[SOLVED] Outlook never starts during Zimbra profile creation

[snissen]

I'm installing the ZCS Connector for Outlook 5.0.1 on many Windows XP SP2 computers (all up-to-date), and I have two where I can't get it to work. Here's the specific behavior: The ZCS Connector installs fine, but ends with the message about "could not create Zimbra profile, do it manually". (Fine, I see that a lot.)

So I try to create the Zimbra profile, using either Control Panel->Mail, or just starting Outlook 2007 SP1. I choose "Manually configure", then I choose Other and the "Zimbra Collboration Server", and then nothing happens. I can see that Outlook is using about 50% of the CPU cycles, but it never completes, not even when left for 40 hours. When I force Outlook.exe to quit using Task Manager, I see that no Zimbra.zdb file was ever created. This PC is in perfect working order otherwise, and I'm a Windows expert. The underlying Zimbra mailbox is fine, it's not huge, and I can use it with Outlook on other computers. These PCs had the GroupWise Win32 client previously, but that has been uninstalled (and confirmed gone in the registry).

I have tried everything I can think of, and nothing has worked: uninstalling/re-installing/repairing ZCS Connector, Outlook (Office 2007), Windows NT Messaging; removing or creating other mail profiles; deleting all mail profile and Windows Messaging traces from the registry; stopping all concurrently running programs and services; disabling antivirus and antispyware and search; etc. Using Process Explorer, I believe the specific command that is running forever is (paths removed for easier reading):
rundll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL Office12\MLCFG32.CPL,@0

I have a gut feeling that the problem is in the MAPI/Windows Messaging stuff, but I can't prove it. I've just turned on ZCO logging, and am capturing a huge log, if that would be useful to anyone. What else can I do? Replacing/reimaging the PC is not an option; one is my desktop, and would takes weeks to rebuild. Has anyone else seen this behavior, and how did you fix it? Zimbra folks, help! Sande

[alee]

Originally Posted by snissen

I'm installing the ZCS Connector for Outlook 5.0.1 on many Windows XP SP2 computers (all up-to-date), and I have two where I can't get it to work. Here's the specific behavior: The ZCS Connector installs fine, but ends with the message about "could not create Zimbra profile, do it manually". (Fine, I see that a lot.)

So I try to create the Zimbra profile, using either Control Panel->Mail, or just starting Outlook 2007 SP1. I choose "Manually configure", then I choose Other and the "Zimbra Collboration Server", and then nothing happens. I can see that Outlook is using about 50% of the CPU cycles, but it never completes, not even when left for 40 hours. When I force Outlook.exe to quit using Task Manager, I see that no Zimbra.zdb file was ever created. This PC is in perfect working order otherwise, and I'm a Windows expert. The underlying Zimbra mailbox is fine, it's not huge, and I can use it with Outlook on other computers. These PCs had the GroupWise Win32 client previously, but that has been uninstalled (and confirmed gone in the registry).

I have tried everything I can think of, and nothing has worked: uninstalling/re-installing/repairing ZCS Connector, Outlook (Office 2007), Windows NT Messaging; removing or creating other mail profiles; deleting all mail profile and Windows Messaging traces from the registry; stopping all concurrently running programs and services; disabling antivirus and antispyware and search; etc. Using Process Explorer, I believe the specific command that is running forever is (paths removed for easier reading):
rundll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL Office12\MLCFG32.CPL,@0

I have a gut feeling that the problem is in the MAPI/Windows Messaging stuff, but I can't prove it. I've just turned on ZCO logging, and am capturing a huge log, if that would be useful to anyone. What else can I do? Replacing/reimaging the PC is not an option; one is my desktop, and would takes weeks to rebuild. Has anyone else seen this behavior, and how did you fix it? Zimbra folks, help! Sande

yes..those logs would be handy. please open a support incident and get ready to push those logs to them.

[henry]

I've seen this behavior when an old MAPI was installed in the system.
The cause was previous installation of Groupwise MAPI.

Can you look at %SYSTEM32% and post versions of
mapistub.dll and mapi32.dll.

[snissen]

Even better--I'll post the answer, which I found about an hour after opening a support incident: In the Windows system32 directory,
0. Exit Outlook
1. Rename mapi32.dll to mapi32.old
2. Run fixmapi.exe
3. Start Outlook

No need to reinstall the ZCS Connector. The end :-)