use customizedform for the exsisting contacts

[ed]

Hi all,

We create the new contact form and we want users to use te customized
contact form for old existing and new contact.

I found this http://www.plustech.co.uk/Products/docmsgclass.html
to modify each indiviual user.

Are there a way to change all users to use the new customized form for old
existing form?

thank you!

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP]]

The application that you cited does what I think you're trying to do --
convert old items to use the new form by changing the value of the
MessageClass property on each item so that it points to the published form's
class, e.g. IPM.Contact.MyForm. The page at
http://www.outlookcode.com/article.aspx?id=39 has links to other scripts and
tools to do this.

 

[Karl Timmermans]

What exactly is/are your question(s)? Not clear what you mean by "user"
in all cases within your question.

#1 - If it is purely on how to change existing contacts to use a new message
class - then DocMsgClass is definitely all you will need to change all
contacts in any given contact folder (ContactGenie Toolkit also includes a
similar free message class change function)

#2 - Or is your question:
"(a) how do I change multiple user contact folders
(b) to use a new message class for both new and existing contacts in
each user's contact folder OR ...
(c) have all users use the same custom form for a public contact folder
(d) without going to each user's computer?"

If any part of it relates to item #2 - are you using Exchange?

Karl
--
____________________________________________________________
Karl Timmermans - The Claxton Group
ContactGenie - QuickPort/DataPort/Exporter/Toolkit/Duplicate Contact Mgr
"Contact import/export/data management tools for Outlook '2000/2010"
http://www.contactgenie.com

 

[ed]

Thank you for your great help.
sorry about that I did not state my questions clearly.
Yes. my question is:

"(a) how do I change multiple user contact folders to use a new message class for both new and existing contacts in each user's contact folder without going to each user's computer?"

We are using exchange2003/outlook2003/outlook2007.
we need to change users's oulook default contact folder. Which form library
should I publish to and every user's default contacts folder to use the new
customized folder?

Thank you and thank you. (we have around 800 users )

 

[ed]

Sorry and yes, my question is related to item #2.
We are using exchange 2003/outlook2003.

(c) have all users use the same custom form for a public contact folder

You mean each user's outlook default contact folder and then yes. (not
public folders)

 

[Karl Timmermans]

Sue (or anyone else) may offer a better and/or more complete answer but from
where I sit -

#1) The form should be published to the Exch Org Forms library

#2) If you do not want to go to each person's computer - then the Exch admin
will need to access each individual's contact folder to change the "Default
Msg Class" for the folder to the new custom form name. Not aware of anything
off hand that allows changing this programmatically and/or in bulk since the
folder DefaultMsgClass property is read-only.

#3) The real problem (and time consuming effort) is going to be accessing
all
the user's contact folders to change the existing contacts since DocMsgClass
(as does the current equivalent CG Toolkit MsgClass function for that
matter)
requires that the target contact folder appear in an Outlook profile (I
believe I'm
correct on that) which would mean adding each user to a profile and then
processing the contact folder. That could take a while with 800 users and
would
be a tedious process but may still be easier/faster than going to each
user's
workstation.

Karl
--
____________________________________________________________
Karl Timmermans - The Claxton Group
ContactGenie - QuickPort/DataPort/Exporter/Toolkit/Duplicate Contact Mgr
"Contact import/export/data management tools for Outlook '2000/2010"
http://www.contactgenie.com

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP]]

#2 can be done easily with the Outlook 2007 PropertyAccessor object or with
any low-level API addressing Outlook.

An alternative might be to use the registry substitution method (see
http://www.outlookcode.com/article.aspx?ID=39) to make the new form the
default for all contacts, but that can get messy if the form is no longer
available at some future date.

If all users were using Outlook 2007, an add-in using a form region would be
the preferred solution. Because Outlook 2003 is in the picture, form regions
aren't an option here, but an add-in built with the Add-in Express tool
might be a more stable, reliable solution to whatever business need has
raised the idea of using a custom form.

 

[Karl Timmermans]

By low-level API - are you referring to things like Redemption? The default
folder MCls property shows as "read-only" or am I missing something
painfully obvious (very likely)?

Karl
--
____________________________________________________________
Karl Timmermans - The Claxton Group
ContactGenie - QuickPort/DataPort/Exporter/Toolkit/Duplicate Contact Mgr
"Contact import/export/data management tools for Outlook '2000/2010"
http://www.contactgenie.com

 

[ed]

Great thanks.

#1) The form should be published to the Exch Org Forms library

will it change the new contact form for all users if I publish to the exch
org?

