How to Fix Msoe.dll Errors

The msoe.dll file is an important element of the Microsoft Outlook Express mail client. When this file experiences problems, it might generate errors on your computer and even prevent the Outlook Express application from working properly. The message that usually comes along with this error is “Outlook Express could not be started because Msoe.dll could not be loaded.” Let’s go over the causes of the msoe.dll error and work on a several resolutions to solve it.

Missing Address Book

You may encounter the msoe.dll error on a PC running Windows ME if the Address Book has been removed from the system. When this is the case, repairing the error is simple as all you have to do is restore the Address Book. To do so, follow the four steps below:

1.) Launch the “Control Panel” and select the “Add or Remove Programs” option.

2.) Click the “Windows Setup” tab and then check the “Address Book” option.

3.) Click “OK” to reinstall the Address Book.

4.) Lastly, choose “Yes” to restart the system and allow the changes to take effect

Outlook Express Conflict

The msoe.dll error may also occur if you are running two different versions of Outlook Express on your computer. So if you have both Outlook Express 5.0 and 6.0 installed, you would need to manually remove one of the applications from the system and then reinstall a new copy from the installation files. This is a multiple step process that requires you to do the following:

1.) First, backup your Outlook Express emails and Address Book.

2.) Next, launch “My Computer”, open the “Tools” menu, choose “Folder Options” and click on the “View” tab.

3.) In this window, select the “Show hidden files and folder”.

4.) Disable the checkboxes for the “Hide file extensions for known file types” and “Hide protected operating system files” options.

5.) Select “Yes” to confirm and then exit.

6.) From here, you want to open the “Windows Explorer” utility and rename the following folders:

- “C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Stationery”
- “C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Identities or C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities”
- “C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book”

* Take note that these path may vary in accordance to the version of your operating system as well as the root folder path. As an example, you might want to consider naming the folders to “Stationery_old”, “Identities_old” and “Address_Book_old”.

7.) The next step is to run the “Regedit” command to launch the Windows Registry Editor. Once inside the registry, delete the following entries:

- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WAB
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \Software \Microsoft\Active Setup \Installed Components\{44BBA840-CC51-11CF-AAFA-00AA00B6015C}
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{7790769C-0471-11D2-AF11-00C04FA 35D02}
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft \Outlook Express
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\WAB

* Keep in mind that is advisable to backup the Windows registry before making any changes. This can be done by utilizing the “File>Export” option within the Registry Editor or a third-party registry editing tool.

8.) The last step is to rename files in both the “C:\Winnt \System32″ and “C:\Winnt \System32 \Dllcache” folders. These files are as follows:

- Setup50.exe
- Wab.exe
- Wabfind.dll
- Wabimp.dll
- Wabmig.exe
- Csapi3t1.dll
- Directdb.dll
- Wab32.dll
- Wab32res.dll
- Inetcomm.dll
- Msoeacct.dll
- Msoert2.dll
- Msoe.dll
- Msoeres.dll
- Msimn.exe
- Oeimport.dll
- Oemiglib.dll
- Oemig50.exe

Once you complete all the steps above, restart the computer, and then reinstall the version of Outlook you want to keep. After the installation is done, import your messages and Address Book from the backup. If all goes well, this should be the end of your msoe.dll errors.