Retaining Cursor in Outlook Forms

[Jim D]

Gotta quick question for anyone brave about retaining the cursor in Outlook
forms.

It seems that when you ALT + TAB between an Outlook form and another window
and then return to the Outlook form, the cursor disappears (depending on the
field). Interestingly, I've observed that if you use "internal data" type
fields like To or Cc that those fields will retain the cursor. But if you
create a text field from scratch, it will not.

The issue for us is that users filling out a form will need to ALT + TAB to
another window to get info and then return to the form to finish. But the
cursor is gone when they return so they have to use the mouse and put the
cursor back to wherever they want to start typing again. Silly thing I know,
but our users are complaining about it. Is there a way you know of to make
text fields retain the cursor position if you ALT + TAB away from and then
back to an Outlook form or is it one of those quirky things one has to live
with?

Thanks!

Jim

 

[Jim D]

Since no one responded to this I figured I better call Microsoft. I learned
that this is a bug (and thus will not charge us for the call). The hotfix
and KB on this isn't available to the public yet but I'm told it will be
KB899340 when it's released. And the hotfix has only been around for about
a week, so it's relatively new. The guy I'm working with at Microsoft is
trying to get his hands on the hotfix for me.

Jim

 

[Jim D]

Another update...Microsoft now tells me that the hotfix that has been
written is dependent on SP2 for Office 2003 and thus will not be available
until the service pack is released. They expected it to be released
"soon"...whatever that means.

 

[Hollis D. Paul]

Another update...Microsoft now tells me that the hotfix that has been
written is dependent on SP2 for Office 2003 and thus will not be available
until the service pack is released. They expected it to be released
"soon"...whatever that means.

It is a good thing you got this from Microsoft, themselves. You would have
been outraged if we had said it.

Hollis D. Paul [MVP - Outlook]
(e-mail address removed)
Mukilteo, WA USA