Custom form not opening correctly on converted records where user does not have local pst file

[Stacey]

We have a product that is an add-in to Microsoft Outlook. The key form of
this product is a custom form. We installed the product at a new client
site and ran the conversion code to convert the existing message class to
our custom message class. These records all show the correct message
class, but open in the standard Outlook 2003 form. This usually happens
when I first convert a contact record, but then after the user has logged in
and out, it usually resets to the correct form. In this case that is not
happening. The setup at this client may have something to do with that.
User's do not have local .pst files on their computers - they must log in
remotely to a server and then start up their Outlook session from that
server. The Exchange server was completely rebooted, but still opens in the
standard form instead of the custom form. If I create a new contact record
with the new form, it opens, save and reopens in the correct form - it is
just the converted contacts that are not opening in the proper form. We
have not had this problem with other clients. Do you have any ideas why
this setup is causing the incorrect form to be opened and does anyone have a
suggestion of how we can get around it????

Thanks!!!!

 

[Ken Slovak - [MVP - Outlook]]

Is the custom form published? You can do that using code. For an Exchange
account you might want to publish to Organizational Forms Library if the
permissions are there, if not then in Personal Forms Library.

If that's OK then forms cache corruption is the most likely issue.

 

[Peter Huang [MSFT]]

Hi Stacey,

I agree with Ken's suggestion that this problem may be caused by that the
Custom Form is not correctly published.
If you have further question about Custom Form I high recommend you post in
the Custom Form specific queue so that the Outlook Form experts will also
help to share their experience.
microsoft.public.outlook.program_forms

Thanks for your understanding!


Best regards,

Peter Huang

Microsoft Online Community Support
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[Stacey]

If the custom form was not correctly published, why would it work perfectly
for new records? It's only the converted records that are a problem. Plus,
this only occurs at this one client site where the users do not have local
outlook files. Since this client outsources its IT functions, I am waiting
for their permission to publish the form in the organizational forms library
to see if that fixes the issue. However, the correct form is being used for
new records. If there's still a problem, I will ask in the other forum. I
did not use that one initially because it's not listed as a MSDN managed
forum.

 

[Peter Huang [MSFT]]

Hi Stacey,

Thanks for your detailed information,
Now I understand your scenario that the problem only occurred at certain
machine(client) which did not have local pst file, but it works at all the
other machine.
So here I assume the Addin code should be OK. If I misunderstood, please
feel free to let me know.

As your said, now we can assume the problem is specific with problem
machine.
Here is the steps you may have a check.
1. In the Addin trying to write some log to see if the convert is
successfully, although the code is OK, but I wonder if the code works
correct on the problem machine. So please write the log about the Message
Class after it has been converted. There is one possible reason that the
message is not correctly converted, so the converted message did not open
in the custom form.
2. Create a new Outlook profile with another working exchange account on
the problem machine, and then test the Addin did the problem persists?
3. Try to clear the Form cache per the links below.
291183 How to troubleshoot Outlook forms cache issues
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;291183

181930 Form Required to View This Message Cannot be Displayed
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;181930

195754 OL2000: How to Clear the Outlook Forms Cache
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;195754

Here is another KB link for your reference.
290806 Description of Outlook 2002 forms cache
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;290806


Best regards,

Peter Huang

Microsoft Online Community Support
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that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
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[Ken Slovak - [MVP - Outlook]]

Forms cache corruption rather than publishing would be my suspect. Another
thing to watch for is if you've published revisions of the form, while
designing it or over the course of time. If you don't set a Version property
and increment it for each revision then forms cache corruption is almost
inevitable.

 

[Stacey]

Hello,

It is not just a problem on this machine. It is a problem on all machines
at this client. We provide this add-in to multiple clients (and by client I
don't mean client computers, I mean customers). At other customers who have
a normal Exchange setup or Outlook setup we have no problems with the
installation of our software. At this client site, they are worried about
the sales people downloading the contacts and going to other companies so
all users VPN into a server and launch Outlook from there. Their individual
machines are like dumb terminals.

The convert is successful, the message class is correct for the converted
records. The form opens properly when you select new contact, it is only on
the converted records that it does not open correctly.

We are unable to create a different Exchange account as the Exchange hosting
is outsourced and they are charged by userid. We can go to another machine
and set it up for an existing profile and the problem still occurs. It is
not machine specific, but setup specific. They are all essentially VPN'ing
to the same machine anyway so it doesn't matter which terminal they are
coming from.

Their IT services provider published the form to the organizational forms
library yesterday and it had no effect. There are no other versions of this
form that have ever been loaded at this customer site so this is not a form
version number issue.

Thanks for any other suggestions you can provide. This issue really has us
perplexed.

Stacey

 

[Stacey]

Hi,

See my previous post to Peter for more details on this unique situation.
However, we do not do our development at the customer site so the only
version of the form is the one installed during installation. There are no
other versions of this form for Outlook to be confused by.

Thanks,
Stacey

 

[Ken Slovak - [MVP - Outlook]]

See if the information at http://www.outlookcode.com/d/newdefaultform.htm
helps. If this is going to be the default form for the folder you need to
not only set the item MessageClass but also to set up the folder default
form.

If you still have problems after looking through the information post back
here.

 

[Stacey]

The default folder is set to be the new form and it is when creating a new
contact, it's only the converted records that do not open in the new form.

Thanks,
Stacey

 

[Ken Slovak - [MVP - Outlook]]

Then I'm out of ideas. It may be something related to how the hosted
Exchange server is set up, but that wouldn't help you.

About the only thing I can think of would be to open a support incident with
PSS and see what they come up with.

 

[Peter Huang [MSFT]]

Hi Stacey,

So far I understand your scenario as below.
If the client(machine A,B,C....) connect to Terminal Server S with VPN, and
you installed Outlook on the S, and you did not install Outlook on A,B,C
.... As for the scenario above, the problem will occur.

So the scenairo should be if the Terminal Server is OK, you may perform the
check below.
1. If you have a user log onto the Terminal Server locally, that is to say,
you sit at Machine S and log on to test the Addin did that works. So that
we will know if this is a Terminal related issue.
2. Have you tried my suggest to clear the Form cache?
3. Because you can not create a new profile, so you may try to delete the
existing user's profile and recreate it to see if that works.

Based on my experience, a problem as complex as this may take extensive
time to narrow down. If the issue is urgent, you may want to work with
Microsoft Customer Service and Support (CSS) for a faster resolution. Once
you open a Support incident with Microsoft CSS, a dedicated Support
Professional can work with you in a more efficient manner.


Best regards,

Peter Huang

Microsoft Online Community Support
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that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
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