Thunderbird / Outlook Express crashes.

[Painless]

My customer and his wife each have a profile on their XP desktop machine. They both use Thunderbird 3.1.9 to access their e-mails. He has no problems with the setup but if she tries to follow a link contained in an e-mail then Thunderbird crashes. Task Manager shows 2 copies of Thunderbird 'Not Responding'.

I have tried uninstalling/reinstalling Thunderbird without any joy.
I have repaired the URL file association without any joy.
I then thought I would transfer her accounts from Thunderbird to Outlook. (which is a bit of a nightmare and has to be done through Outlook Express). Once I was part way through the process I checked that Outlook Express would link to websites - it crashed as well, with the same double message in Task Manager.

Sooooo the problem is not Thunderbird or Outlook Express exclusively. Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks

 

[Xander]

What happens if you click a URL shortcut on the desktop?

What happens if you try to open an attachment in either program?

 

[Painless]

What happens if you click a URL shortcut on the desktop?

What happens if you try to open an attachment in either program?

URL from the desktop works OK.

I didn't try an attachment - but off the top of my head I don't remember seeing one on her emails. I would have to send her one and give it a try.

 

[Xander]

Try it. I'm thinking it's not so much the email client as it is Windows having trouble with the "hand off". If that's the case, though, I can't think of much in the way of a quick fix. SFC might work.

 

[Painless]

Try it. I'm thinking it's not so much the email client as it is Windows having trouble with the "hand off". If that's the case, though, I can't think of much in the way of a quick fix. SFC might work.

Thanks for the ideas. I'll call in in the next couple of days and try the attachment idea. SFC might take longer. Unfortunately they aren't open to the idea of remote assistance but at least they are on the way home from taking my wife to work !

 

[Painless]

Update.

Don't think I will ever get to the bottom of this.
Customer doesn't want to let me have his machine for 2 - 3 days to try various ideas and I can't sit in his house while SFC takes its time to run through. He then announced in mid converstaion that he is thinking of getting a new PC anyway !! (So I should get the setup and file transfer).

Thanks for your help eHousecalls.ca.

 

[ZenTree]

Couple of things I would have tried (just throwing them out there)

Creating new profile and transferring docs across. - works on other profile, should be okay on new

Portable Thunderbird, see if made any differenc from standard one being installed.


Was it all the links from emails or just a particular email

 

[Painless]

Couple of things I would have tried (just throwing them out there)

Creating new profile and transferring docs across. - works on other profile, should be okay on new

Portable Thunderbird, see if made any differenc from standard one being installed.


Was it all the links from emails or just a particular email

It was all the links.

A new profile was one of the things I was going to try - but it looks as if the whole thing is 'dead in the water' at least until after Easter and they have talked to the family.

Thanks