Change Folder Default

To make a form the default for a folder, publish the form to the folder or
to the Organizational Forms library on Exchange server. Once you've published
the form, right-click the folder, and choose Properties. Then, select your
form from the When >posting to this folder list

I have to go toeach workstation to change folder default too, right? any
automatic way?

Thank you for your time and help.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP]]

Redemption, CDO 1.21, or ExMAPI. -- PR_DEF_POST_MSGCLASS
(http://schemas.microsoft.com/mapi/proptag/0x36E5001E) and
PR_DEF_POST_DISPLAYNAME
(http://schemas.microsoft.com/mapi/proptag/0x36E6001E)
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Microsoft Outlook 2007 Programming:
Jumpstart for Power Users and Administrators
http://www.outlookcode.com/article.aspx?id=54

 

[ed]

Sue,

Thanks for your help.

99% of users are using outlook 2003. any alternate way?
what's the registry change? I did not see in the link.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP]]

99% of users are using outlook 2003. any alternate way?

See my response to Karl's question about low-level APIs and the information
in the article in the section under Change Folder Default

what's the registry change? I did not see in the link.

Read the article's section on Substitute Default Form

 

[John]

Sue,

Thank you and I am going to check it again.

will it change the new contact form for all users if I publish to the exch
org? It seems that I have to select the customized contact form in each
user's contacts folder's Form tab?

Is this supposed to be? or am I missing something?

thank you again.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP]]

Publishing the form only makes it available to users. It does not change the
current behavior of existing or future contacts.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Microsoft Outlook 2007 Programming:
Jumpstart for Power Users and Administrators
http://www.outlookcode.com/article.aspx?id=54

 

[ed]

sue,

Thank you for clearing my understandings.

So, I have to follow

<<Change Folder Default
To make a form the default for a folder, publish the form to the folder or
to the Organizational Forms library on Exchange server. Once you've published
the form, right-click the folder, and choose Properties. Then, select your
form from the When posting to this folder list.>>

to change everyone's contact folder default.

Can registry key take care of above?

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Custom Forms
what exactly Custom Forms key value? Do you have the exact key follow
custom forms? my new form is IP.contact.NEW.
Can you help me?

Great thanks!

 

[Karl Timmermans]

Thanks Sue - never fails - always seems like the easiest and most
obvious is the most difficult to see.

Karl

--
____________________________________________________________
Karl Timmermans - The Claxton Group
ContactGenie - QuickPort/DataPort/Exporter/Toolkit/Duplicate Contact Mgr
"Contact import/export/data management tools for Outlook '2000/2010"
http://www.contactgenie.com

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP]]

You've mixed up two different types of defaults -- folder and global. Each
is implemented differently. You must choose which is more appropriate for
your scenario.

If you decide to change the global default by using the registry
substitution method, follow the instructions in that article about using the
Microsoft tool and exporting a .reg key. You may be able to use that .reg
data with other tools that your organization has for deploying registry
changes to users' desktops.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Microsoft Outlook 2007 Programming:
Jumpstart for Power Users and Administrators
http://www.outlookcode.com/article.aspx?id=54

 

[Karl Timmermans]

With no intention of duplicating answers already posted by Sue....

#1 - Changing workstations

Bottomline - each individual workstation needs to be changed in
terms of the default folder msgclass - either directly (which ever
method is chosen based on other responses) or via the method I
described in original answer

#2 - Automatic method to change default for folders?

None that I am aware of at present with anything that exists but will
easily stand corrected on that if someone knows of something. And
remember, once the default msg class has been changed - still need
to run something like DocMsgClass or the MCls Change function in
CG Toolkit to change existing contact items.

There is going to be functionality added to CG Toolkit to address
both of the issues described in item#2 at some point but that
unfortunately doesn't help you with the task at hand today.

Karl
--
____________________________________________________________
Karl Timmermans - The Claxton Group
ContactGenie - QuickPort/DataPort/Exporter/Toolkit/Duplicate Contact Mgr
"Contact import/export/data management tools for Outlook '2000/2010"
http://www.contactgenie.com

 

[ed]

Thank you! I really do not know two different types of defaults -- folder
and global

If I publish the new contact form to the exch. org form, I need to change
the folder
default as the follows and then conver the existing contacts if needed

<<Change Folder Default
To make a form the default for a folder, publish the form to the folder or
to the Organizational Forms library on Exchange server. Once you've
published
the form, right-click the folder, and choose Properties. Then, select your
form from the When posting to this folder list.>>

to change everyone's contact folder default

Any automatic way to change folder default?

thank you for your time and knowledge.

I really appreciate it.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP]]

Any automatic way to change folder default?

As we've already discussed in this thread, no.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Microsoft Outlook 2007 Programming:
Jumpstart for Power Users and Administrators
http://www.outlookcode.com/article.aspx?id=54