Continuing problem adding contacts

[Raymond Lang]

[Repeat posting as the previous MVP did not provide any
information in troubleshooting this problem]

We have a user who is attempting to save contacts. When
he attempts to do so (either adding a new contact or
saving revised information on one that is already present)
he is getting an error saying that the name could not be
added to the personal address book. The user only has the
Exchange Service, Outlook Address Book (where the contacts
are saved) and personal storage folders. This is under
Outlook 2000 on a Win2k Professional system. What little
information that is available for this error on the
Microsoft TechNet and support site points towards OL97,
but not for OL2000. This problem is very annoying for the
user, and we are looking for either a cause for this error
or a way to fix the problem with either the contacts list
in the Outlook Address Book or Outlook itself.

-Raymond Lang
End User Support
The Boeing Company
Ft. Walton Beach, FL.
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP]]

Please provide the exact steps that the user is employing to add a new
contact.

 

[Raymond Lang]

-----Original Message-----
Please provide the exact steps that the user is employing to add a new
contact.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

The user will go into the address book, for instance,
right click on the name he wishes to add, then click
on 'Add to Personal Address Book'. It is at this time
that he gets the error 'Some names could not be added to
the personal address book. The action could not be
completed.'

The other way that the user adds contacts is in replying
to a message, he can right click on the name in the To:
field, and select 'Add to Contact.' Again, the same error
message will appear.

Because of the use of encryption tokens within our
corporate mail system, any time that a user has a new
token issued or renewed, the entry in the personal address
book and/or contacts needs to be updated. Normally this
isn't a problem, but for this one particular user it
appears to be a constant problem. There have been no
changes to the Outlook program itself on his system.

Any suggestion on what to look for here would be
appreciated.

-Raymond Lang
End User Support
The Boeing Company
Ft. Walton Beach, FL
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP]]

The user will go into the address book, for instance,

right click on the name he wishes to add, then click
on 'Add to Personal Address Book'. It is at this time
that he gets the error 'Some names could not be added to
the personal address book. The action could not be
completed.'

What "address book" is this that the user is trying to add addresses from?

Does the user actually have a Personal Address Book in the profile and is
trying to add addresses to it? If so, why?

The other way that the user adds contacts is in replying
to a message, he can right click on the name in the To:
field, and select 'Add to Contact.' Again, the same error
message will appear.

What version of Outlook?

Because of the use of encryption tokens within our
corporate mail system, any time that a user has a new
token issued or renewed, the entry in the personal address
book and/or contacts needs to be updated. Normally this
isn't a problem, but for this one particular user it
appears to be a constant problem. There have been no
changes to the Outlook program itself on his system.

I don't understand how encryption tokens affect contacts. Please explain.

If this problem is affecting only one user, have you tried a new profile?

 

[Raymond Lang]

-----Original Message-----

What "address book" is this that the user is trying to
add addresses from?

This is a Boeing-wide address book that he's trying to add
addressed from. We have a centralized address book that's
automatically added in every profile that contains every
person who has an email address inside of Boeing, which is
some 180,000+ entries.

Does the user actually have a Personal Address Book in
the profile and is trying to add addresses to it? If so,
why?

As was stated before, there is only the Microsoft Exchange
Server, Outlook Address Book and user personal .pst files
listed in the profiles. As for why, users here find
keeping a smaller contacts/personal address book is easier
than searching through 180,000 entries in the global
address book.

What version of Outlook?

Again, as stated in the beginning message, this was
Outlook 2000.

I don't understand how encryption tokens affect contacts.
Please explain.

Every user has an encryption token installed, per
corporate security requirements. However, when a user
loses that token (either by being moved to a new computer,
or failing to renew for some reason) we have to install a
new token. When that happens, if that particular user is
listed in a contacts or personal address book and someone
tries to send him encrypted email through that particular
listing (instead of through using the global address book)
the message will be bounced due to the security token not
matching.

If this problem is affecting only one user, have you
tried a new profile?

We have tried to set up a new profile in Outlook, but the
problem remains with the user. Yet another user can log
onto that particular system, set up his email, and add a
contact without error. We're suspecting something on the
Exchange server side, but since we don't have any control
over the servers, we're operating here with blinders to a
certain extent.

-Raymond Lang
End User Support
The Boeing Company
Ft. Walton Beach, FL
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP]]

Comments inline.

This is a Boeing-wide address book that he's trying to add
addressed from. We have a centralized address book that's
automatically added in every profile that contains every
person who has an email address inside of Boeing, which is
some 180,000+ entries.

So this is an Exchange Global Address List? Have the user try creating a
new contact with the person's name filled in, then click the Address List
button next to the email address and select the person from the GAL. Try it
in both the Exchange mailbox Contacts folder and in a .pst file contacts
folder.

As was stated before, there is only the Microsoft Exchange
Server, Outlook Address Book and user personal .pst files
listed in the profiles.


Again, as stated in the beginning message, this was
Outlook 2000.


Every user has an encryption token installed, per
corporate security requirements. However, when a user
loses that token (either by being moved to a new computer,
or failing to renew for some reason) we have to install a
new token. When that happens, if that particular user is
listed in a contacts or personal address book and someone
tries to send him encrypted email through that particular
listing (instead of through using the global address book)
the message will be bounced due to the security token not
matching.

Makes sense. This is one of reason for *not* keeping copies of corporate
user addresses in the contacts folder, BTW.

We have tried to set up a new profile in Outlook, but the
problem remains with the user. Yet another user can log
onto that particular system, set up his email, and add a
contact without error. We're suspecting something on the
Exchange server side, but since we don't have any control
over the servers, we're operating here with blinders to a
certain extent.

This is beginning to sound more and more like a problem with that particular
user's mailbox. I'll be interested to hear what happens when you try to
create a contact and add a GAL address in a .pst contacts folder.