Using templates in Outlook with Buttons

N

Nit_Wit_400

In outlook 2003, I'm using a custom toolbar with buttons on it which
are hyperlinked to .oft files on my computer. When I try to use the
buttons, I get the following error message:

Outlook cannot launch an application to handle "??????.oft". The URL
may be incorrect, or you may need to install an application to handle
this type of URL.


Where ????? indicates the file path.

These buttons are used firm-wide, and mine's the only computer that
produces this error message and won't allow me to use the templates.

Any help or suggestions?
 
N

Nit_Wit_400

Where are the templates? If not in the default template location, copy one
to the default location (under user accounts) and see if it works.

Good advice; however that is unethical in my current situation. The
main issue here is that my computer is the only one in the firm that
is unable to use the templates that are in a shared folder, and by
shared, I mean they're on a firm server. They need to stay there so
that if/when I need to make a change to that template, it happens firm-
wide.

I used the same exact procedure on this machine that I've used on
every other machine. It really isn't making sense.
 
N

Nit_Wit_400

Are you 100% sure the path is correct - i.e., no extra spaces at the
beginning or end?

Yes ma'am. I didn't type it, I chose a path using my mouse to prevent
such an error.
 
N

Nit_Wit_400

As this story unfolds, I've found something awry.... I don't
have .oft file extension on my computer.

Will creating the file extension (control panel, folder options, file
types, new, change, open with: microsoft office outlook 2003) work, or
is there some Windows default template structure that has to be in
place?
 
N

Nit_Wit_400

I'd start with detect and repair (office diagnostics in 2007) and see if it
fixes the association.


Using 2003. Is there an equivalent to the "Office Diagnostics" for
2003?
 
N

Nit_Wit_400

Help, Detect and Repair.


No dice. Tried that method and I still get the same error message.

Other places have told me to add a key to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\\\\Outlook
\Options\Mail... but honestly, that scares the crap out of me, and I
doubt it'll work (I treat regedit like it's the plague).

They were trying to say that Office 2003 SP3 corrupted the .oft file
extension. That doesn't make sense in this case though because all of
the machines in the firm have SP3 for Office 2003 (I know, because I
put it on them), and this is the only computer that produces this
problem.

The method where you have me go into Add/Remove Programs involves
uninstalling and reinstalling Outlook and I REALLY REALLY don't want
to do that because there are apps that were implemented in Outlook
before my time here and I have no idea where to even begin with
those. I'm hoping it won't come to that.

I'm sorry to be driving you crazy too, but you're the only one that's
actually giving me any suggestions that actually make sense. It's not
your fault they're not working.
 
N

Nit_Wit_400

Dear Ms. Poremsky,

Please disregard my last post!!!

I did the Help, Detect and Repair...

Thought it didn't work, but I was holding out hope. I restarted...
still didn't work.

Went to Control Panel, Folder Options, File Types, OFT, Restore (tried
it before and it didn't work.. but what they hay, right?) and POOF it
changed it back to "Outlook Item Template" and it WORKED!!

If I wasn't married, I'd kiss you!!!!
 

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