OL97: ErrMsg: The Memory Could not be Written

• Microsoft Outlook 97

SYMPTOMS

When you start Microsoft Outlook 97, you may receive the following error message:

   The instruction at <address> referenced memory at <address>.
   The memory could not be written.

CAUSE

This problem may occur when both of the following conditions are true:

• You have the option to "Automatically record these items" in the Journal selected for at least one Office program.

      -and-
  

• The Office item log file OFFITEMS.LOG is damaged.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, follow these steps:

1. Rename the OFFITEMS.LOG file. By default Outlook journal logs are stored in the c:\windows or c:\winnt folder.

2. Restart Outlook and wait at least 30 seconds for the error to appear.

MORE INFORMATION

Outlook's Journal feature allows you to record the create, open, close and save events for any file in Office `97. If renaming the log files allows Outlook to start successfully, the log files will be regenerated, however any journaling information contained in the original log file will be lost.

REFERENCES

For more information on the Journal feature of outlook, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   Article-ID: Q172002
   Title     : Setting Outlook Journal Registry Entries

   Article-ID: Q167975
   Title     : Office Programs Stop Responding While Outlook is Busy