Microsoft KB Archive/248766

OL2000: Utility to Fix vCard Export Available

ID: Q248766

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Outlook 2000
Microsoft Outlook 97
Microsoft Outlook 98

SUMMARY

Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.01, contains an updated Wab32.dll file. This file provides improvements to the address book, but introduces a problem with vCard creation in Microsoft Outlook. For additional information about this problem, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q247326 OL2000: Error Message: Can't Open File When You Export or Forward a vCard

As a work around for this problem, Product Support Services has created a sample application that provides a basis set of vCard features. The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center. Click the file name below to download the file:

Pssvc.exe

Release Date:

For more information about how to download files from the Microsoft Download Center, please visit the Download Center at the following Web address

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.asp

and then click How to use the Microsoft Download Center.

Microsoft used the most current virus detection software available on the date of posting to scan this file for viruses. Once posted, the file is housed on secure servers that prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.

MORE INFORMATION

WARNING: ANY USE BY YOU OF PSSVCARD 1.0 IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. Microsoft provides the utility in the Microsoft Download Center "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. Use by you of the utility is not supported by Microsoft Technical Support professionals. Feedback can be sent to olfeed@microsoft.com.

Because the Wab32.dll file is shared by many other products, it takes time to create and test a fix for the vCard problem. Microsoft is investigating the best way to provide a fix to the Wab32.dll file. In the meantime, Product Support Services has created a sample application that will allow basic exporting and forwarding of vCard information until a fix is available. See the "Issues" section for a list of fields that are exported.

As an additional benefit, Pssvcard.exe will allow users of Outlook 97 to export and forward vCard information.

Since this sample application has not undergone rigorous testing, you should ask people to whom you send these vCards to confirm that the information in the card was received and interpreted properly.

To Use the Utility

Download the Pssvc.exe file to a new folder on your computer, and double-click the file to uncompress the files it contains.
Start Outlook and open a contact record.
Navigate to the folder you downloaded Pssvc.exe file to. Double-click Pssvcard.exe.

You must have a contact item open to use the Vcard buttons. The ? button will provide basic information about the utility.

Issues

The utility is for English (US) Outlook only, and has no provisions for international language settings.
The "Forward as Vcard" process creates a temporary file called PssvCard.vcf in the root folder of the C drive, so you must have write access to that location for the utility to work.
If you have an open dialog box in Outlook and try to use the vCard buttons, the utility may error and have to be restarted.
Depending on your message format, Autosignatures may not be added to the message created when you use the Forward as Vcard button. The workaround is to manually insert the Autosignature.
Only the current e-mail address is saved as a vCard, and whether it is an SMTP address or not, it is saved to the vCard as an address of INTERNET type.
As with the built-in Vcard features, if you have a semicolon (;) in an address, the address will not be interpreted correctly when it is sent or saved as a vCard. The workaround is to change the semicolon to a dash or other character before exporting to a vCard.
Not all fields of contact information are converted to the vCard format. Fields not listed below are not exported. Note that the Body, or Notes fields are not exported.

Fields that are exported are:

    LastName
    FirstName
    MiddleName
    Title
    NickName
    JobTitle
    CompanyName
    DepartmentName
    BusinessTelephoneNumber
    HomeTelephoneNumber
    MobileTelephoneNumber
    BusinessFaxNumber
    OfficeLocation
    BusinessAddressStreet
    BusinessAddressPostOfficeBox
    BusinessAddressCity 
    BusinessAddressState
    BusinessAddressPostalCode
    BusinessAddressCountry
    HomeAddressStreet
    HomeAddressPostOfficeBox
    HomeAddressCity 
    HomeAddressState 
    HomeAddressPostalCode 
    HomeAddressCountry
    OtherAddressStreet
    OtherAddressPostOfficeBox
    OtherAddressCity
    OtherAddressState
    OtherAddressPostalCode
    OtherAddressCountry
    WebPage
    Profession
    Birthday
    Email1Address

Additional query words: OL2K

Keywords : kbfile
Version : WINDOWS:2000,97,98
Platform :
Issue type :
Technology :