Anti-virus programs are an absolute necessity for any computer, but sometimes they can be just a little too diligent in their work. They scan every file looking for executables or unusual activities. Sometimes these scans pick up other working programs and flag them as dangerous, when they are perfectly innocent, deleting some needed .exe or .dll files. This conflict is the source of the vpmsece4.dll error, encountered while using Microsoft Outlook 2003 or Outlook 2007 in combination with Symantec Antivirus. The error displays as soon as Outlook is launched.

The error message reads that the VPmsece4.dll add-in cannot be loaded. For some, this is an annoying, persistent, and difficult to remove problem. The error will not prevent use of Outlook. Those afflicted with it will still be able to download and read emails, but the error remains baffling, even to some computer professionals.

Symantec claims that it is an isolated error, happening when the program is installed on the computer for the very first time. The Symantec Antivirus interface has a "Detect and Repair" option in its help section. This option sometimes turns out to be an easy way to solve the problem.

If the error message states that C:\Program Files\Symantec_Antivirus\vpmsece4.dll cannot be found, the problem might actually be low memory. Or the .dll file may have been deleted by the antivirus program. In both of these cases, Symantec's Detect and Repair remedy has been an effective solution for many users.

A Closer Look At Fixing The Problem

Users of Outlook 2003 will first need to find the Add-In Manager. Find Options in the Tools menu and select the 'Other' tab. Then click the Advanced Options button. Next, go to the Add-In Manager and uncheck the box next to Symantec Antivirus 10. (Please note that the procedure is different using version 8.x or earlier.)

Locate the drop down box at the end labeled 'Manage'. There are three options here; select all of them. Finally, close the Symantec interface and launch Outlook. If the vpmsece4.dll error does not return, the problem is solved.

In some cases, the error persists even after the above steps are taken. When this happens, the "extend.dat" files need to be located and deleted. The process for this will be detailed below. Once these files are deleted, restart the computer and relaunch Outlook. This is enough to resolve the error in most situations.

How To Locate The Extend.Dat Files

First, be sure that Outlook is not running, before looking for the files. Windows Search Feature is the best way to find any extend.dat files, but first the computer has to be prepared by setting Windows to display hidden files and system folders. Users of Windows XP can go to My Computer and then to the Tools menu. Next, click the 'Folder Options' submenu, then the View Tab. Find the box labeled 'Hide protected operating system files' and check it. Then locate the 'Hidden files folder' and check the radio button labeled 'Show hidden files and folders'.

Open the Start Menu on the left hand side of the taskbar at the bottom of the screen. Find Search --> All Files and Folders. Enter extend.dat in the search box and delete all the files found. This will end any recurrence of the vpmsece4.dll error.