Microsoft Outlook and a non-valid addin.

[kenken45]

Hi,
I recently started using Outlook 2000 instead of Outlook Express and I have found that whenever I start it I get the following message
‘C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\AddIns\’ is not a valid Office Add-in.
I think I got it straight away as soon as I converted to using Outlook 2000. I did this to co-incide with synchronising my second-hand PDA. I checked the "AddIns" folder and it is empty.
Also, I have had a spate of wierd emails (10 in total) returned to me as "undeliverable" despite the fact that I haven't sent them.
I was a bit worried that it could be a virus but ran AVG just in case. It didn't find anything. I also ran Spybot and deleted some stuff it found. I haven't had any wierd emails returned to me today (since Spybot) but am worried it may be something to do with the "AddIns" thing.
What does anyone think?
Also, can PDA's get virus's or is it safe to open a suspect email on a PDA as long as it isn't connected to your main PC?

[mairving]

In Outlook, go to Tools/Options/Other/Advanced Options/Add-in Manager and make sure that any Add-ins listed are unchecked.

I wouldn't worry too much about the undeliverable messages if you have updated your virus defs and done a system scan. Most viruses nowadays will either spoof your address from someone elses Address book or send you a virus saying that it was undeliverable and here are the contents (virus). PDA viruses are rare but I wouldn't open anything suspicious on it either.

[kenken45]

Hi Mairving,

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried unchecking the Add-Ins listed on the Add-In Manager but it made no difference. There were three: a Net one, a Windows CE one and an AVG antivirus one.

I then clicked on the COM Add-Ins button to check this and there are none listed, however, I get the error message again. Also, the top line of the blank screen is actually two blank spaces and the rest of the line is surrounded by greyed dashes. It is as if there is an item there that I can’t click on or anything. If I press the Add button on the COM Add-In window I get an empty folder but get the “not valid…” Message when closing it. It there something hiding in the Add-Ins folder, I wonder. I tried displaying hidden files, etc. but still nothing shows up. Seems a bit weird.

Thanks for the reassurance anyway. Didn’t get any more odd emails tonight, so maybe it is OK now. Just the “not valid add-in… “ message.

Cheers,
Ken