Using Recall (OUtlook 2003 on an Exchange Server) ...

[Sharon R.]

We're on an Exchange Server, we have anything from 250 to 1,000 users logged
in to their e-mail account at any time (this depends on worldwide time zones
as we are global). The issue arises because we have a number of all staff
messages which are sometimes recalled (for whatever reason). We have been
advised *not* to use Recall this message as "it doesn't work the way it is
supposed to".

The Outlook Help paints a rosy picture (of course) but ... can anyone advise
if our directive to not use it is a valid one, assuming the conditions above.

I have read a number of threads in this group and see comments such as
"Message recall rarely works, if ever. Don't bother". or "There are so many
reasons why the recall won't work an dso few conditions under which it will
work that you might as weel discard this feature altogether".

Can anyone enlighten me with a few brief pointers? I would be *very* grateful!

 

[Pat Willener]

I can't give you an educated answer, but I am in a very similar
environment, and my experience over the years with recall is that it
works well, except when it doesn't.

Recall doesn't work when a recipient has already opened the message.
Recall doesn't work when the recipient's Outlook client is not open.
There may be other cases where recall doesn't work, but these are the
ones I have observed.

 

[F. H. Muffman]

I can't give you an educated answer, but I am in a very similar
environment, and my experience over the years with recall is that it works
well, except when it doesn't.

Recall doesn't work when a recipient has already opened the message.
Recall doesn't work when the recipient's Outlook client is not open.
There may be other cases where recall doesn't work, but these are the ones
I have observed.

If the mail is moved to a PST, it won't work. It might work if Outlook
isn't working. I mean, once Outlook starts, the removal request should come
in too, I thought.

And I wholly agree with the phrase 'It works well, except when it doesn't.'