
Thanks, but tried that, FileOpenData File....... then nothing. Can open
Outlook, but it appears most (if not all) commands do not function once I
am
in Outlook.
--
Boysie


"PAL" wrote:

You cannot open a pst from explorer by using open with
Copy pst's from external to your documents folder. Start Outlook,
FileOpenData File.........browse to this copied pst

"boysie" wrote in message
...
A bit more background, may be this helps.
I can open Outlook 2003 OK, but when it opens, the drop down menu
File -
Import and Export gives no response. If I try to open a new folder, I
get
the
message "Outlook can't read the registry information", and asks me to
either
close and restart Outlook, and or reinstall Outlook, and or reistall
Microsoft Exchange or other email system.
(Incidentally I am not intending to use Outlook for email, simply to
retrieve Contacts and Calendar data.)

The target of the shortcut which opens Office Outlook 2003
successfully
is
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\OUTLOOK.EXE" /recycle

When trying to open the .pst files, I have selected Outlook as the
program
to use to open, and then get the message I first mentioned in my first
post,
ie "Cannot start Microsoft Office Outlook. The command line is not
valid. Verify the switch you are using"

Tried repair (via Add Remove Programs), that didn't make any
difference.

--
Boysie


"Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]" wrote:

"boysie" wrote in message
...

Recently had to replace motherboard, so due to not wanting to pay HP
"fee"
to
re tattoo BIOS, reloaded OS (Windows XP). Saved previous content of
hard
drive on external hard drive.
Reloaded Office 2003, now cannot get Outlook to recognise old .pst
files
from previous content of hard drive. When I attempt to open a .pst
file, get
error notice "Cannot start Microsoft Office Outlook. The command
line
is not
valid. Verify the switch you are using"

Post the target of the shorcut you're using, exactly as it appears in
the
shortcut properties. If you're not using a shortcut, post exactly
what
you're
doing.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]