Changing the default form for a contact folder

[Chris]

Hello-
Platform: Outlook/ Exchange 2K3.

I've created a public "contacts" folder that I'm looking to import
demographics from another CRM program into. The contacts from the other
program had some custom fields such as "policy number", "group number" etc.
and were exported as a .csv file.
I have created a custom form with the needed fields and published it to my
public contacts folder. I can access my form the "actions" menu but is there
a way to make my new form the default form for that folder so that when I
import my data I can map to the corresponding fields and when a new contact
is created in that folder my custom form will run, not the default Outlook
contacts form. I.e. - Can the default Outlook forms be replaced with custom
forms and will my data import idea work? Hope this is somewhat clear.
Thanks in advance.
Chris

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Look at the PRoperties dialog for the folder and you'll see where you can
specify the folder's default form, which will be used for all new items.

However, Outlook doesn't support importing to a custom form or to custom
fields. You'd have to write custom code or use a third-party application.
See http://www.outlookcode.com/d/customimport.htm.

 

[Melissa m]

I have tried this solution and although the custom form is in the "associate
this form with this folder"tab, the default contact form still comes up when
I press the "new" button. I have tried going into the properties, but it will
not let me click on the "only allow this form" option, it is greyed out.
Help! I am trying to make this work for a small company with some people
with very limited computer skills, and they WILL NOT be able to navigate to a
custom form when they need to enter a contact

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Did you also change the setting for "When posting to this folder, use"?

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Melissa m]

Thanks a million! I don't know how I missed that. Can I take this form and
copy it to my coworkers computer for her to use. I cannot find it on the
hard drive. If I move it, where should I put it so that I can navigate to it
to let it be her default form.
We are going to have a new Outlook guru here soon, hopefully she can put
this on the server for us, but in the meantime, this would be very helpful!

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

If you want to save a form for use on another machine, open it in design mode, then use the File | Save As command to save it as an .oft file. You can copy that file to the other person's machine, publish it there, and go through the same steps to set the default form as you already performed on your machine.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[bigchinguy]

Sue, I tried everything you talked about, and if I create a new contact
I get my new form. If I open an existing contact, it opens in the ol
form. The "allow these forms" is greyed out.

BC

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

What's the value of the Message Class property for the existing item?

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[jim&Ekriktz]

Sue,
I've created my new form, published it in the respective folder, set the form
up to post to this new folder, but cannot open the form when I click in "new".
I get the following error message "an error occurred registering the form in
the OLE registry".

What's wrong?

JK

What's the value of the Message Class property for the existing item?

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Do you get the same result when you run the form from the Actions menu? What kind of form and folder?

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

Sue,
I've created my new form, published it in the respective folder, set the form
up to post to this new folder, but cannot open the form when I click in "new".
I get the following error message "an error occurred registering the form in
the OLE registry".

What's wrong?

JK

 

[jim&Ekriktz]

Yes. I get the same result from the Actions menu.
I created a new Contacts folder to utilize, and I published
the new form I created to the folder. Should there be some
kind of confirmation that the process was complete when I
publish the form? There seems to be a problem either with
the publishing process or the linking of the form to the folder.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

There is no confirmation message. Once the form is published, you'll see it in the Manage Forms dialog for the folder and on the folder's Actions menu.

I would try clearing the forms cache and, if that doesn't work, deleting the published form and republishing. You did make a backup copy as an ..oft file, right?

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[jim&Ekriktz]

Sue.. yes I have the oft template saved. I deleted the published form and
cleared
the cache... started over from scratch with same results. Now what?

 

[jim&Ekriktz]

I figured it out.. it wasn't properly saving the oft file before publishing it.
Now I need to figure out how to import an excel spreadsheet to my new
contacts form.

Thanks

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Outlook doesn't support importing to a custom form. You'd have to write custom code or use a third-party application. See http://www.outlookcode.com/d/customimport.htm.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[jim&Ekriktz]

I was able to successfully write a code to get the imported forms to open
in my new form. Thanks.

 

[jonna]

Sue, this sounds totally insane to me...

You write: "However, Outlook doesn't support importing to a custom form or
to custom
fields. You'd have to write custom code or use a third-party application. "

If this really is true, I will consider going back to good ole DOS, in my
Open Access DB I never had any problems with forms/masks etc. - and you tell
us that Bill Gates has not been able to offer us a possibility to import data
to a contact file, let's say from Access .mdb if the form has been redesigned?

I have been waisting ONE day with this totally stupid problem, it simply HAS
TO BE POSSIBLE...

And MS beeing totally without the will to perform what I would call normal
service. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE?????????

People are walking on the moon, and here we are not able to import contacts
to a contacts database; mapping our new fields???????????? ...

I'm sorry Sue, but this - to me - sounds totally mentally retarded from
Microsoft!!

BR
Jonna Basberg, Oslo, Norway ...

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Nobody said it was impossible, only that it would take a little extra effort or expense. People have been importing data into Outlook from a variety of sources for some 10 years, so there are plenty of code samples available. Whether it's worth the effort is, of course, up to you to decide.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[jonna]

) hmm... Sue - I think I got a lil excited yesterday (night) - hope you
excuse me - when having finished my new form and it looked soooo well - and
then, as you says:

"It comes as a big shock to many people that you cannot use Outlook's
built-in Import and Export wizard to handle data in custom forms."

So I have to do this the hard way and try to it in VBA (which I never did
before *sigh*)..

Without beeing rude, I think it's like this; Microsoft offers us a way to
add a room or two to our condo, but we cannot use them (without totally
rebuilding the condo once more)... I understand perfectly well how they can
earn so much money, as they - in fact - don't give any support to normal
people at all...

"I hope your new car will work well, Sir - as we don't support it" ....

BR Jonna

 

[Yaz_in_1967]

Sue...my question is similar to the very first question on this thread.
Maybe you can help me.

I've created a custom Contact form with some special fields. I have
associated it with the proper shared Contact folder we have in the Public
folders area. When my users create a new contact in this folder the correct
special form pops up. However when a user opens a Contact in this folder,
the correct special form opens properly, but if the user selects "New Contact
from the Same Company" in the contact only the default contact form appears,
NOT the special custom contact form I created.

How can I get my special contact form to be used when a user selects "New
Contact from the Same Company".

Thank you for any help you might provide.
Rich