Is there any way to process a PRF file without starting Outlook? The older
versions of Outlook used NewProf.exe or ModProf.exe to make changes to a
profile using a PRF file. Is there some way to duplicate that functionality
so that I do not have to start Outlook for the changes to take effect?

Yes. The preferred method to accomplish that the use the Custom Maintenance
Wizard to create a .cmw file, then invoke that file from a login script or
whatever means you prefer.

If you create the .cmw file and then use the CMW File Viewer to look at it,
you'll see how it works by using the ImportPRF registry value to point to
the path for the .prf file that you want to install. When that value is
present and non-empty, Outlook imports and processes the .prf the next time
it starts.

FYI, microsoft.public.outlook.installation would have been a more
appropriate newsgroup for this question.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx


"Eric Livingston" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:2DC52D58-048A-4F9B-93D1-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Is there any way to process a PRF file without starting Outlook? The
> older
> versions of Outlook used NewProf.exe or ModProf.exe to make changes to a
> profile using a PRF file. Is there some way to duplicate that
> functionality
> so that I do not have to start Outlook for the changes to take effect?

Is there any way to create the CMW file from command line? I'm trying to get
to a solution that required no user input once the PRF file is created.

Thanks!

"Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

> Yes. The preferred method to accomplish that the use the Custom Maintenance
> Wizard to create a .cmw file, then invoke that file from a login script or
> whatever means you prefer.
>
> If you create the .cmw file and then use the CMW File Viewer to look at it,
> you'll see how it works by using the ImportPRF registry value to point to
> the path for the .prf file that you want to install. When that value is
> present and non-empty, Outlook imports and processes the .prf the next time
> it starts.
>
> FYI, microsoft.public.outlook.installation would have been a more
> appropriate newsgroup for this question.
> --
> Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
> Author of
> Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
> Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
> http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx
>
>
> "Eric Livingston" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:2DC52D58-048A-4F9B-93D1-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Is there any way to process a PRF file without starting Outlook? The
> > older
> > versions of Outlook used NewProf.exe or ModProf.exe to make changes to a
> > profile using a PRF file. Is there some way to duplicate that
> > functionality
> > so that I do not have to start Outlook for the changes to take effect?
>
>
>

No. The .cmw file is a binary format. Reread the part of my last post about
using the ImportPRF registry value.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx


"Eric Livingston" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:15107C72-81BD-46CA-A9DC-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Is there any way to create the CMW file from command line? I'm trying to
> get
> to a solution that required no user input once the PRF file is created.
>
> Thanks!
>
> "Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:
>
>> Yes. The preferred method to accomplish that the use the Custom
>> Maintenance
>> Wizard to create a .cmw file, then invoke that file from a login script
>> or
>> whatever means you prefer.
>>
>> If you create the .cmw file and then use the CMW File Viewer to look at
>> it,
>> you'll see how it works by using the ImportPRF registry value to point to
>> the path for the .prf file that you want to install. When that value is
>> present and non-empty, Outlook imports and processes the .prf the next
>> time
>> it starts.
>>
>> FYI, microsoft.public.outlook.installation would have been a more
>> appropriate newsgroup for this question.
>> --
>> Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
>> Author of
>> Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
>> Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
>> http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx
>>
>>
>> "Eric Livingston" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:2DC52D58-048A-4F9B-93D1-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> > Is there any way to process a PRF file without starting Outlook? The
>> > older
>> > versions of Outlook used NewProf.exe or ModProf.exe to make changes to
>> > a
>> > profile using a PRF file. Is there some way to duplicate that
>> > functionality
>> > so that I do not have to start Outlook for the changes to take effect?
>>
>>
>>

Okay, your first post states that the PRF file will not be processed until
Outlook is restarted. What I'm trying to find is a way to process that PRF
without starting Outlook. Is there no external tools that can do this
without brining up the Outlook GUI?

No, Outlook *is* the PRF processor. But as I said before, you can use
ImportPRF to make the PRF processing happen when Outlook starts, not when
the PRF runs.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx


"Eric Livingston" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:3CAAD454-0520-49CA-99B1-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Okay, your first post states that the PRF file will not be processed until
> Outlook is restarted. What I'm trying to find is a way to process that
> PRF
> without starting Outlook. Is there no external tools that can do this
> without brining up the Outlook GUI?

otlook /importprf prffilename.prf

/importprf prffilename
Launches Outlook and opens/imports the defined MAPI profile (*.prf). If
Outlook is already open, queues the profile to be imported on the next clean
launch.



Can be remotely scripted - will not disturb the user and loads a new profile
with no user intervention. There is a warning that says a new profile is
going to be imported.

For silent profile changes that take place immediately use Group Policy.

Nearly all profile changes can be done through the registry either with GP
or by direct registry edits.

The old User Profile editor was convenient for making tweks to user
profiles. There are third perty tools that can do this with 2003 but will
cost you some money.
--
Jim Vierra 661815
"Eric Livingston" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:3CAAD454-0520-49CA-99B1-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Okay, your first post states that the PRF file will not be processed until
> Outlook is restarted. What I'm trying to find is a way to process that
> PRF
> without starting Outlook. Is there no external tools that can do this
> without brining up the Outlook GUI?

