Back up to speed... a big thank you

G'day all,Thanks to all who replied to my plea for help. I can't explain why or how but I offer the following just in case it may help someone else in the future.Problem. ---- Outlook Express wouldn't open. 2 error messages were displayed (I've abreviated them but the salient points are mentioned)a) "unable to intialise MSOE.dll":( "Outlook express can't open Internet mail account"Attempted cure. - using add/remove programs in control panel I uninstalled and reinstalled Outlook express.Problem still existed with same error messages.Even with uninstall/manually deleting outlook express folder/reinstalling (win 98SE) over the top of the current operating system it still didn't work.As luck would have it; after reading the posted replies about setting up email accounts with third party organisations, I noticed a small link on my ISP home page - "Web mail" (read your emails from any location). I clicked on the link and was then prompted for my user name and password. Lo and behold I was now reading my emails. I could send and receive emails. I could even make an address book. Not as sophisticated as outlook express but at least it worked. I shut down the computer and went to bed.Tonight I booted up the computer and clicked on the desktop shortcut for outlook express (don't ask why? - dunno). Outlook Express opened but a typical failed to complete task message showed. Like a flash I selected tools/accounts/properties and noticed that the incoming and outgoing settings were not pop.idx.com.au and smtp.idx.com.au but were numbers and dots instead. The account name was also changed. I simply changed all the settings back to what they should be and now everything's working fine. Internet explorer even has a MAIL tab again. I also still have my old address book!What I thik happened is this.Firstly - I think my problem wasn't a corrupted database but merely an invalid internet mail account.1. I stuffed up the internet mail account when adjusting the settings for my virus checker to check emails on the fly. Without a valid internet mail account Outlook Express spat the dummy.2. logging on to the ISP web mail link automatically set up a valid mail account.3. This enabled Outlook Express to open, so that I could then select tools/accounts/properties and make the necessary changes.Thank you to all respondants for your help. Cheers,Roger