Loading .msg file contents Using Powershell - Null Value error - powershell

Question

I am trying to access the metadata in a .msg file using Powershell (for example, get the sender address, subject line etc)
I have the following, simple code
Add-Type -assembly "Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook"
$outlook = New-Object -comObject Outlook.Application
$msg = $outlook.Session.OpenSharedItem("C:\Test\email.msg")
but I get the error
You cannot call a method on a null-valued expression. At line:4 char:1
If I run
$outlook
I get
Application :
Class :
Session :
Parent :
Assistant :
Name :
Version :
COMAddIns :
Explorers :
Inspectors :
LanguageSettings :
ProductCode :
AnswerWizard :
FeatureInstall :
Reminders :
DefaultProfileName :
IsTrusted :
Assistance :
TimeZones :
PickerDialog :
all the properties appear to be null, including .Session, which explains why I get the null value error.
What have I done wrong in creating the $outlook object?
I have tried with both Outlook running and not running and the same happens.
I have Office 365 installed and I'm using Powershell 5.1.19041.1320

Answer 1

I managed to fix this issue by doing a "Quick Repair" of O365 in the programs and features dialog

Answer 2

On Windows 10 Pro and "Microsoft 365 Apps for Business," Quick Repair also worked for me 7/15/2022 when my similar script which creates a CVS export of selected Outlook Contacts stopped working, for the same reason, namely that the assignment to $outlook completed normally, but then $outlook had no parameter values, just as you show above, leading to the same null-valued expression error.
I had not run the script for a month or more, so can't say which or what kind of update broke it.
Here is an example of a valid value for $outlook, after repair (I set Product Code to all 0s in case that value identifies my license):
Application : Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.ApplicationClass
Class : olApplication
Session : Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.NameSpaceClass
Parent :
Assistant : System.__ComObject
Name : Outlook
Version : 16.0.0.15330
COMAddIns : System.__ComObject
Explorers : {}
Inspectors : {System.__ComObject, System.__ComObject, System.__ComObject, System.__ComObject...}
LanguageSettings : System.__ComObject
ProductCode : {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}
AnswerWizard :
FeatureInstall : msoFeatureInstallOnDemand
Reminders : {$null, $null, $null, $null...}
DefaultProfileName : MS-2017-10
IsTrusted : False
Assistance : System.__ComObject
TimeZones : {System.__ComObject, System.__ComObject, System.__ComObject, System.__ComObject...}
PickerDialog : System.__ComObject