Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center

Let’s Really Fix Outlook

The Email Standards Project, backed by CampaignMonitor and other email-marketers, is using Twitter to convince Microsoft to change how Outlook renders HTML.

Outlook's broken - Let's fix it 

FixOutlook is not about fixing areas where Outlook is broken (and there are many) - its solely about making it easier for email marketers to design email so that it has all the bells and whistles found on web pages and works perfectly in all email clients.

Focusing on the end-user experience is more important. I want Microsoft to fix what's really broken so end users, not email marketers, can be more productive. To that end, I set up a forum where everyone can share what they'd really like to see fixed in Outlook 2010.

http://forums.slipstick.com/forumdisplay.php?f=34 

Office 2007 SP2

This update has all of the public updates, security updates, cumulative updates, and hotfixes released through February 2009.

See Description of 2007 Microsoft Office Suite Service Pack 2 (SP2) and of Microsoft Office Language Pack 2007 SP2 for more information and links to the downloads. This was placed on Windows update and will be automatically installed on computers with automatic updates enabled.

See Outlook 2007 SP2 for slipstick.com's coverage of SP2.

Update Rollup 7 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1

Update Rollup 7 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (SP1) resolves issues that were found in Exchange Server 2007 SP1 since the software was released. This update rollup is highly recommended for all Exchange Server 2007 SP1 customers. For a list of changes that are included in this update rollup, see  KB 960384  

Download Update Rollup 7 for Exchange 2007 SP1   

Outlook 2007 February Cumulative Update

A pre-SP2 update for Outlook 2007, the February Cumulative Update (CU) contains a large set of the fixes that release as part of the 2007 Microsoft Office suite Service Pack 2 (SP2).

February Cumulative Update

Outlook 2007 improvements in the February 2009 cumulative update

Exchange 2007 SP1 Update Rollup 6

Update rollup for Exchange 2007 SP1 is now available. See Description of Update Rollup 6 for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 for details and links to download.

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS09-003 - Critical

A critical security update is available for Exchange 2000, 2003 and 2007 and addresses two vulnerabilities in Exchange Server. The first vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a specially crafted TNEF message is sent to an Exchange Server. The attacker could use this to take complete control of the affected system with Exchange Server service account privileges. The second vulnerability could allow denial of service if a specially crafted MAPI command is sent to Exchange Server. A successful attacker could cause the Exchange System Attendant service and other services that use the EMSMDB32 provider to stop responding.

For more information and to download the update, see
Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Could Allow Remote Code Execution (KB 959239)

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS09-003 - Critical 

Appointment times randomly move by 2 - 8 minutes

We're seeing complaints about Outlook adding (or subtracting) 2 - 8 minutes to new appointments. For example, if an appointment is created for 10:00 to 11:00 AM, it's changed to 10:02 to 11:02 AM. Users may also receive an error message that the message is not recurring and they need to close all open items.

This is not a bug in Outlook, its caused by the anti-spam module from CA Security Suite 2008. Disabling or uninstalling the anti-spam module will fix it.

Fixed: iPhone and Disappearing Appointments

There is a problem with iPhone v2 software syncing with Outlook where the events created on the device are only visible in a table view, not Day/Week/Month view.

When new appointments are entered into the iPhone they're set as repeating in Outlook but contain no data and Outlook doesn't know what to do with them. To fix, open the event on the iPhone and change it to recurring daily then end the recurrence on the date of the event before syncing.

A hotfix is now available. See Some recurring calendar items disappear from the "Day/Week/Month" view in Outlook when a user uses Exchange ActiveSync on a mobile device to modify a recurring meeting in an Exchange 2003 environment

For more information, see iPhone, Outlook, and disappearing appointments

An Outlook - IMAP Virus? No, Read Receipts

We're seeing reports from a lot of panicked Outlook 2007 users who have IMAP accounts in their profile that Outlook is infected with a new virus because it sends upwards of 50 hidden messages every few days.

It's not a virus, its a bug involving IMAP accounts, the Junk Email folder and Read Receipts. Outlook 2007 is not honoring the Read Receipt settings and returning Not Read receipts when the Junk folder is emptied.

Microsoft is investigating and until it's fixed, mark Junk mail read within Outlook, before deleting it.

See the latest updates at Problem: Outlook is sending unknown messages

Update KB951748 and Connection Problems

If you use Zone Alarm and lost Internet connectivity after a recent Windows update, you'll need to download the new version of ZoneAlarm.

A link to the new version is at ZoneAlarm.com: Loss Of Internet Access Issue
 
For a temporary fix you can move the ZoneAlarm Internet Security zone slider to Medium or uninstall the Windows update.

CDO1.2.1 for Windows 2008 and Vista

This version of CDO is compatible with Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. This will install on 64-bit systems but works only with 32-bit applications.

Download: Microsoft Exchange Server MAPI Client and Collaboration Data Objects 1.2.1

Outlook 2007 SP1 Released

Office 2007's Service Pack 1 is now available. Along with security updates, and all previously released fixes, this update fixes calendar printing errors and a spell check bug in Outlook 2007 RTM.

Microsoft Office 2007 Service Pack 1      http://support.microsoft.com/?bid=936982  

Issues that are fixed in Outlook 2007 by 2007 Microsoft Office suites Service Pack 1
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=942384

Calendar Printing Assistant for Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 Service Pack 1    
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/937157  
Calendar Printing Assistant for Outlook 2007 SP1 combines the previously released fixes into one update.

Exchange Server 2007 SP1 Released

Exchange 2007 SP1 is now available. See What's new in Exchange 2007 Service Pack 1 (from the Nov 29 issue of EMO) for the feature highlights. You can read in more detail all the improvements and additions to Exchange 2007 through Service Pack 1 at the Exchange Tech Center at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb676323.aspx.

Exchange server SP1 download
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx? FamilyId=44C66AD6-F185-4A1D-A9AB-473C1188954C

Recurring Meeting Bug

If your Outlook seems possessed and turns all of your meeting requests into recurring meetings, you have a Dell laptop with MediaDirect.

There is a bug in the add-in that reads Outlook meetings so Media Direct's Instant Office can display then without fully booting into Windows. You'll need to uninstall or disable the add-in called "Outlook Setup Addin (Cyberlink)" to put an end to the errant recurring meetings.

Recurring Meeting Bug