Meeting requests do not work properly

[Neko-]

For some insane reason one of my clients is exhibiting a problem I
can't really trace. It concerns meeting requests being sent to this
user. The user is using an IMAP folder, in conjunction with Outlook
2002/XP

The user receives the requests normally but does not see the 'accept'
and 'decline' buttons on top. Once the message is moved to a different
folder, and opened the buttons are there.

Now this hints at a problem with the display in the inbox. So if I
move the message back to the inbox, the problem should re-appear. Not
so.... messages moved back to the inbox behave normally. So it seems
to be an issue with newly received messages.

Sofar I replaced the c:\program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\forms
folder, to no avail. I cleared the forms cache on the Inbox folder,
which also yielded no results. Analysis and Repair was performed, but
this also did not result in a working solution.

Since we have a workaround I guess the issue isn't that urgent at the
moment, although it is quite annoying.

I have been unable to track the exact differences in the handling of
regular e-mails and meeting-requests within Outlook, so I can't really
further pinpoint the issue unfortunatly. I could locate this thread:
http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?t=47296

It shows much the same problem, but leaves out the resolvement (if
any). Anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

[Diane Poremsky]

is the folder the message is moved to in the imap folder set or in a local
pst? if the user just opens the message and closes it, do the buttons
appear?

 

[Neko-]

We do not use an Exchange server (I omitted that information in my
previous post, for which I apologize), but rather MDaemon. The user
(while having both an IMAP and PST folder to her disposal), moves the
message to another IMAP folder.

Opening the initial message in the Inbox in the IMAP system displays a
normal message, with no 'Accept', 'Decline' or 'Tentative' buttons. As
the message is moved to another IMAP folder, and then opened, the
'Accept', 'Decline' or 'Tentative' buttons appear and work as normal.

What baffles me the most is that moving the message back to the IMAP
Inbox (i.e. the place it did not work from), the 'Accept', 'Decline'
or 'Tentative' buttons appear and work as normal too... Just as if
moving the message back and forth did something to it.

Hope this further clarifies the issue at hand.

 

[Diane Poremsky]

Moving the message does something - it adds the mapi properties needed for
the buttons. That's why I wondered if just opening and closing might work.
Outlook should take care of it when the message is committed to the store
but there is a delay for some reason.

The message is fully downloaded when she moves it, correct?

We do not use an Exchange server (I omitted that information in my
previous post, for which I apologize), but rather MDaemon. The user
(while having both an IMAP and PST folder to her disposal), moves the
message to another IMAP folder.

Opening the initial message in the Inbox in the IMAP system displays a
normal message, with no 'Accept', 'Decline' or 'Tentative' buttons. As
the message is moved to another IMAP folder, and then opened, the
'Accept', 'Decline' or 'Tentative' buttons appear and work as normal.

What baffles me the most is that moving the message back to the IMAP
Inbox (i.e. the place it did not work from), the 'Accept', 'Decline'
or 'Tentative' buttons appear and work as normal too... Just as if
moving the message back and forth did something to it.

Hope this further clarifies the issue at hand.

is the folder the message is moved to in the imap folder set or in a
local
pst? if the user just opens the message and closes it, do the buttons
appear?

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
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[Neko-]

The message is basically just an invite (for testing purposes) which
has no further text. Opening the message displays an empty body, with
no buttons on top. Just moving the message to a different folder, and
opening it in there, yields an empty body (as expected) but the
buttons to be available. Moving it back to the Inbox yields the same
result: Available buttons.

The message being displayed in the IMAP and opening it should confer
with a full download being performed. Moreso that if other normal
messages (with attachments and such) are delivered, they show up
without any problems whatsoever. I therefore trust the message is
fully downloaded prior to Outlook actually opening it.

 

[Diane Poremsky]

Ok, so it sounds like outlook needs it moved to recognize the mapi
properties. I can't repro it - the meeting requests show the buttons as soon
as the meeting request fully downloads from my imap server.