I am trying to appy an new profile using a prf file that I have edited with
the profile name, exchange server and user name. In my application I create a
process and start the process by calling the prf file. The process then
starts outlook and applies the profile. Is there a way to suppress outlook so
that the user does not see outlook start up when appying the profile? I have
tried using process.kill() but that gives me an message of "do you want to
start in safe mode do to outlook not being closed correctly..." when you try
to apply a new profile or the next time outlook is started.

Also if I wanted to use direct registry edits for the profile name, Exchange
server, and username setting where could I find out which registry keys I
would need to change?

Thanks,



"Jim Vierra" wrote:

> otlook /importprf prffilename.prf
>
> /importprf prffilename
> Launches Outlook and opens/imports the defined MAPI profile (*.prf). If
> Outlook is already open, queues the profile to be imported on the next clean
> launch.
>
>
>
> Can be remotely scripted - will not disturb the user and loads a new profile
> with no user intervention. There is a warning that says a new profile is
> going to be imported.
>
> For silent profile changes that take place immediately use Group Policy.
>
> Nearly all profile changes can be done through the registry either with GP
> or by direct registry edits.
>
> The old User Profile editor was convenient for making tweks to user
> profiles. There are third perty tools that can do this with 2003 but will
> cost you some money.
> --
> Jim Vierra 661815
> "Eric Livingston" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:3CAAD454-0520-49CA-99B1-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Okay, your first post states that the PRF file will not be processed until
> > Outlook is restarted. What I'm trying to find is a way to process that
> > PRF
> > without starting Outlook. Is there no external tools that can do this
> > without brining up the Outlook GUI?
>
>
>

It sounds like you are trying to do someting that can't be done. Why is it
that you don't want the user to see Outlook?

To change the registry use Groupd Policy. The connection settings are not
kept ther completely so you have to run outlook to build the correct OST
file and other support files. All of these files have to be in agreement
which is why Outlook does teh setting from a PRF. You can't set the
password for IMO Outlook by a registry edit either. The method being used
is runtime application of the PRF. The run string I posted will update
Outlook without disturbing the user but Outlook will do the update for you.
The change won't take effect until the next time the user starts Outlook.

If you are trying to do other than this then my guess is you shouldn't be
doing it.

--
Jim Vierra 661815
"BK Drake" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:A0A24915-26E9-40A5-8DB0-(E-Mail Removed)...
>I am trying to appy an new profile using a prf file that I have edited with
> the profile name, exchange server and user name. In my application I
> create a
> process and start the process by calling the prf file. The process then
> starts outlook and applies the profile. Is there a way to suppress outlook
> so
> that the user does not see outlook start up when appying the profile? I
> have
> tried using process.kill() but that gives me an message of "do you want to
> start in safe mode do to outlook not being closed correctly..." when you
> try
> to apply a new profile or the next time outlook is started.
>
> Also if I wanted to use direct registry edits for the profile name,
> Exchange
> server, and username setting where could I find out which registry keys I
> would need to change?
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
> "Jim Vierra" wrote:
>
>> otlook /importprf prffilename.prf
>>
>> /importprf prffilename
>> Launches Outlook and opens/imports the defined MAPI profile (*.prf).
>> If
>> Outlook is already open, queues the profile to be imported on the next
>> clean
>> launch.
>>
>>
>>
>> Can be remotely scripted - will not disturb the user and loads a new
>> profile
>> with no user intervention. There is a warning that says a new profile is
>> going to be imported.
>>
>> For silent profile changes that take place immediately use Group Policy.
>>
>> Nearly all profile changes can be done through the registry either with
>> GP
>> or by direct registry edits.
>>
>> The old User Profile editor was convenient for making tweks to user
>> profiles. There are third perty tools that can do this with 2003 but
>> will
>> cost you some money.
>> --
>> Jim Vierra 661815
>> "Eric Livingston" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:3CAAD454-0520-49CA-99B1-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> > Okay, your first post states that the PRF file will not be processed
>> > until
>> > Outlook is restarted. What I'm trying to find is a way to process that
>> > PRF
>> > without starting Outlook. Is there no external tools that can do this
>> > without brining up the Outlook GUI?
>>
>>
>>

Mail profiles are stored in HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Windows Messaging Subsystem\Profiles. The individual keys
are not documented in detail.

Did you try using the ImportPRF registry key as I suggested? You know, it
might be helpful if you explained the full scenario in which you're changing
the profile.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx


"BK Drake" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:A0A24915-26E9-40A5-8DB0-(E-Mail Removed)...
>I am trying to appy an new profile using a prf file that I have edited with
> the profile name, exchange server and user name. In my application I
> create a
> process and start the process by calling the prf file. The process then
> starts outlook and applies the profile. Is there a way to suppress outlook
> so
> that the user does not see outlook start up when appying the profile? I
> have
> tried using process.kill() but that gives me an message of "do you want to
> start in safe mode do to outlook not being closed correctly..." when you
> try
> to apply a new profile or the next time outlook is started.
>
> Also if I wanted to use direct registry edits for the profile name,
> Exchange
> server, and username setting where could I find out which registry keys I
> would need to change?