Greetings! Welcome to Vol. 9, No. 11,
Sept 2, 2004, of Exchange
Messaging Outlook, a biweekly newsletter about Microsoft Exchange
and Microsoft Outlook.
Problem: E-mails that reside in the Outbox are not synchronized with
the Exchange server when in Cached Exchange Mode.
Here's the situation. We are rolling out Outlook 2003 to our
employees next month and we thought it would be nice to take
advantage of Microsoft's new feature called cached exchange mode.
This will allow users to work on most outlook functions even if they
are not connected to the exchange server. When we installed Outlook
2003 on a few people we found out that when they turned cached mode
on that they could not see all their postdated messages in the
outbox. What some of our users do is send e-mails to themselves or
to other people and set the e-mail to not deliver until a certain
date and time (a.k.a. postdated messages). The postdated e-mails
they sent in Outlook 2002 or Outlook 2003 online mode will not show
up in Outlook 2003 while in cached mode.
More Information on the bug:
If an e-mail is sent in online mode (non-cached) in Outlook 2003
with the option to deliver the message at a future date the
following will happen:
The e-mail will be sent to the exchange server and reside in the
outbox until it is to be delivered. Once the time is reached the
e-mail will be sent even if the client is not open.
The e-mail will not appear in the outbox if Outlook is switched
to cached mode.
If the e-mail is sent in cached mode with Outlook 2003 and the
option set to deliver the message at a future date to following will
happen.
The e-mail resides on the clients .ost file until it gets
delivered
The e-mail will not be sent unless the Outlook client is opened
in cached mode.
The e-mail will not appear in the outbox if Outlook is switched
to online mode.
The e-mail will not appear in the outbox in the OWA client.
Our concerns are:
We would like to have employees switched to use cached exchange
mode to minimize the traffic to and from the exchange server, allow
clients to have better response when the network is under heavy use,
allow clients to work when not connected to the exchange server (the
basic benefits of cached exchange mode). Because employees have no
way to see all items in their outbox they cannot delete or update
when a message is set to be sent out. The only workaround is to
maintain postdated messages when in online mode.
If a user is using cached mode to sent posted items the e-mail
will not get sent unless the person has Outlook open.
f a users .ost file gets corrupted and has to be deleted to
correct the problem, then if an employee had items in the outbox in
cached mode they would not be able to be recover unless the .ost was
backed up.
Until this problem is fixed I don't believe we have a good enough
alternative (workaround) other than to have employees use online
mode. This makes the whole cached exchange mode a useless feature to
those who send a lot of postdated messages.
We have submitted this case to Microsoft. They were able to
reproduce the problem, but the design team claims that this is a
"feature" and there "by design". Yet when I talk to the support
people they refer to it as a bug.
Before Microsoft will address this issue in a hotfix or service pack
they need to have a high enough feedback from companies who complain
about it. So if you are planning to use Cached Exchange Mode and
your company sends e-mails that should be sent at a future date
please send an e-mail to outwish@microsoft.com and fill out the form at
http://register.microsoft.com/mswish/suggestion.asp to
complain about this bug and request that they fix it.
ADDING PEOPLE TO A DISTRIBUTION LIST
This week brought two distribution list questions. The first query
concerned adding addresses to a distribution list in the GAL when
the addresses are not on the local server or in the Active
Directory. The second person wanted to know how to import a large
list of addresses to a personal distribution list without adding
them to the Contacts folder first.
The first question:
"I need to add a member to a distribution list, but the member is
not a "member" of the organization. Is it possible to add people
outside of the Exchange Organization or Active Directory to a DL in
the Global Address List?"
Sure, the administrator can add the person as a Contact using the
Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in. Their SMTP address
goes in the address in the Email field of the contact. The contact
will be listed in the GAL and can be added to DL's.
The second DL question:
"In earlier versions of Outlook, I was able to click on the address
book icon, the New icon, create a name for the list and then get a
2-columned area where I could paste in a bunch of addies, click on
Apply and call it good: I would have a named Personal Distribution
List in seconds.
When I transferred to this computer, my PDLs vanished. I'm not
really okay with that, but whatever. However, when I tried to
recreate them, all I can get is this really annoying screen that
forces me to type each addy individually. These aren't small groups!
The smallest is 12 names or so, but the largest is well over 200. I
am not going to enter them individually!
I don't NEED them in Contacts. I only send to these groups en masse
and I never use any other info for them; in some cases I don't even
know the names attached to the addies.
How can I get a screen that will allow me to paste multiple addies
from a Word list into a PDL?"
I'll comment on the missing PDL first. It sounds like you were using
a Personal Address Book (*.pab). It's old technology and contacts
are better in most cases, but if you have a copy of your old *.pab,
you can add it back to Outlook. Look on Tools, Email Accounts.
Choose either address book option and you can easily add your PAB
back. I don't recommend it though, learn to use the contacts folder
instead as future versions of outlook won't support it.