 

[Neko-]

Weird thing is, the issue wasn't around prior, and 'suddenly' it was
there. Now I know we did not change anything on the serverside of
things, and the fact that it works for another IMAP enabled user
supports this theory. (I should note... the only other IMAP user
(while using Outlook) is running an Apple Mac, and thus the software
on the clientside is somewhat different)

The issue itself therefore seems to lie with Outlook itself for some
reason. The workstation has been patched with Microsofts 'latest and
greatest' on XP SP2 aswell as Office 2002, so it can't really be a
software issue. If it was, I'd expected it to pop up almost directly
after installing these patches. Since Microsoft releases patches on
the 2nd tuesday of the month (the last actual updates released were
provided around the 14th), and the problem was reported per the 22nd,
I doubt the issue is within these patches. Looking at the last
reported list of updates issued by Microsoft I note the following
updates being distributed:

KB936357: Update for Windows XP
KB923810: Securityupdate for Windows XP
KB943460: Securityupdate for Windows XP
KB939653: Incremental securityupdate for Internet Explorer 6 Service
Pack 1
KB941202: Securityupdate for Outlook Express 6 Service Pack 1
KB943552: Update Junkfilter Outlook 2003
KB943559: Update JunkfilterOutlook 2007
Essential update for Office 2003 (943452)

No actual Office 2002 fixes were released, and we're having issues
with Outlook, and not Outlook Express. If Outlook Express is the
culprit, it can only be KB939653 that causes the issue. Prior to that
the last fixes released were dated the 24th of october with this list:

KB939653: Incremental securityupdate for Internet Explorer 7 voor
Windows XP
Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 Service Pack 1
KB928416: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0: x86
KB917013: Windows Desktop Search 3.01 for Windows XP
KB928416: Languagepack for Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0: x64
Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 (32-bit x86)

All in all, again nothing that would warrent strange behaviour from
Outlook 2002. I have verified that appointments were planned after the
15th of november and prior to the 22nd of november and everything
worked normally. Looking at the timeframe of the release of the
updates (14th released, 15/16th working, 22nd not working), it is
feasable the updates for november may have had a hand in things,
although it seems like a long shot.

The user is in daily, and updates are automatically installed by WSUS
on a daily basis. Updates are approved or discarded as soon as a
notice e-mail arrives, which means they were processed on the morning
of the 14th of November. This in essence would mean that updates
installed that afternoon, or at shutdown, or at the very least the
15th. This would hint at the fact that it did work with the updates
installed.

Since when moving the mail around it does work all of a sudden, I
doubt there is actual form/data corruption active on the machine. But
for some reason it seems like the first time an incoming message is
processed it doesn't detect that it is a meeting request, and thus
doesn't display the buttons. Since I'm unaware what Outlook does
specifically to determine the nature of an incoming message, I'm a bit
at a loss as to where to specifically look for a solution on this.

Thnaks sofar for your assistance tho. It's greatly appreciated.

 

[Diane Poremsky]

I don't think its corruption, at least not in outlook or with the forms
cache, although it won't hurt to delete the frmcache file.. I think the
meeting request isn't formated correctly and moving it fixes the problem.
Does this happen with all meeting requests or just those from certain users?

 

[Neko-]

It happens with meeting requests from multiple persons, but only
happens with one receiving person.

The cache (Right mouse on Inbox, select 'Properties', then 'Forms',
select 'Manage', then hit 'Clear Cache') has been cleared, but this
did not resolve the matter

 

[Neko-]

I should elaborate. The below-quoted statement could be
misinterpreted

It happens with meeting requests from multiple persons, but only happens with one receiving person.

I meant that to mean there is only one person having this problem. It
could be perceived as meeting requests to multiple persons would come
through which is not the case.

It was tested with a meetingrequest to multiple people, and everyone
received it fine (although other then the problem user people are
using POP accounts), except for this specific user who again noted the
absence of the buttons.

 

[Neko-]

Nobody else have any thought as to what might be causing this
behavious?

Neko-

 

[Neko-]

No further input., Since we're planning on migrating to Exchange,
which is due in the first quarter of 2008, I'm going to trust this
issue will be solved by that method. Unfortunatly this will mean the
user will have issues with meeting-requests up to that time
unfortunatly.

Thanks for all contributions to this thread. Highly appriciated, and
if anyone has any idea's beforehand, feel free to toss 'm up.

Neko-