Exchange Messaging Outlook
Volume 6, Number 3

• Latest Outlook-related viruses
• New utilities
• Updated utilities
• Other new resources

Office XP launch

Office XP goes retail tomorrow, with launch events around the world. I'll be attending the one in Washington, DC.

In anticipation, Microsoft has already revamped the Office Update web site, transforming it into the Microsoft Office Tools on the Web site, now at http://office.microsoft.com/. (We'd like to thank the Office webmasters who saw the sense of putting in redirects for many pages from the old Office Update site and helped us update all the links from out slipstick.com pages.)

As of tomorrow, the main Office page at http://www.microsoft.com/office/ should also be full of new Office XP information.

Getting to know Outlook 2002

Whenever you move to a new city or even just across town to a new house, it takes some time to get used to your new surroundings. So, here's a short list of things you may want to do when you first install Office XP or Outlook 2002:

1. Change the file attachment blocking feature to allow access to those files that you find essential, but Microsoft considers potentially dangerous. Blocking is controlled by a Windows registry entry. You can download a free COM add-in to change the registry setting at http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/esecup/getexe.htm#ol2002.

2. Check the Send/Receive group settings to make sure your accounts are organized the way you want. Use Tools | Send/Receive Settings | Define Send/Receive Groups. In particular, if you use Exchange Server with an offline folders file, you can configure which folders are available offline and whether Outlook synchronizes when you exit.

3. Explore the new calendar color coding feature. This was one of the most requested additions to Outlook 2002. You can now color calendars in the day, week or month view either manually or with an automatic formatting rule. I've posted detailed information, with screen shots and lots of tips, at http://www.slipstick.com/calendar/colorcal.htm#ol2002.

4. Locate the dialogs that replaced the Tools | Services configuration settings for Outlook 97 and Corporate/Workgroup mode in Outlook 98 and 2000 and replaced the Tools | Accounts dialog in Internet Mail Only mode in Outlook 98 and 2000. The necessary settings are no longer concentrated in one location. In Outlook 2002, you manage mail accounts, add or delete address books, and change the default delivery location with the Tools | E-mail Accounts command. To add, remove, compact or add passwords to Personal Folders files, use File | Data File Management. To change the settings formerly found in Tools | Services | Addressing, such as the name resolution order, choose Tools | Address Book, then Tools | Options. To change the sort order for the Outlook Address Book, choose Tools | E-mail Accounts | View or change existing address books or directories, select the Outlook Address Book, and then click Change.

5. Set up Hotmail and MSN accounts for use with Outlook 2002. These are currently the only HTTP mail services that Outlook 2002 supports.

6. Adjust the settings for any POP/SMTP accounts that require you to log on to your POP server before sending via SMTP. Outlook 2002 adds support for this configuration. See http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q289/9/45.ASP.

7. Get used to the new AutoComplete feature that remembers what addresses you recently sent messages to, much as Outlook Express does, as prompts you with a list as you type in the To box of a new message. If Outlook offers an address that is not longer valid or that you don't want to see in the pop-up list, use the arrow keys to select the address, then press Delete to remove that name from the AutoComplete list.

New Utilities

ACT-TO-OUTLOOK CONVERT
http://www.personalcrm.com/act-to-outlook.htm
Tool to convert ACT! 2000 contacts to Microsoft Outlook.

ATHOS FAX
http://www.athosfax.com/
Network fax server with a MAPI transport for recieiving and sending faxes in Outlook. API available for advanced integration projects.

EXCHANGE CALENDAR MACHINE
http://www.thewinner.as/em/d/pages/0.asp?navlang=3
Group calendar display program in Danish and German editions.

FFOLDER
http://www.slipstick.com/addins/gallery/index.htm
Utility to rename or delete "special" Outlook folders such as the Calendar, Tasks, Inbox, and Contacts. VB source code included. Requires CDO. Free.

FOLDER RENAME AGENT
http://www.infowan.de/produkte/toolsutilities_sysfren.htm
Exchange Server agent script to maintain names of "special" Outlook folders in the correct language by server or site or throughout the organization.

IMPORTANT DATES REMINDER SYSTEM
http://www.infoware.ca/content/imprtdat.html
Synchronizes tasks in users' mailbox folders with an Exchange Server public folder, then sends reminders to everyone involved in the task. Designed for law offices, but potentially could apply anywhere.

INCONTROL
http://www.infoware.ca/content/inctrl.html
Law practice management tools for Microsoft Outlook, using contacts, tasks, appointments, and journal items. With Exchange Server, the information can be shared centrally with contacts synchronized throughout the firm. Includes time docketing.

INFUZER
http://www.infuzer.com/
Utility to enable you to load appointments and events from selected sports and other web sites into Outlook. You can also send your own events to other people, even if they use Lotus Notes, Palm Desktop Date Book, Act! or Lotus Organizer.

LANGUAGE STAMPER
http://www.masuch.net/
Tool to rename "special" Outlook folders, such as the Calendar, Tasks, Inbox, and Contacts, either for all mailboxes on a server or for a single mailbox . Requires CDO http://www.slipstick.com/dev/cdo.htm. Available in both administrator and end user versions.

MAPIDATA
http://www.mapidata.com/
OLE DB provider for Exchange 5.5, allowing developers to work with Exchange data using ADO. Can also be used with other MAPI-compatible mail servers. [No longer available as of Aug 2003]

MOVE MAILBOX MANAGER
http://www.discusdata.com/mmm/
Utility to move Exchange mailboxes between sites, containers and organizations, while preserving not only the folders and items, but also permissions, rules and distribution list memberships.

OPPORTUNITY MANAGER
http://www.opportunity.dk/
Customer relationship manager tool for Exchange 5.5 SP4 or Exchange 2000 to manage contacts and track incoming and outgoing messages, appointments and documents. Pipeline module controls the sales process. Includes time tracking and reports, plus indexed search to find data in both documents and Outlook items. Software development kit available. In English, Danish and German.

SCAN TO OUTLOOK
http://www.bnsgroup.com/bnsgroup/portal_s2o.htm
COM add-in for Outlook 2000 and 2002 to scan documents directly into Outlook messages. Especially handy if you're faxing via the Internet using one of the services listed at http://www.slipstick.com/addins/services/fax.htm#internetfax.

SELECT DL
http://www.discusdata.com/selectdl/
Web-based tool for managing Exchange Server distribution lists. Users can subscribe and unsubscribe. List owners can create new lists and modify existing lists.

Updated utilities

Other new resources

EXCHANGE 2000 SDK
http://msdn.microsoft.com/code/sample.asp?url=/MSDN-FILES/027/001/632/msdncompositedoc.xml
Version 1.3 includes updated Instant Messaging components, sample applications for Instant Messaging and Conferencing Server, a new gateway sample, and updated documentation. It also contains this curious note, "In future versions of the Exchange Software Development Kit, the Web Storage System will be referred to as the Exchange Store." (You may need to remove the line break in the URL above.)

WEBDAV - PROXY INTEROPERABILITY
http://www.webdav.org/other/proxy.html
Important resource for Exchange 2000 OWA administrators, detailing potential problems with particular proxy servers.

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Updated Apr 07 2008

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