Microsoft KB Archive/222339

= OL2000: (CW) Roaming Using Different Outlook Versions on Different Computers =

Article ID: 222339

Article Last Modified on 11/5/2003

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Outlook 2000 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q222339



NOTE: The procedures in this article only apply if you have installed Outlook with the Corporate or Workgroup option. With this option, you can use Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI) services. To determine your installation type, click About Microsoft Outlook on the Help menu. If you have the Corporate or Workgroup installation, you see "Corporate or Workgroup".



SUMMARY
This article describes known issues that may arise when a roaming user uses both Microsoft Outlook 2000 and earlier versions of Outlook.



MORE INFORMATION
Outlook 2000 stores data in a different location in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry key. Because of this difference, several settings do not roam when switching between Outlook 2000 and previous versions of Outlook.

User Profiles
To use multiple computers, the Outlook user profile name must be the same on every computer the user logs on to. Using the profile owner's name or e-mail alias as the profile name is a good way to obtain this consistency.

First Run
If you use a computer where Outlook 2000 has been installed but has never been through the First Run step, the Profile Wizard will start even though you have a profile on the server. To set the Mail Support registry entry Outlook must determine if Corporate/Workgroup (CW) or Internet Mail Only (IMO) mode is being used. This setting is on a per-machine basis rather than a per-user basis. Outlook should be deployed consistently as either IMO or CW mode.

Personal Folders Files and Personal Address Books
If you use Outlook 2000 with a personal folder (.pst) file, have a folder containing 16,000 or more items, and the "Allow Large Tables" feature is turned on, you will encounter data loss if you roam to the .pst from Outlook 8.02 or earlier. You should upgrade all computers to Outlook 8.03 or later to avoid this problem. If you do not upgrade, users should reduce the number of entries in all individual folders to less than 10,000. This issue also applies to e-mail archived or autoarchived to a .pst by Outlook 2000 and accessed from Outlook version earlier than 8.03.

Local .pst files, including Autoarchive files such as Archive.pst, and Personal Address Book (PAB) files will be inaccessible when roaming, due to a difference in the default storage path between Outlook 2000 and earlier versions of Outlook. Outlook 2000 stores .pst files in:

:\\Profiles\ \Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Earlier versions of Outlook place these files in:

:\\Profiles\ \Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

To overcome this problem, configure the computers on the network to use a static mapped network drive (mapped with the same drive letter on each computer) that will be used to store users data files. Using Microsoft Windows NT Security settings, allow each user to access only to their specific folders. Place the .pst files and PAB files in these folders. Configure the Outlook profiles to access the files from the server. When a user logs on to a different computer, the Outlook profile can locate the .pst and PAB files since they will have the same path associated with them on any computer used.

Using Offline Storage (OST) files
Outlook 2000 is designed to roam while using an OST file, however Outlook 98 is not. When you use an OST and roam between a computer using Outlook 2000, and a computer using an earlier version of Outlook, you may receive the following error message:

Unable to open your default mail folders. The Exchange Server has detected that you are using an old copy of your OST file. Please delete the file...

Outlook Bar Shortcuts
The Outlook Bar for Outlook 2000 provides for shortcuts to executable (.exe) files and URL's. These shortcuts do not function when used in earlier versions of Outlook and generate an error message. Also, the Outlook Bar file ( .fav) may be overwritten when the user logs off the computer.

Quick Launch Icon
The Outlook 2000 icon placed in the Quick Launch Bar will not function on a computer running earlier versions of Outlook.

Rules Wizard Rules
Outlook 2000 includes improvements in the Rules Wizard. When creating a rule using a feature that is only available with Outlook 2000, you will receive the following warning:

You are creating a rule that will be incompatible with versions of Outlook earlier than Outlook 2000. If you create this rule, you cannot use your rules with Outlook 98 and earlier versions. For more information, search for help on "Upgrading Rules". Are you sure you want to create this rule?"

Rules that do not contain Outlook 2000-specific features will roam. Those containing Outlook 2000-specific features do not roam.

Folder Home Pages
Outlook 2000 offers Home pages for folders. This feature is not available with earlier versions so there will be no access to these Home pages with earlier versions.

Toolbars and Menus
Modifications made to the Outlook toolbars with Outlook 2000 only roam if the feature or action was available with earlier versions. When roaming from Outlook 2000 to an earlier version, you can expect the following behavior:
 * Macros are not advertised if they were added to the toolbar.
 * Features new and specific to Outlook 2000 will not be advertised when viewed on an earlier version.
 * The Web toolbar is not available when using an earlier version.
 * The "Recently Used" feature is not available on an an earlier version.

Electronic Forms Designer (EFD) Forms and Custom Forms
You may receive the following error message when roaming between computers using the Windows NT File System (NTFS) and computers using the File Allocation Table (FAT) file system:

The custom form could not be opened. Outlook will use an Outlook form instead.

Forms opened on one file system type will not open on the other because NTFS uses long file names while FAT uses the standard 8.3 file names. To correct this problem, rename the Frmcache.dat file on the 2nd (FAT) computer and re-download the forms.

Contact Distribution Lists
Distribution lists created in the Outlook 2000 Contacts folder are not displayed in earlier versions.

Contact Linking
The "Contact Linking" feature of Outlook 2000 is not available with earlier versions.

Contact Name Format Settings
Changes to the default "Full Name" format and the default "File As" order, in Contacts options will not roam.

Settings and Options that Do Not Roam
 Close original message and display a notification

To access this setting, on the Tools menu, click Options. On the Preferences tab, click E-mail Options.

 Advanced E-mail Options

To access these settings, on the Tools menu, click Options. On the Preferences tab, click E-mail Options, and then click Advanced E-mail Options.

 Tracking Options

To access these settings, on the Tools menu, click Options. On the Preferences tab, click E-mail Options, and then click Tracking Options.

</li> Message Format Options

To access these settings, on the Tools menu, click Options. On the Mail Format tab, is the Message Format section,(including Use Microsoft Word to edit e-mail messages).

</li> General Options

To access these settings, on the Tools menu, click Options. On the Spelling tab, is General Options.

</li> Startup in Outlook Today.</li> Custom signatures in the Signature Picker.</li></ul>

Additional query words: OL2K

Keywords: kbbug kbnofix KB222339

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