Microsoft KB Archive/185243

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OL98: Getting Support for Developing Outlook-related Solutions

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Q185243

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Outlook 98

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SUMMARY
This article describes how you can get help from Microsoft Product Support for questions related to Microsoft Outlook and other Microsoft collaborative technologies. These solutions often involve different Microsoft products and you may not be sure which product or support offering to contact.

For additional information about where to find information before speaking to a Microsoft Technical Support Professional, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

"Q180826 OL98: Resources for Custom Forms and Programming"

Microsoft Outlook Support (Personal)
Phone incident: (425) 635-7031 Cost:          Two free no-charge incidents

Web incident:  http://support.microsoft.com/support/webresponse.asp Cost:          Two free no-charge incidents

Types of Issues and Technologies Supported

 * Referring to resources on Outlook solutions.
 * Showing how to access various developer-related features in the Outlook user interface, including form design mode, the VBScript Editor, the Visual Basic for Applications editor, and the Script Debugger. Personal Support Professionals cannot assist you in how to use these features.
 * Using standard and user-defined fields in Outlook views. Personal Support Professionals cannot assist you if you are using these fields on a custom form.
 * Updating items to use a new custom form by changing the Message Class field or items in a folder.

Microsoft Office Developer Support for Outlook (Professional)
NOTE: Questions should be specific in nature and be related to a solution that uses only programming or other technologies that are included with Microsoft Office or Microsoft Outlook. Problems should be reduced to the smallest reasonable scope. For example, if the issue is complex, it should be narrowed down to a few lines of code and how they behave. Engineers cannot assist you with directly modifying your code but will provide a short, specific example of how to use VBScript or a specific feature of the Outlook object model.

Phone incident: (425) 635-7031 Cost:          Two free incidents per Outlook product ID (PID), $195/incident thereafter.

Web incident:   http://support.microsoft.com/servicedesks/msdn/ Cost:          Two free incidents per Outlook product ID (PID), $245/incident thereafter.

Types of Issues and Technologies Supported

 * How to create a folder-based form solution by using a "clean sheet" example of creating a custom form, publishing it to a folder, and then setting the folder to use the form as the default form for the folder.
 * How to implement user-defined fields on a custom form and as part of an Outlook-based solution.
 * Interpret and explain specific syntax, connectivity, functionality, and purpose of Visual Basic Scripting Edition (VBScript) and Visual Basic for Applications Automation.
 * Provide an overview of different programming approaches you may be able to pursue to achieve a desired end result.
 * Instruction on debugging tools, and explain basic concepts involving debugging VBScript and Automation procedures.
 * Pointing out reference material such as Help files, Microsoft Knowledge Base articles, and other online resources which may include sample Automation code.
 * Advanced usability of folders as it relates to a solution, typically public folders, permissions, forms storage, and such.
 * Questions regarding standard Outlook controls or controls available from the Office 97 Developer Edition (ODE).
 * Verify and account for problems in Outlook as they relate to custom Outlook solutions.
 * Advice on solution deployment questions.
 * Basic use of Automation from Visual Basic or a Visual Basic for Applications-based program. Support for Automation from a third-party application is limited to questions directly related to Outlook.
 * Specific questions related to the installation, use, and customization of the Outlook sample forms and applications that are available for download at the Microsoft web site:

Microsoft Developer Support (Professional)
Overview: Microsoft Developer Support can assist if you have a support-related question that is beyond the scope of the support offerings listed above.

Phone incident: (800) 936-5800 (ask for "MAPI" support) Cost:          $245/incident or available via support contracts

Web incident:  http://support.microsoft.com/servicedesks/msdn/ Cost:          $195/incident or available via support contracts

Types of Issues and Technologies Supported

 * Problems using the Outlook object model using Microsoft Visual Basic (VB) or Microsoft Visual C/C++ (VC) automation when the issue is directly related to using VB or VC. If you are using VB or VC to automate Outlook, with a general question regarding the Outlook object model, you can receive support through Office Developer Support for Outlook.
 * Collaborative Data Objects (CDO), formerly referred to as Active Messaging (1.1) and OLE Messaging (1.0).
 * Creating a custom action, which must be programmed in C, for the Inbox Assistant in Outlook.
 * Issues related to non-Outlook forms, typically those created using the Exchange Forms Designer.
 * Exchange/Outlook Client Extensions
 * Exchange Development Kit (EDK)
 * Simple MAPI
 * Extended MAPI
 * Directory API (DAPI)
 * Common Messaging Calls (CMC)
 * Exchange Administrator Extensions
 * Microsoft Mail utilities usable in Exchange
 * MAPI OCXs

For additional information about determining what types of messaging-related issues are supported by Microsoft Developer Support, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

"Q183655 INFO: What is a Developer Support Messaging Issue?"

Advisory Services
NOTE: Advisory Service was formally known as the Office Developer Consult Line (ODCL).

Cost:          $195 per hour, minimum one hour, maximum 24 hours. Phone incident: (800) 936-5200 (all incidents must be submitted by phone)

Process
$195 will be charged to your credit card. A Microsoft support professional will contact you within four hours to discuss the work you wish to have done. At that time, an evaluation will be made regarding how many hours the project will take. If the project will take more than one hour, additional work will be done on a contractual basis.


 * If you do not have a programming background, the support offered would typically be a complete solution as long as there are no considerable outside variables that would affect the safe operation of the solution. If you will be using the solution in a unique or customized environment, you should obtain assistance from a dedicated consultant or Solution Provider who would be able to provide on-going support as needed.

For information about Solution Providers in your local area, contact the Microsoft Solution Provider Sales and Information line at (800)765-7768 in the US or (800)563-9048 in Canada. For information about support in other locations, contact a local Microsoft subsidiary.
 * If you are an experienced programmer, the support offered would typically be advanced or more in-depth examples or forms that you can implement in your solution.

Microsoft Exchange Server (Professional)
Phone incident: (800) 936-5900 Cost: $245/incident or available via support contracts

Web incident: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/support/incident.htm Cost: $195/incident or available via support contracts

Types of Issues and Technologies Supported

 * Questions related to installing or basic usage of the Exchange Form Designer.
 * Questions related to installing or basic usage of Exchange Server Scripting Agents.
 * Questions related to installing or basic usage of Exchange Routing Objects.
 * Questions that are directly related to public folders or the Microsoft Exchange Organizational Forms Library, such as how a folder is replicated across multiple Microsoft Exchange Servers.