Today I couldn’t start my Outlook 2010 client anymore. When launching Outlook, the following error message came up:
Cannot open your default email folders. The information store could not be opened.
I always start with some basic steps, that helped me most of the times when I had a problem with an Outlook profile. Those standard steps are listed at the bottom of this article. However, the problem involved with this information store thing could not be solved with my standard steps.
To solve the “Information store could not be opened” –error, I disabled the Compatibility mode on Outlook.exe (who actually did turn this on?! It just suddenly was enabled!)
To disable the Compatibility mode on the Outlook.exe application, do the following:
- Open Windows Explorer and navigate to your Office directory (default is “C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14” for Office 2010, but your Office may also be installed in Program Files (x86) )
- Right click the Outlook.exe and choose Properties
- Click the Compatibility tab and UNCHECK the “Run this program in compatibility mode for” option
- Click OK and try to launch Outlook again
If the Compatibility mode was not enabled, then your problem is caused by something else :)
Try my default steps to see if it solves your particular problem:
- Try to Run outlook in safe mode from the Run As window. To do so, press WIN+R (Windows key+R), type “Outlook.exe /safe“ in the text field and click OK.
- Recreate your outlook profile. To do so, click Start –> Control Panel –> Mail. Click Show Profiles. Remove your existing profile. Then click Add… to add a new profile. Try to start Outlook again.
- Remove the Windows Messaging Subsystem keys in your registry. To do so, press WIN+R (Windows key+R), type “regedit“ in the text field and click OK. Navigate to [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows Messaging Subsystem\Profiles]. Delete the key that corresponds to the profile name that causes Outlook not to start. Try to start Outlook again.
Used this from your suggestions…
◾Recreate your outlook profile. To do so, click Start –> Control Panel –> Mail. Click Show Profiles. Remove your existing profile. Then click Add… to add a new profile. Try to start Outlook again.
On Windows 8 with outlook2010 I had to use the AD domain login rather than my email address which is also a Live ID. When it asked for my password and my email address was the account it failed. However I used the “Use another account” and supplied my domain\username password.
Larry Autman(Quote)
Thank you!!!!
Oksana(Quote)
many thanks…it’s really helpfull…
ahmad faez(Quote)
Thanks sooooo much! This had been driving me crazy for a week!
ladycdw(Quote)
Compatibility mode! AAARGH! Thanks! :-)
BOFHse(Quote)
2 cents… I uninstalled COMODO internet security and the problem went away.
jams(Quote)
No solucioné nada.
Lan(Quote)
Thanks a lot
Abolfazl(Quote)
Excellent.. Unchecking the compatability mode worked for me also.. Nicely found.
Cheers
Boggy
Boggy(Quote)
after several rounds including removing office and starting over… this post put me over the edge… thanks for the help.
Tony(Quote)
Thanks so damn much! Unchecking worked like a charm…..I love this thing they call internet.
V
Vince caruso(Quote)
Thank you! Removing the old profile did it for me!
Robert(Quote)
Thank you, unchecking the compatibility mode did it for me.
Thabiso(Quote)
Deleting the registry key worked for me. Thank you!
Mathias(Quote)
Awesome. Thanks.
Spent over an hour deleting, recreating, trying different accounts, while a stupid compatibility setting was to blame.
Ole(Quote)
For me it was the removing of the registry key that worked. Thanks.
Spazz(Quote)
Awesome!..excellent solution!
Str8b8r(Quote)
Thanks for this. I have no idea why the compatibility mode was enabled.
Stumpus(Quote)
I could have spent hours looking for that Registry Key!!!!
Thanks!!
E Jiin(Quote)
Wow……it’s always the simple things.
Spent ages trying all different Outlook switches to get it to work….NADA.
Turn of Compatibility Mode and voilà! Works
You’re a lifesaver….thanks a million!
Mike(Quote)
Thanks a ton….i have been looking for the correct solutions on internet, you tube for months but nothing worked.
Your above solution to remove the entry from regedit worked for me.
Sanjay(Quote)
Thanks a heap!!
We’ve been investigating this issue for hours. this solution worked.
Lizi(Quote)
Thanks this helped a lot… when my exchange configuration was not correct i accedentally set the compatability mode to on…
thanks again.
Sivasankar V(Quote)
PERFECT…SOLUTION
I’ve spent hours trying to figure out why OUTLOOK would not open.
THANK YOU!
Jim Phelps(Quote)
solution provide by u, its work no need to apply any other setting.
Thanks for your help.
TC by!!!
vishant(Quote)