Greetings! Welcome to issue #9 of Exchange Center Update, an occasional newsletter about Microsoft Exchange, Windows Messaging and Microsoft Outlook, both for users of Windows 95 and NT 4.0 and for organizations using Exchange Server.
Today's highlights:
Regular features:
In case you were sleeping last Friday and didn't notice, Microsoft has released Microsoft Outlook as part of the Office 97 worldwide launch. (It will also be part of Exchange Server 5.0) The microsoft.public.outlook97 newsgroup on the msnews.microsoft.com server is full of questions and answers about all aspects of this new desktop information manager. I've also updated my Outlook FAQ at http://www.slipstick.com/exchange/outlfaq.htm with answers to the questions you're asking most and other resources to introduce you to Outlook.
It's been suggested that maybe the name of this newsletter should be changed to something like Exchange Messaging Outlook, now that we're also covering the e-mail aspects of Microsoft Outlook, as well as Microsoft Exchange and Windows Messaging. What do you think? Is that too corny or right on the mark?
In the last issue of the Exchange Center Update, we spent some time highlighting frequently raised issues with the address book. This continues to be a hot topic, so here we go again:
While you still can't export from the Windows Address Book (WAB) in Microsoft Internet Mail & News, you can use the WAB with Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft Outlook, as long as either of these is your default mail program (not IM&N). It's actually pretty easy. Open the WAB by using Start, Run and entering Wab.exe. Then highlight any address in the WAB, and choose File, Send Mail. The address will be inserted in the To field of a new message in Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft Outlook, whichever is the default.
One of the great features of the latest version of IM&N is its ability to link to public LDAP address servers so you can look up your friends' e-mail addresses. To add the same capability to Exchange, add the Nexor LDAP address book provider from http://www.nexor.co.uk/ldap/.
Keeping up with changes in user details can be a real bother for Exchange Server administrators. The Address Book Updater prototype (http://www.skeksis.net/greg/exchange/abudown.htm) is designed to allow users to update their own details through an Exchange form that interacts with an NT service running on the Exchange Server.
Are you frustrated by the inability of the Personal Address Book to show you the type of e-mail address when you have several entries for a single individual? Even though you can't rearrange the columns on the PAB display, there is a way you can show more information, using either of two fields that always appear next to the name. The Office field on the first PAB tab shows up, as does whatever phone number is on the Business tab. Note that this doesn't mean the Business number, but whatever number you've selected as the "main" number. I've been using the Pager number field, which I would otherwise ignore, to enter "SMTP," "FAX," etc. and leave that as the "main" number on the Business tab. This makes a beautiful, informative display for those people who are in your address book more than once.
One of the most popular downloads at the Exchange Center Gallery is the new freeware Antispam program that automates the process of alerting ISP managers to possible misuse of their systems for bulk mailings. The author is aggressive about finding out who's really responsible for the mailings (behind those false addresses) and updating Antispam to make sure your complaints about junk mail get to the right people. [no longer available]
Other new and updated utilities
Recipient Information (http://www.mokry.cz/windows/exchange) -- An extension to show information about all recipients, including Bccs, in archived messages. Not compatible with Windows NT 3.51. From the same site, the new version 1.03 of acclaimed ExLife automatic messaging processing add-on adds a search folder for unread items and new filtering mechanisms.
The very popular Import to Personal Address Book (http://www.slipstick.com/exchange/gallery.htm#imppab) has been updated to fix a small problem with importing fax contacts where the fax number field is empty.
To make sure all your messages are marked with a security classification, try Classify from Mark Wilson Software (http://www.storm.ca/~mwilson/).
Version 1.54 of MailAlert (http://www.diamondridge.com/) adds message preview, direct POP3 support, and other connection enhancements.
CS2Exchange 2.0 (http://www.cs2exchange.com) -- Import your CompuServe 3.0 file cabinets and addresses to Exchange's files.
Speaking of CompuServe, there's a new Exchange support area at GO EXCHANGE. Not nearly as much traffic as in the Microsoft newsgroups, but an alternative if you're looking for another way to get some answers.
To make it easy for you to track new Exchange add-ons and updates to your favorite utilities, I've added a What's New page at http://www.slipstick.com/exchange/whatsnew.htm. I'm posting new information almost every day, so bookmark this page or add it to your offline web browser's list of sites to grab frequently.
If you've recently installed version 3.x of Microsoft Internet Explorer or the new Microsoft Network software, you may have some trouble getting your messages because of some setting changes. MSIE 3.0 users can check out http://www.slipstick.com/exchange/msiecant.htm for details on how to help MSIE find Windows Messaging or the full Exchange Server client. For MSN users, there are a number of potential issues, and I've posted some tips at http://www.slipstick.com/exchange/msnfix.htm.
New wishes keep pouring in:
Managing e-mail from more than one ISP account: This is one of the most requested features, especially for people converting from programs like Eudora to Exchange or Microsoft Outlook. The good news is that it is possible to fool the Mapisvc.inf file (which controls the installation of services in your profile) into thinking that you have more than one copy of Internet Mail available. The procedure is a little complex, but full instructions are posted at http://www.slipstick.com/exchange/2isps.htm, along with a few other ideas for handling this issue.
Keep those wishes coming!
Five FAQs are available at my Exchange Center site, dealing with various client issues and the new Personal Fax for Windows NT service:
The Windows Messaging and Exchange Server client FAQs deal with basic installation, configuration and bug issues. For the nitty-gritty on how different services like Microsoft Fax, CompuServe Mail, etc. work within Exchange/Windows Messaging, you need the Exchange Client FAQ.
Other FAQs of note:
ISSN 1523-7990
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