You can easily paste a semicolon delimited list of addresses into a
distribution list. From the new DL form, click Select Members. Yes,
I know you want to Add people not in your contacts, not Select
Members already in your contacts, but follow along and you'll see
this is the correct screen to use.
The Select Members dialog opens, with the default address list in
the window and the Members -> button near the bottom of the screen.
Copy your list and paste it into the Members field and click OK to
add the addresses to your DL. You can also use a list with one
address per line, but comma delimited lists won't work. For best
results, you should use email addresses only, not names and
addresses, however, you can use names with addresses in this format:
Diane <emo@slipstick.com>.
SENDING MESSAGES WITH BLANK SUBJECTS
A reader had this question:
"I have a new computer with Microsoft
Outlook 2003. I find it annoying to send an email message with no
subject. Is there an option in Outlook to remind me the message
doesn't have a subject?"
No, Outlook doesn't have an option to alert you if the subject is
missing. You can write a macro in VBA that will check for a blank
subject, look for code samples at Outlookcode.com. The following
code checks for both a subject line and missing attachments:
http://www.outlookcode.com/codedetail.aspx?id=553
FINAL DAYS: SLIPSTICK.COM'S RATING RAFFLE
Slipstick.com's Ratings Raffle is down to the end of the book
giveaway and you'll soon be able to come back and rate the utilities
in the other categories.
For a list of prizes, winners, and rules, see
http://www.slipstick.com/books/contest.htm. If your name is
listed and you didn't receive the notification, contact me at the
address listed on the winners page.
Congratulations Winners!
lauren wachtel, new jersey; Shawn Martin, MD; Robert Mitchell, PA;
Naor Mark; Yvon POGBA, Johannesburg, South Africa; Vincent
Winterling, New Jersey; R Chetwood, UK; Charles Hanskat, San Diego;
Chris Smith, Ontario, Canada; Wes, Idaho.
REMIND ME ATTACHMENTS
http://www.rsoutlook.com/us/rsrma.htm
Remind Me Attachments is a COM Addin for Outlook which allows
you to configure keywords which indicate attachments are
supposed to be included in the message and reminds you to add
them before sending them message. Until September 30, 2004, you
can get a free license for Remind Me Attachments by entering
this promo code in the form: OUTMVPS001. For additional Outlook
utilities, visit RSOUTLOOK.COM
ARCHIVE ATTENDER
http://sherpasoftware.com/ArchiveOverview.shtml
Archive Attender is an automated email archiving tool that moves
essential data out of Exchange mailboxes and into a secure,
external storage device. Management is executed through a remote
web interface that can be used to setup the schedule, search the
archives and view reports. With Archive Attender, administrators
also have the ability to control and grant access rights to
users. No additional hardware or client installations are
required.
CALENDAR UPDATES TV LISTINGS
http://www.calendar-updates.com/tvl.htm
Calendar Updates provides TV Listings that can be viewed
directly from within Microsoft Outlook. Each listing in the TV
grid includes a calendar icon that allows you to add your
favorite shows directly to your calendar. Just click the
calendar icon on the TV grid and the show is added to your
calendar with a convenient reminder. Free, requires .NET
Framework.
MAILCONTROL
http://www.addonmail.com/Products/MailControl.asp?idFrom=2
MailControl monitors the size of the personal folder (.pst) and
alerts users when the threshold is reached. The Normal level
allows you to define a threshold of control and a custom warning
message to warn the user when the size of his personal folders
exceeds the configured allowance. The Strong level offers the
control you have with normal and additionally, it allows you to
stop the reception of further messages if the threshold of the
Strong level is exceeded, warns the sender of the rejection, and
warns the administrator that a specific personal folder exceeds
the allotted size.
MAILPILOT*IN
http://www.addonmail.com/Products/MailPilotIN.asp?idFrom=2
MailPilot*IN monitors your mail as it comes in, route its and
automatically initiates the appropriate action, including
extract header, message and attachments to process the data
externally; generate a read receipt; move, copy or delete a
message; remove attachments; print the message and attachments;
start an external program; or mark message as 'read'. All tasks
are recorded in a log file.
MP*PRINT
http://www.addonmail.com/Products/MPPrint.asp
MP*Print is a custom action for Rules Wizard and allows you to
select the printer according to your own filters created with
the Assistant, select different printers for the body of the
message and for the attachments or define the list of authorized
extensions (for example .doc, .rtf, .txt, if you only want to
print text files and Word files) Version 1.4
NEWOL TOOLS
http://mcdev.com/download.php?id=NewTools
Create new Outlook items from the system tray. Each Outlook item
type has an individual program, allowing you to add only the
item types you use the most and open them by double clicking on
the tray icon. Donationware.
TEAMLINK
http://www.teamlink.nl/static/nl/producten/index.html
A workgroup application to provide shared Calendar, Mail,
Contacts, Tasks. Supports Palm and PocketPC handhelds
synchronization. Works with Outlook 2000, 2002, 2003. Site is in
Dutch, but the software is in English. Trial version available.
