Outlook won't issue reminders for appointments on calendar

[kmewing]

I just got a new computer installed at work. We're using Office 2003. When
I have appointments in the calendar, Outlook does not issue the reminders.
The appointments do have reminders set (the little bell image is plainly
visible in the appointment entry) but no reminders ever show up on my
desktop.

So, somehow reminders are being overridden. I've looked all over the
configuration menus and I can't find anything to fix this. Can anyone else
suggest something? Thanks.

 

[Mary]

Reminders are not automatically set when you fill in the appt. You must
select the Reminder box and ALSO press the little bell to set a sound
notification. Then Save it and it will work. This befuddled me, too, until I
figured it out. It sure looks like it's already set.

 

[kmewing]

That's not my experience. On my old computer, calendar appointments always
included a reminder automatically without any manual selection. On this new
computer, the appointment clearly has the reminder box checked. All
indications say that reminder should be issued, yet none are happening.

 

[Jocelyn Fiorello [MVP - Outlook]]

Is this calendar in the same set of folders (Personal Folders or Exchange
mailbox) where your mail is delivered? If not, reminders won't fire from it.
If it is your default calendar, try starting Outlook once with the
/cleanreminders switch. If you need help using Outlook command line
switches, look here:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;296192

--
Jocelyn Fiorello
MVP - Outlook

*** Messages sent to my e-mail address will NOT be answered -- please reply
only to the newsgroup to preserve the message thread. ***

 

[kmewing]

The Microsoft article says it pertains to Outlook 2002. I have Outlook 2003.
I tried the command line anyway and it did not work. I got an error message
that said something like "command not found."

 

[Jocelyn Fiorello [MVP - Outlook]]

There never was an article written for switches that work specifically with
Outlook 2003...strangely, they skipped from 2002 to 2007. However, most of
the switches that worked with Outlook 2002 also work with 2003, including
/cleanreminders. Tell me how you typed in the command...I suspect you left
out a space or something.

--
Jocelyn Fiorello
MVP - Outlook

*** Messages sent to my e-mail address will NOT be answered -- please reply
only to the newsgroup to preserve the message thread. ***

 

[kmewing]

I had typed in the command by including the entire pathname. However, a tech
support person came by my desk and entered the /cleanreminders by simply
typing "outlook /cleanreminders" into the Run window. Unfortunately, it
didn't fix the problem.

I seem to be the only person here experiencing this problem. No one else is
reporting it and the tech support folks don't have a ready answer, so it's
not like it's happened before (or often enough to remember).

To recap: I got a brand new Dell computer delivered to my desk last
Wednesday. It came with XP and Office 2003 installed. Outlook seems to work
fine except that reminder messages have not appeared at all. All the obvious
checkboxes are selected in the configuration windows. The computer has been
rebooted.

At least I can rest in the fact that I didn't miss something obvious.

 

[Jocelyn Fiorello [MVP - Outlook]]

One thing you didn't answer from one of my previous replies to you: Are you
in a Microsoft Exchange server environment, or do you strictly use local .PST
files? You can also try the /cleanfreebusy switch, but I don't know if it
makes a difference if you're not using Exchange.

--
Jocelyn Fiorello
MVP - Outlook

*** Messages sent to my e-mail address will NOT be answered -- please reply
only to the newsgroup to preserve the message thread. ***

 

[kmewing]

I'm in an Exchange environment.

The tech support guy also tried the /cleanfreebusy flag. Didn't fix the
problem.

 

[Jocelyn Fiorello [MVP - Outlook]]

Some other things you can try: While Outlook is closed, find and rename the
following files to .OLD instead of their usual file extensions:

outcmd.dat (note: any toolbar customizations will be lost)
views.dat
frmcache.dat
extend.dat

As a last resort, you may try creating a new mail profile -- keep the old
one till you're sure the new one works. Directions here:
http://www.howto-outlook.com/faq/newprofile.htm

--
Jocelyn Fiorello
MVP - Outlook

*** Messages sent to my e-mail address will NOT be answered -- please reply
only to the newsgroup to preserve the message thread. ***

 

[kmewing]

I tried searching my C drive for the four files you suggested. I got a "no
file found" for all four. I'll consider creating a new mail profile after
I've checked out a few other things. Thanks.

 

[Jocelyn Fiorello [MVP - Outlook]]

Sorry, I should have told you to search within hidden folders when looking
for those files -- Windows 2000 and later put them in hidden folders.

--
Jocelyn Fiorello
MVP - Outlook

*** Messages sent to my e-mail address will NOT be answered -- please reply
only to the newsgroup to preserve the message thread. ***

 

[kmewing]

I thought I'd report how this finally resolved. I never did determine the
cause for reminders not working. I finally just deleted the profile and
created an entirely new one. The new profile worked fine.