Outlook closes when I move my mouse to wake my monitor

[Ryland]

I have my work computer set to turn the monitor off after 20 minutes in Display->Screen Saver->Power. When I move my mouse in the morning to get my monitor to turn back on Outlook always closes. Any ideas why this would be happening?

[Langford]

Thats weird... Just speculation, but maybe another program is leaking into outlook's memory, or possibly even a spam-generating-virus starting up during power-saving mode and crashing while its in there.

Here is what I would try, in order:
1. Scan for spyware and viruses
2. Reinstall tha latest major service packs for Office and Windows
3. Check for the latest patches, and install them. http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/

If that doesn't help, you may need to see is some other app is the problem. Possible culprets are browser toolbars and plugins and downloaded screensavers.

More of a workaround than a fix, you may want to try Thunderbird for email, it's really very nice anyhow. http://www.mozilla.com/thunderbird/

I woud hate to pronounce a format upon an otherwise functioning computer, but an occasional formating could be a healthy thing, if you have your stuff backed up.

[Direwolf20]

Make sure you're computer isn't set to go into "System Standby" which is usually found in power-save options, the same place that monitor sleeping is setup in. I'd also disable the hard drive power-off. Set them both to "never".

System Standby can sometimes make you lose your network connection, depending on how your network is setup. If this is the case, outlook may close due to the connection loss.

[Ryland]

I run a virus sweep every night and it always comes up clean (newest Norton). I am currently running a spyware sweep and will see what that brings up.

Under power savign I have it set to turn the monitor off after 20 minutes, harddisks are set to never as is system standby.

I use firefox and don't have any toolbars installed.

I hadn't thought about the spyware angle. I kept thinking it was just a bug in outlook.

[Ryland]

I ran a spysweep using both Spybot and Adaware and neither came up with anything particularly nasty. I will have to see how my machine acts over the next few days.

[Ryland]

I came iin this morning and when I reactivated my monitor (by moving the mouse to wake it up) Outlook went away again. ARGH.

This is my work computer so formatting it is out of the question. Of course I may be switching to a Dell 9300 which would make this a moot point.

[GORANKAR]

Are you sure it is not a security feature your IT department has implemented?..

[Ryland]

I am the IT department (and programmer, purchasing, etc). We are a small company that doesn't have individual departments.

Could Google Desktop be doing this?

[Direwolf20]

I came iin this morning and when I reactivated my monitor (by moving the mouse to wake it up) Outlook went away again. ARGH.

This is my work computer so formatting it is out of the question. Of course I may be switching to a Dell 9300 which would make this a moot point.

Check in the power-options to see if "Hibernate" mode is disabled. A long shot, but who knows :). Does your mail server or network go down overnight temporarily, like a reboot or something? Perhaps outlook loses contact with the mail server, and closes because of it.

[Ezekial]

I've had this problem before. It wasn't a specific program, but just my current open window would close upon the screen coming back on.

Never figured it out though... formated the machine, and hasn't came back yet

had this happen on more than one occasion as well... very frustrating to say the least

[Ryland]

We have a secured pop-3 server that I grab mail from.

Other programs might have had this happen but since I check email most often via VNC from home it is probably the mostly likely to have it occur to.

[Ezekial]

We have a secured pop-3 server that I grab mail from.

Other programs might have had this happen but since I check email most often via VNC from home it is probably the mostly likely to have it occur to.
try and remember to have say, Firefox open and active when you leave. See if it closes in teh morning.

[Langford]

You've got VNC server running? You may want to check it's settings, if you havn't already. Maybe unlikely, but it is possible that it's closing software as a security measure.

[Ryland]

I will try to tab over to a Firefox window tonight before I leave.

VNC is set to "Do nothing" when last called disconnects.

[Ryland]

Well I wandered away from my desk while I had another program running and when I came back my monitor had blanked. When I moved the mouse to get the monitor alive again the program closed.

Thus it is not just OUTLOOK that has this issue.

[[T5K]thrasher]

Crazy, I had a outlook issue last week at work and reinstalling it fixed every thing.

It would close if i right clicked on any thing in it.. then it started closing if i clicked at all... Strange..


And i dont think it was a virus or spyware, ms has very stringent security :p