Fix Msimn.exe Error

Msimn.exe is an executable file that belongs to Microsoft Outlook Express, the default email application included with Windows operating system.

Error Messages

You may receive the following errors messages while working with Outlook Express:

Msimn.exe has generated errors and will be closed by Windows. You will need to restart the program. An error log is being created.

MSIMN caused an invalid page fault in module MSOE.DLL.

Cause of the Error

These errors may occur when either.DBX files are marked as read only or Identities key in the registry are damaged.

Note: .DBX files are used my Outlook Express to save email messages.

Resolution Method

Create a backup of your messages, contacts and addresses before you attempt to fix this error. You do not want to compound your problem by losing important messages and contacts.

Solution 1 – Ensure that .DBX files are not Read Only

1. Click Start and go to Find or Search.
2. Click Files and Folders.
3. In the File Name field, type in *.dbx.
4. Include local hard drives in the search.
5. Click Find Now or Search Now. When results are displayed, group the items by location. You can do this by clicking on the In Folder column name.  Write down the locations. Use Windows Explorer to navigate to the directories.
6. Right-click on the first file and then select Properties.
7. On the General tab, clear the Read Only check box and then click OK.
8. Repeat the same for the other files in the folder.
9. Test Outlook Express to ensure that it works without any errors.

Solution 2 – Regenerating the Identities Registry Key

Warning: Always make sure that you have a backup of your registry. Changes to the registry cannot be undone if you do not have a backup. Remember that there are always risks involved when editing your registry. You can use the backup to restore your registry to previous settings if problems occur.

1. Click on Start and go to Run.
2. Type regedit and then press Enter.
3. In the Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Identities.
4. Click Export Registry File in the File menu.
5. Select Desktop in the Save In box.
6. Enter Identities in the File Name box.
7. Save.
8. In the Registry Editor, right click on the Identities key.
9. Click Delete.
10. Exit the Registry Editor.
11. Test Outlook Express.
12. You may now restore mail, addresses and other account settings.

If you have multiple identities on your system, use the following steps to identify the correct GUID.

1. Click Start and go to Run.
2. Type regedit and then press Enter..
3. In Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Identities.
4. Click the little cross next to Identities.
5. Click GUID on the left side of the window.
6. On the right side, look for the data name User Name to find the correct Outlook Express Identity and then delete it.

The above fixes apply to the following Outlook Express versions:

Microsoft Outlook Express 5.5 Service Pack 2
Microsoft Outlook Express 5.01 Service Pack 1
Microsoft Outlook Express 5.0
Microsoft Outlook Express 5.5 Service Pack 1
Microsoft Outlook Express 5.01 Service Pack 2
Microsoft Outlook Express 5.02
Microsoft Outlook Express 6.0

Solution 3 Check if msimn.exe has Internet Access

If you are running firewall software from one of the following vendors, you should make sure that msimn.exe has access to the Internet. Otherwise, an error message will come up on your screen.

• McAfee
• Symantec
• ZoneLabs
• Cisco
• Sygate
• Sonicwall
• Freedom Security Zero Knowledge

If you are unsure whether or not the msimn.exe process that you have is valid or not, check the file size and location. The valid file is usually found in C:\Program Files\Outlook Express\. On Windows XP, the known file sizes are 60416 and 15872 bytes.

You should also ensure that you are adequately protected against worms, Trojans and viruses by using an antivirus program like Antivirus Plus.  StopZilla’s anti-spyware tool can provide further protection against identity theft while protecting your system from various malware.

To round off your PC’s health, run a regular registry scan with RegGenie’s registry scanning software. This will help keep your PC free from most registry related errors and fix existing errors in the registry.