Can not save a custom form.

[Rachel Struthers]

I am trying to learn out to create a custom form in Outlook 2002. However,
I am having a problem saving the form. Here are my steps:

1. Go to Tools, Forms, Design a Form and select Message.
2. Go to the second tab (P. 2)
3. Create a new field of type text in the Field Chooser and call it test4
4. Add the field to page 2
5. I then press save

I cannot save the form. I get the following message:

Could not complete the operation. One or more parameter values are not valid.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP]]

Unfortunately, that's a sort of generic message indicating some possible corruption, but not providing much guidance on how to fix it. What kind of mail account(s) are you using?

Anyway, Step 5 is not the proper way to save a *form*. That command saves the data item, in this case with the form information embedded in it. In general, you need to publish your form with the Tools | Forms | Publish Form command. You can also make a backup of the form as an .oft file with the File | Save As command.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Outlook and Exchange solutions at http://www.slipstick.com
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming: Jumpstart
for Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Rachel Struthers]

Thanks for the reply. I have tried doing the Tools |
Forms | Publish Form command and get the following error
message:

"Unable to succesfully publish the form due to a MAPI
error"

I was trying to publsh to the Personal Forms Library. The
strange thing is it works if I only add existing fields
such as the "From" field. The problem seems to be adding
user-defined fields. After adding user-defined fields, and
then trying to publish, I get the above error. Even if I
don't add a user-defined field the form is always saved in
the Drafts folder, never in the folder I designate.

Also, if I try to save a form with a user-defined field as
an .oft file, I get the original error message I mentioned:

"Could not complete the operation. One or more parameter
values are not valid".

Could this be a permission problem? I have asked other
people in my company to do the same thing. The only ones
who can publish a form with user-defined fields have
Administrative privileges on our system.

I asked the IT administrator to give me more privileges
using the Exchange System Manager program. He went to the
EFORMS Registry and I believe he gave me every permission
possible on the Organizational Forms folder. This did not
help.

-----Original Message-----
Unfortunately, that's a sort of generic message

indicating some possible corruption, but not providing
much guidance on how to fix it. What kind of mail account
(s) are you using?

Anyway, Step 5 is not the proper way to save a *form*.

That command saves the data item, in this case with the
form information embedded in it. In general, you need to
publish your form with the Tools | Forms | Publish Form
command. You can also make a backup of the form as an .oft
file with the File | Save As command.

 

[Rachel Struthers]

I found the answer to my custom form problem. As
mentioned below, I could not publish a custom form that
contained a user-defined field.

What was the solution? The IT staff gave my Windows
account full administrative permissions. Now everything
works. This is obviously not a good permanent solution as
now I have more power than I should. But for now, this at
least lets me get some work done.

This convinces me that this was a permission problem and
not a file corruption problem.

Anyone else ever see anything like this?

-----Original Message-----
Thanks for the reply. I have tried doing the Tools |
Forms | Publish Form command and get the following error
message:

"Unable to succesfully publish the form due to a MAPI
error"

I was trying to publsh to the Personal Forms Library. The
strange thing is it works if I only add existing fields
such as the "From" field. The problem seems to be adding
user-defined fields. After adding user-defined fields, and
then trying to publish, I get the above error. Even if I
don't add a user-defined field the form is always saved in
the Drafts folder, never in the folder I designate.

Also, if I try to save a form with a user-defined field as
an .oft file, I get the original error message I mentioned:

"Could not complete the operation. One or more parameter
values are not valid".

Could this be a permission problem? I have asked other
people in my company to do the same thing. The only ones
who can publish a form with user-defined fields have
Administrative privileges on our system.

I asked the IT administrator to give me more privileges
using the Exchange System Manager program. He went to the
EFORMS Registry and I believe he gave me every permission
possible on the Organizational Forms folder. This did not

help.


-----Original Message-----
Unfortunately, that's a sort of generic message

indicating some possible corruption, but not providing
much guidance on how to fix it. What kind of mail account
(s) are you using?

Anyway, Step 5 is not the proper way to save a *form*.

That command saves the data item, in this case with the
form information embedded in it. In general, you need to
publish your form with the Tools | Forms | Publish Form
command. You can also make a backup of the form as an .oft
file with the File | Save As command.