Forms Cache Nightmare

[Vaughan]

I have several users with forms cache problems and I thought I knew how to
deal with them, but this one has me stumped:

Basic problem:
New/modified custom forms in the Organisational Forms Library are not picked
up by the user. New forms are cached if she creates a new item based on the
form, but if she tries to open an existing item she gets the error message
that goes something like: " cannot open the form, using the standard Outlook
form instead". Existing items based on modified forms, and new items based on
modified forms use the old version of the form.

Setup:
Relatively new PC running XP and Outlook 2003 upgraded to SP2 today.

What I have tried so far:
1. Emptied the personal forms library.
2. Cleared the forms cache.
3. Upgraded Outlook to SP2.
4. Renamed frmcache.dat

Points 2 & 4 cleaned out her cache (as you would expect) so that ALL the
forms became "new" forms. Opening existing items generate the error mentioned
above, creating new items based on the forms forces Outlook to cache the
form, but then updates to the forms are not loaded - i.e. back to where we
started.

The forms are version numbered, and version numbers are incremented with
each modification as recommended.

Any ideas?

TIA

Vaughan

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

In addition to deleting Frmcache.dat, did you also delete all the subfolders in that same Forms folder? I'd try that next.

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

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

 

[Vaughan]

Thanks for replying Sue.

I tried deleting frmcache.dat and the subfolders as you suggested, but its
still the same.

Any ideas what I should try next?

Thanks

Vaughan

 

[Hollis D. Paul]

New/modified custom forms in the Organisational Forms Library are not picked
up by the user. New forms are cached if she creates a new item based on the
form, but if she tries to open an existing item she gets the error message

Best practice is to include the version of the form in the publish form
name--myform_ver0xx--and increase the version number every time a change is
published. That way, the forms cache problem is avoided; but you do have to
use a utility to change the older data items to the latest form.

Hollis D. Paul [MVP - Outlook]
Mukilteo, WA USA

 

[Vaughan]

Thanks for replying Hollis.

I don't think that changing the form name would help in this case though?
The problem is that Outlook does not look beyond the local cache.

New/modified custom forms in the Organisational Forms Library are not picked
up by the user. New forms are cached if she creates a new item based on the
form, but if she tries to open an existing item she gets the error message

Best practice is to include the version of the form in the publish form
name--myform_ver0xx--and increase the version number every time a change is
published. That way, the forms cache problem is avoided; but you do have to
use a utility to change the older data items to the latest form.

Hollis D. Paul [MVP - Outlook]
Mukilteo, WA USA

 

[Hollis D. Paul]

I don't think that changing the form name would help in this case though?
The problem is that Outlook does not look beyond the local cache.

If it is a new form name, it has to look beyond the local cache.

Hollis D. Paul [MVP - Outlook]
Mukilteo, WA USA

 

[Vaughan]

Yes, that's how its supposed to work, I entirely agree. But my user's problem
is that Outlook is not functioning as expected. For existing items it only
looks in the local cache, andthrows up an error if it can't find the form
there. Also, it doesn't check if there is a newer version of the form in the
Organizational Library, always using the local cached version of the form if
there is one. This means that if form names are changed when the forms are
updated my user won't be able to use the new form for either new or existing
items?

Any ideas??

Thanks

Vaughan

I don't think that changing the form name would help in this case though?
The problem is that Outlook does not look beyond the local cache.

If it is a new form name, it has to look beyond the local cache.

Hollis D. Paul [MVP - Outlook]
Mukilteo, WA USA

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

I'd give the ForceFormReload setting described at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/839804/ a try.

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

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

 

[Hollis D. Paul]

Any ideas??

A repair install, or a re-install of Outlook? Or, don't use cache
mode. What he chooses depends on which pain is the liverwurst.

Hollis D. Paul [MVP - Outlook]
Mukilteo, WA USA

 

[Vaughan]

OK. Thanks for the advice. The system is a desktop workstation. It is
normally only used when connected to the server (unless the server/network is
down for any reason). I spoke to the user and she has agreed to try working
without cache mode. I switched it off and the forms work fine now. If working
without cache mode becomes a problem, I'll try the reinstall.

Thanks for the help and advice

Vaughan

Any ideas??

A repair install, or a re-install of Outlook? Or, don't use cache
mode. What he chooses depends on which pain is the liverwurst.

Hollis D. Paul [MVP - Outlook]
Mukilteo, WA USA

 

[Vaughan]

Thanks for the advice Sue. In fact, I followed the advice Hollis gave me and
switched off cache mode for the user, which resolved the problem. Then, as an
experiment, I tried switching cache mode back on. Inexplicably, the forms
cache then worked properly. Make sense of that if you can! All I know is the
problem is now fixed.

Regards

Vaughan

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Cool! Thanks for sharing your success with troubleshooting technique.

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

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