What's New  


Click here to subscribe
to our weekly newsletter
Exchange Messaging Outlook
EMO back issues

Offline Free/Busy Application

This application uses a COM add-in, ActiveX controls and a custom Outlook form to help remote users keep track of free/busy information for colleagues and use that information to create meeting requests when working offline. It requires Outlook 2000 in Corporate/Workgroup mode with a profile that includes Microsoft Exchange Server.

Setup | Usage | Notes | Limitations | Problems | More Information

Setup

 Download offlinefb.zip (4.7mb), extract the files, then run Setup.exe to install the files. Be sure to read the Readme.txt file for additional instructions.

You must also install the Collaborative Data Objects (CDO) component, if you did not install it during Outlook 2000 setup. This component does not install on demand. Use Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs.

Make sure you download the offline address book, or errors will occur. 

Back to Top

Usage

 The main interfaces to the application are the Free/Busy property page under Tools | Options, the custom Meeting Request form available in your Calendar folder or through the offline Free/Busy menu item, and the Offline Free/Busy Menu option.

The menu options appear only when you are connected to your Exchange Server. You must connect to the server (rather than work offline) to synchronize  free/busy information. 
Back to Top

Notes

 You can place the custom Meeting Request form in the Organizational Forms library or another folder's Forms library, as well as the Calendar folder. 

In this version, there is very minimal error checking . If you do run into an error, please report the steps that produced the error as well as an error messages to thomriz@microsoft.com.

Back to Top

Limitations
  • The ActiveX control supports only a left mouse button click for the context-sensitive menu.
  • You can only add distribution lists that contain fewer than 50 people.
  • You cannot view the free/busy information for a distribution list. Instead, you must select the individual members of the distribution list in the meeting request.
  • You cannot look up the free/busy information for contacts from your Outlook Address Book. Contacts added using the Add User menu option will appear at first to be unresolved.
    •
    Back to Top

    Problems
  • Bringing up the Free/Busy property page under Tools | Options may take a while the first time it loads depending on the number of people you are synchronizing offline.
  • The Free/Busy property page under Tools | Options does not include online Help topics.
    •
    Back to Top

    More Information

    		 This application was provided as freeware by Tom Rizzo, author of Programming Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Exchange from Microsoft Press. 
    Updated Jul 15 2008
    Copyright Slipstick Systems. All rights reserved.
    Send comments using our Feedback page

    Home | What's New | Exchange Server | Outlook | Utilities | Bookstore
    About Slipstick | Feedback | Privacy Policy | Site Map | Archived Pages | Link to Us | Advertise