Windows – Microsoft Outlook 2007 – General Failure. The URL was: ““. The parameter is incorrect

microsoft-outlookwindowswindows xp

For the last two days, Outlook has decided it doesn't like URL's. Any email message that comes in containing an URL will show the following in an error dialogue message box when I click on the link:

General Failure. The URL was:
"http:/something.com/somewhere/". The parameter is incorrect

If I copy the link into a browser, it works correctly.

OS is Windows XP SP 3, Microsoft Office 2007 (Outlook), Internet Explorer 8 (also Chrome).

I have, of course, Googled this and the two most popular solutions are:

Solution 1:

  • Add/Remove programs
  • Set Program Access and Defaults
  • Custom tab
  • Make sure a default browser is selected

Solution 2:

  • Add/Remove Programs
  • Select the MS Office 2007 item
  • Click Change
  • Click Repair

I have tried both of these and I still get the problem.

Has anyone else had this problem and solved it with a solution other than those listed above?

Best Answer

Fixed it.

Start IE from the desktop icon by right-clicking on it and start it without Add-ons. Then go in and disable any add-on (Manage Add-ons) that isn't what you would expect (i.e., leave stuff from Microsoft, Adobe enabled).

Then try opening a link from the email message. I found three add-ons that I disabled and it works. One was called "Research", one was an MSN Messenger add-on, and the other was a Disqus add-on.

This is in Windows XP. WIndows 7 is probably the same.

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