Microsoft KB Archive/223934

= OL2000: Error Message "This Form Requires Word as Your E-mail Editor..." =

Article ID: 223934

Article Last Modified on 9/29/2003

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Outlook 2000 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q223934



SYMPTOMS
If you install and use Outlook in an environment where components of both Microsoft Word 97 and Word 2000 are installed, you may receive the following error if you select Word to edit e-mail messages:

This form requires Word as your e-mail editor, but Word is either busy or cannot be found. The form will be opened in the Outlook editor instead.

If you click OK, an Outlook Plain Text message form opens. Additionally, the Use Microsoft Word to edit e-mail messages check box, on the Mail Format tab is cleared by this action.



CAUSE
Word 97 was started after Word 2000 was used, and before Outlook was started.



RESOLUTION
Start Word 2000 before starting Outlook.



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.



MORE INFORMATION
The behavior described will occur while both Word 97 and Word 2000 are installed on the computer. Word 2000 must be the most recently used version of Word if you wish to use Outlook with Word as the e-mail editor. Word does not need to remain running when you start Outlook.

If either version of Word is removed from your computer, the error will not occur. If you wish to use Word 97 only, after removing Word 2000 the extended features of the Microsoft Office 2000 mail envelope are not available.

NOTE: If Word 2000 is removed, the option to use Word to edit e-mail messages will not be present on Mail Format tab. To add this option, run Word 97 once.

