Possible To Circumvent Single-Response To Auto-Replies Via Outlook Rules?

[Bob Gruett]

In my company, users contact the internal IT support center via several means, not the least of which is by email. I am trying to set up an Outlook client to auto-reply to every incoming email with a template message I previously created. The problem is that when using Outlook rules to accomplish this, I am limited by the same restrictions in place when dealing with the 'Out Of Office' function: that is, a user will receive an auto-reply the first time they send an email in, but all subsequent incoming emails from that user's account will not receive auto-replies.

I need to know if there is any way at all to circumvent this behavior. I need an Outlook client to auto-reply to each and every email that comes in. Right now, the only way I can think of to do this would be to set up two scheduled tasks that run throughout the day, one to launch Outlook, and the other to exit the Outlook application. That way, at least Outlook would reset its list of users who had sent emails in.

The only real info I've been able to find online is right here: http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/assistance/HA011223851033.aspx. A clip of relevant text from that link follows:

The Rules Wizard rule reply using a specific template sends the automated reply once to each sender during a session. This rule prevents Outlook from sending repetitive replies to a sender from whom you receive multiple messages. During a session, Outlook keeps track of the list of users to whom it has responded. If you exit and restart Outlook, the list of which senders have received automated replies is reset.

Anyone have any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks,
Bob

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

If you're using Exchange as youir mail server, I think the "have server reply" rule will give you the functionality that you're looking for. It also makes it unnecessary to leave Outlook running.

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

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


In my company, users contact the internal IT support center via several means, not the least of which is by email. I am trying to set up an Outlook client to auto-reply to every incoming email with a template message I previously created. The problem is that when using Outlook rules to accomplish this, I am limited by the same restrictions in place when dealing with the 'Out Of Office' function: that is, a user will receive an auto-reply the first time they send an email in, but all subsequent incoming emails from that user's account will not receive auto-replies.

I need to know if there is any way at all to circumvent this behavior. I need an Outlook client to auto-reply to each and every email that comes in. Right now, the only way I can think of to do this would be to set up two scheduled tasks that run throughout the day, one to launch Outlook, and the other to exit the Outlook application. That way, at least Outlook would reset its list of users who had sent emails in.

The only real info I've been able to find online is right here: http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/assistance/HA011223851033.aspx. A clip of relevant text from that link follows:

The Rules Wizard rule reply using a specific template sends the automated reply once to each sender during a session. This rule prevents Outlook from sending repetitive replies to a sender from whom you receive multiple messages. During a session, Outlook keeps track of the list of users to whom it has responded. If you exit and restart Outlook, the list of which senders have received automated replies is reset.

Anyone have any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks,
Bob