Member Avatar for pete.gorst

i have a problem that when i click on a link within an e mail my cursor changes to a hand and outlook express freezes up, I cant do anything unless i use alt ctrl delete and end program.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Xavior2422

Dani AI

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described Outlook Express freezing when a hyperlink is clicked; correctly flagged common resource/update checks. Below are focused, complementary diagnostics and fixes that avoid repeating those suggestions and aim to identify whether the hang is caused by the message, OE, the browser, or a third-party hook.

  • Quick isolate: right‑click the link, choose "Copy Shortcut" (or copy the URL text) and paste it into a browser address bar. If the browser never gets control, the problem is on the OE/hand‑off side or with the message content itself.
  • Stop HTML rendering briefly: Tools > Options > Read > check "Read all messages in plain text" and try the link. If OE stops hanging, the message HTML or embedded content is the likely culprit.
  • Test a clean profile: File > Identities > Add New Identity (or create a new Windows user) and try the same message. Success there points to a corrupted OE identity or settings.
  • Check external hooks: many AV/email scanners and browser helper objects intercept links. Temporarily disable mail/web scanning (do not leave it off) or boot into Safe Mode with Networking to see if a third‑party component is involved.
  • Examine logs: use Event Viewer to capture application errors tied to Outlook Express, IEXPLORE.EXE or mshtml.dll; the faulting module name helps target repairs.

Always export or back up mail before making large changes. If these steps show the problem is OE itself, consider repairing/reinstalling the browser components or migrating to a modern, supported mail client—Outlook Express is discontinued and more prone to compatibility problems.

Member Avatar for Xavior2422

is it possible that you have too many programs running to open the link? try freeing up some memory by shutting down programs you're not using...

Member Avatar for Xavior2422

also, if that doesn't work and you're running windows XP then do you have service pack 2 installed? its supposed to be able to fix security issues with outlook express

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