Replies have missing text

[MKG]

We are using Outlook 2003 sp3 on Windows XP with Exchange. Outlook is set as
our email editor. Our default format is HTML. We do not have "Read all
standard mail in plain text" selected. Our users do not have the ability to
change these settings, with the exception of the last one.

A user has reported that he received an email from someone and it appeared
as if the person forgot to type their reply. When he clicked Reply, the
missing text magically appeared. He then forwarded the message on to others
to troubleshoot. Everyone who received the message was able to duplicate the
issue.

In spite of searching, I have not been able to find a good explanation for
this problem, and neither have I found a good solution or workaround. The
only one that would apply for us - enabling the "read all standard emails in
plain text" will not be well received. Nor will contacting the sender to
learn what email system they are using, or gathering any info from them.

We do use Symantec Antivirus, and turning that off is not an option. Our
encoding is already set to Western ISO. As stated, Word is NOT set as our
email editor.

I would like to be able to point to a good explanation of the problem, and
of course a solution - or at least a clear statement that a solution isn't
possible.

 

[Terry R.]

The date and time was Friday, April 17, 2009 2:39:01 PM, and on a whim,
MKG pounded out on the keyboard:

We are using Outlook 2003 sp3 on Windows XP with Exchange. Outlook is set as
our email editor. Our default format is HTML. We do not have "Read all
standard mail in plain text" selected. Our users do not have the ability to
change these settings, with the exception of the last one.

A user has reported that he received an email from someone and it appeared
as if the person forgot to type their reply. When he clicked Reply, the
missing text magically appeared. He then forwarded the message on to others
to troubleshoot. Everyone who received the message was able to duplicate the
issue.

In spite of searching, I have not been able to find a good explanation for
this problem, and neither have I found a good solution or workaround. The
only one that would apply for us - enabling the "read all standard emails in
plain text" will not be well received. Nor will contacting the sender to
learn what email system they are using, or gathering any info from them.

We do use Symantec Antivirus, and turning that off is not an option. Our
encoding is already set to Western ISO. As stated, Word is NOT set as our
email editor.

I would like to be able to point to a good explanation of the problem, and
of course a solution - or at least a clear statement that a solution isn't
possible.

I have seen that before also. For some reason, the OL client changed
the font to white after responding to my email (I use Mozilla
Thunderbird). The first time it happened I sent it back asking where
their reply was. After the 2nd one, I found out what was happening.
The only way I could see it was either to press Ctrl-A to select all
(within the View Pane), or to click Reply. Unfortunately the only way I
fixed it was to use plain text with them.

Terry R.