MAPI32.DLL error after clean install
I installed Office 2003. Restarted my computer and clicked on the outlook icon, and an error message said;
"Cannot start Microsoft Office Outlook. MAPI32.DLL is corrupt or the wrong version.
This could have been caused by installing messaging software. Please reinstall Outlook."
I reinstalled it a few times and it said the same thing. What's wrong here?
This is a common error which seems to pop-up after you uninstall Outlook 2007 or Outlook 2010 and install Outlook 2003 again. This is often a procedure that you have to do because your new PC shipped with a trial version of Office 2010 while you are still perfectly happy with Office 2003 or simply decide not to upgrade just yet. It’s your pick of course ;-)
Before installing Outlook 2003 again, make sure you first uninstall Outlook 2007/2010 or even the entire Office 2007/2010 suite if you are not going to use it.
- Navigate to;
C:\Program Files\Common Files\System\MSMAPI\<locale ID>
Replace <locale ID> with the number representing your language. Usually only 1 number is listed there. 1033 represents English. - Here you’ll find the file
MSMAPI32.DLL.
Alternatively you could do a search on this file name to locate the folder. - Rename this file to
MSMAPI32.OLD.
Note that you do not renameMAPI32.DLLitself butMSMAPI32.DLL. - Start Outlook 2003. Windows Installer will start and it should rebuild
MSMAPI32.DLLautomatically.
If it doesn’t repair itself, you should try running a repair on Outlook 2003 by running setup again from the installation CD.
Note: After a downgrade of Outlook, it is always highly recommended to recreate your mail profile as well.
The MAPI32.DLL error is a bit misleading as the actual issue is with MSMAPI32.DLL.
