Techy help please - email problems - Microsoft outlook

[Gwenick]

OK I need someone techy to help me out. Microsoft outlook said it was 'recieving' emails - but they're not showing up in my inbox(es). It says I've got one unread email - but I've already read it

AND when I try and send an email I get a little alert box wtih

"Microsoft Office Word"

at the top and saying that

"The file C:\Documents and settings\myloginnameforxp\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.pst is in use and could not be accessed. Close any application that is using this file, and then try again"

The thing is I've even restarted the computer and it's still saying it, even when OUtlook is the only thing I have open...........

I would usually ask DH - but he's obviously in a meeting as he's not answering his phone......and I can't email him because of teh above

bump before it disappear off the bottom of active convo's

not really sure but have you been in and checked your account settings

Have the mails gone into a spam folder? I didn't realise for ages that this was happening because the other folders have numbers next to them for how many unread messages, but the spam folder never does.

nope not going into the spam folder - it was fine this morning and now has taken a funny turn

oooo I fixed it - googled for outlook.pst

first of all close outlook and go to start then run and in the 'run' command type outlook /cleanviews then outlook should open up and hopefully it is then fixed. If not carry on reading...

Ok - there is a way you can do this but it will mean your old mails aren't visible anymore so you might want to save any old addresses/ photos etc onto the pc.
If you go into my computer and go to that file and rename it to something like outlookold.
You will need to have outlook closed when you do this.
Then when you start outlook back up it says you do not have outlook.pst do you want to create it. Create it. Your mail should then come down.

If your pst is corrupt then this might not work but if you then go up to file open - outlook data file and then go to the outlookold file and open it, it should then appear in your folder list with your old mail.