Macros do not save as users log off / log on

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Hi, I have a user that freqeuntley creates macros in Outlook for default
messages. Just recently we had to rebuild her PC due to problems created by
new 3rd party software. Her computer has been rebuilt without the 3rd party
software to avoid any further issues until thoroughly tested.

She is using Office Pro 2k3 SP2 and now with her newly rebuilt PC when she
goes into Outlook, selects to create a new message, goes to tools - macros -
record macro, types her message and hits the stop button. She then looks to
make sure the macro has saved (which it has saved as macro1). She then
closed Outlook and re-opens Outlook and check again, the macro is still here.
She then logs off and logs back onto her computer and re-opens outlook,
selects new message and at this point (after logging off/on) her macro has
disapearred.

- I have tried using a different user account on this PC, and the same
problem persists.
- I have tried renaming her local profile, and the same problem persists.
- I have had the user log onto a seperate computer and test, the other
computer works without issue (macros save after log off / on)
- I have removed office from her computer and re-installed. And the same
problem persists.
- I have removed office and downloaded ork.exe and used the removal tool to
remove all remaining pieces of office. And the same problem persists.

I am baffled by this issue, I feel as if a rebuild of the computer may solve
the problem, but I would like to know the root issue. Any suggestion or help
would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ken Slovak - [MVP - Outlook]]

For one thing Outlook doesn't have a macro recorder. Word and Excel do but
not Outlook. If she's creating Word macros when its being used as the
Outlook email editor I can see why things aren't working. Outlook macros are
hand coded.

 

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Ken,

Thank you for the response. Yes, she is using Word as her default mail
editor, I apologize as I forgot to include that originally.

However, there is still a problem wheter or not Outlook has a macro
recorder. If you are to turn on Word as your default mail editor and then
open a new email for creation, go to Tools - Macro - Record New Macro... you
will find what I am referring to. If you do not believe this is a problem
that should be discussed in the Outlook forums but rather in the MS Word
forums please point me in the right direction. Although I believe that since
Outlook incorporates Word as an editor it would benefit anyone else who has
had this problem or potentially will with Outlook, to be able to come here
and see a positvie outcome.

My next step(s) if no resolution here will be to ask if the customer is
willing to pay for phone support via Microsoft. If they are not, then due to
time constraints I will be forced to rebuild the computer. I do not like the
latter because I may never discover the root issue. If you have any ideas,
please share as all your comments are appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Ken Slovak - [MVP - Outlook]]

Did this ever behave any differently?

As far as I know when you use WordMail as a default Word is opened
automatically in the background and remains open so that email items can
open quicker, without having to wait for Word to open. Then if you reboot,
therefore shutting down that Word session, any macros you had created in
WordMail are lost since the Word email template isn't storing those macros.

Typically Word autostart macros also won't run at all when WordMail is used.
In those cases you generally code your macros in the Outlook VBA project and
run them in the Outlook name space rather than the Word name space.

 

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Ken,

Yes - This computer would store macro's in Outlook prior to me loading 3rd
party software updates last week. The user had many recorded macros of
"default" emails she would send out.

No - It did not work after the 3rd party software updates (as well as some
other apps). I did a rebuild of the computer and formatted the hardrive.
After rebuilding the computer and re-loading just he OS and updates and MS
Office Pro 2k3 and updates I still have the problem in which macros recorded
in Outlook using Word as the default mail editor no longer work.

I found what you had to say about the word mail template not retaining your
changes after reboot to be interesting. However, if I try to simulate the
user's issue by following the steps I have listed above, then I do not have
an issue. I am only finding this flaw on one computer. I am not sure if it
is related to an update after installing the OS or Office? I will be
rebuilding the computer tomorrow, I am positive it is not a hardware error
and maybe there is a possibility that something was corrupted during install?
or updates? Since this is such a unique problem I was just hoping to find a
means to troubleshoot it and get to the bottom of it before having to
rebuild. If you have any suggestions between now and then I would greatly
appreciate hearing them, thank you.

 

[Ken Slovak - [MVP - Outlook]]

The only thing I can think of is to not load that 3rd party software and see
what happens. If it works then load thing one at a time until you localize
what's screwing things up.

 

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Thanks Ken. I'm actually in process of the rebuild right now and loading /
testing one by one with apps. Hopefully I find the error. I tend to feel it
is not directly related to any software loads though, I feel there is some
file / database corruption with some system files or registry entries. I
know that may seem far-fetched, but because it is just this one computer and
it is not hardware related I am sorda grasping for answers.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

If she's using a macro recorder, she's recording macros in Word, not Outlook. Outlook has no macro recorder. Word stores macros by default in the Normal.dot template file. Is there something in your deployment that updates Normal.dot every session?

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

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