TREND MICRO ANTI-SPAM 1.0 PILOT
http://www.trendmicro.com/en/products/desktop/anti-spam/evaluate/overview.htm
A free anti-spam tool for Microsoft Outlook users. Features
include advanced heuristic-rule based spam-filtering technology,
freeing you from managing and updating complex filters. It uses
a Spam quarantine folder so you can review suspicious messages
and has approved and blocked senders lists. On-demand or
automatic updates are available via Trend Micro's ActiveUpdate
service. The Trend Micro Anti-Spam 1.0 Pilot is for personal,
non-commercial use only. Technical support is not provided.
YOU PERFORM
http://www.yousoftware.com/perform/
A collection of 15 tools to help you cut through email overload
and make Outlook work the way you want it to work. Increase your
email efficiency, take control of your contacts and stay on top
of your calendar. (Individual utilities formerly distributed by
Sperry Software.)
Updated Utilities
ABF OUTLOOK BACKUP
http://www.abf-soft.com/outlook-backup.shtml
Backup and restore Outlook data files, interface options, and
settings. You can backup on one machine and restore to another, but
both machines should be running the same version of Outlook. Backup
and restore operations can be run from the command line, with your
favorite Windows scheduling program for unattended operation.
Version 2.3.5.71
E-RKIVE http://www.e-rkive.com
Outlook archiving tool that allows you to store messages with the
same folder structure as Outlook, keep archives on CD-ROM or DVD,
maintain up to 10 archive databases, search archived messages, and
compress them to save space. Supports Outlook 2000, 2002 and 2003.
PIMSHARE
http://www.pagethink.com/pimshare.asp
PIMShare add-in for Outlook allows sharing of appointments,
contacts, and tasks with any other Outlook user having an active
Internet connection and e-mail account. Items are not stored but
encrypted and sent directly from publisher to subscriber.
POLICY PATROL http://www.policypatrol.com/
Policy Patrol 3.5 includes the unique anti-spam feature of checking
SURBL lists. Instead of checking sender IPs and domains like RBLs
do, SURBLs are used to check URLs in the message body for known
spammer domains. Other features in Policy Patrol include improved
spam protection through the use of Bayesian filtering, remote image
detection and word pattern matching. Policy Patrols user-based
permissions and automatic folder tasks now allow administrators to
offload tasks such as monitoring quarantined messages and updating
white lists and black lists. An Exchange anti-spam, anti-virus,
compression, and disclaimers tool, Policy Patrol supports Exchange
2003. Policy Patrol is currently at v3.5 and supports Exchange
5.5/2000/2003 and Lotus Domino/Notes R5/R6.
Other Resources
EXCHANGE 2000 SERVER POST-SERVICE PACK 3 UPDATE ROLLUP - JULY 2004
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=870540
This rollup fixes problems found in Exchange 2000 since the release of SP3.
FREE/BUSY SURVEY FOR EXCHANGE ADMINISTRATORS
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=62435602345
The purpose of this survey is to understand how users of Outlook today use the
Free/Busy feature to schedule meetings, and whether a Universal Free/Busy
service for calendars - that works across different calendar servers, calendar
clients, and firewalls and allows a user to see any subscriber's scheduled
availability - would be appealing to end users as a productivity enhancer and
acceptable to IT administrators. They will select one user at random to receive
an Apple iPod mini as an incentive to participate.
FREE/BUSY SURVEY FOR USERS OF MICROSOFT OUTLOOK
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=50706602286
The purpose of this survey is to understand how users of Outlook today use the
Free/Busy feature to schedule meetings, and whether a Universal Free/Busy
service for calendars - that works across different calendar servers, calendar
clients, and firewalls and allows a user to see any subscriber's scheduled
availability - would be appealing to end users as a productivity enhancer and
acceptable to IT administrators. They will select one user at random to receive
an Apple iPod mini as an incentive to participate.
TECHNET SUPPORT WEBCAST: AN OVERVIEW OF AND DEPLOYMENT BEST PRACTICES FOR
MICROSOFT OFFICE 2003 SP1
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=883787
This on-demand support WebCast discusses how Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack
1 (SP1) offers users and administrators the latest security and stability
updates. Microsoft has provided major updates for all the Office 2003 products,
including Business Contact Manager, OneNote, InfoPath, Project, Visio, Windows
SharePoint Services, and SharePoint Portal Server. This session will cover some
of the top fixes that are included in the main Office 2003 SP1 update and covers
some of the best practices to use when deploying SP1 in the enterprise-computing
environment. It reviews some of the SP1 enhancements for OneNote, InfoPath, and
SharePoint as well as the new version of EntSetup.exe and LISTool.exe, which
allows administrators to move and repair missing or damaged Office 2003 .cab
files that are stored in the local Msocache folder. This Level 300 session is
presented by Joe Sexton.
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