Determining public folder server from Windows Outlook

[Tim Murray]

In short, is there a way to determine the name of the public folder
server from Windows Outlook? The main Exchange mail server is easy,
but what about the public folder server?

Up until a few days ago, my Entourage scheduling functions worked okay
because long ago, someone in IT told me the name of the public folder
server. But the company changed all of their servers -- it was hard
enough finding out the Exchange Mail server, and no one seems to know
the public folder server name (my old contact left the company). LDAP
servers were not changed.

I have Outlook 2002 and also 2000 for Windows, and I'm hoping that
somewhere I can find this info. I have been through every menu item I
can find -- maybe it's in the registry or some .ini file somewhere?
Thanks.

 

[Andy David - MVP]

In short, is there a way to determine the name of the public folder
server from Windows Outlook? The main Exchange mail server is easy,
but what about the public folder server?

Up until a few days ago, my Entourage scheduling functions worked okay
because long ago, someone in IT told me the name of the public folder
server. But the company changed all of their servers -- it was hard
enough finding out the Exchange Mail server, and no one seems to know
the public folder server name (my old contact left the company). LDAP
servers were not changed.

I have Outlook 2002 and also 2000 for Windows, and I'm hoping that
somewhere I can find this info. I have been through every menu item I
can find -- maybe it's in the registry or some .ini file somewhere?
Thanks.

In 2002 or 2003, hold the Ctrl Key down and right-click the Outlook
icon in the right hand tray on the desktop. Select connection status.
Should be listed there.

 

[Ben Winzenz [Exchange MVP]]

The Public Folder server is determined by which Exchange server you are on,
or rather, which Mailbox store you are on. You would need to contact your
Exchange administrator and ask them to quickly check the properties of the
Mailbox store where your mailbox is located, and tell you which server is
designated as the public folder server. However, there isn't necessarily
just one "Public Folder Server".

I suspect that you are looking specifically for the Public Folder server
that is housing the Schedule+ Free Busy folder. This can be foudn in
Exchange System Manager by viewing the Folders Tree, and choosing to "View
System Public Folders". Then, navigate inside the Schedule+ folder, and go
to the properties of that child folder. The replication tab will show which
public folder servers hold a replica of that folder. I haven't worked with
Entourage before, so I don't know why it needs a specific server for
scheduling, but the above procedure is how someone in IT would find out the
information you need.

--
Ben Winzenz
Exchange MVP
MessageOne
Read my blog!
http://winzenz.blogspot.com
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[Tim Murray]

In 2002 or 2003, hold the Ctrl Key down and right-click the Outlook
icon in the right hand tray on the desktop. Select connection status.
Should be listed there.

I do not have an Outlook icon in the system tray. I do have one in the
task bar, of course, but right-clicking it reveals only window
controls. What am I missing? Or, how can I get an icon in the tray?
Thanks.

 

[Tim Murray]

This can be foudn in Exchange System
Manager by viewing the Folders Tree, and choosing to "View System
Public Folders". Then, navigate inside the Schedule+ folder, and go to
the properties of that child folder. The replication tab will show which
public folder servers hold a replica of that folder. I haven't worked with
Entourage before, so I don't know why it needs a specific server for
scheduling, but the above procedure is how someone in IT would find out
the information you need.

Thanks, and I will hang on to this in case I locate a friendly IT
person who is willing to go beyond "reboot your computer and call us
back if it doesn't work".

Entourage uses a separate field for the pubic (free/busy) folder server
and another for the LDAP server.

 

[Ed Crowley [MVP]]

It's in the user's Outlook profile in the registry. It's not easy to find;
it's underneath one of those cryptic zillion-character binary keys, but once
you poke around, it's pretty obvious which one it is.

 

[Andy David - MVP]

I do not have an Outlook icon in the system tray. I do have one in the
task bar, of course, but right-clicking it reveals only window
controls. What am I missing? Or, how can I get an icon in the tray?
Thanks.

Under Taskbar and Start Menu properties, you may have it set to hide
the icons.

 

[Tim Murray]

Under Taskbar and Start Menu properties, you may have it set to
hide the icons.

You may be thinking of XP -- actually this is Windows 2000. I suppose
I should said so earlier.

 

[Andy David - MVP]

You may be thinking of XP -- actually this is Windows 2000. I suppose
I should said so earlier.

Ah. ok. Sorry. I misread that first post.

 

[Brian Tillman]

Under Taskbar and Start Menu properties, you may have it set to hide
the icons.

Outlook 2002 doesn't have that feature, except via a registry setting. What
you describe here and before are Outlook 2003 features.

 

[Tim Murray]

It's in the user's Outlook profile in the registry. It's not easy to find;
it's underneath one of those cryptic zillion-character binary keys, but once
you poke around, it's pretty obvious which one it is.

I presume by "it" you mean the free/busy server.

One location is at
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\SchedulingInformation\FreeBusySupport
There are four keys, default, EX, MS, and SMAP, and all have those
long hexadecimal data values.

Another is HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current
Version\Windows Messaging Subsystem\Profiles\MS Exchange Set. The set
has a number of hex keys, but I see my mail server in the data. There
is only one key with a server that's not my mail server ... and if I
use that in Entourage, it still does not see free/busy data.

 

[Tim Murray]

Outlook 2002 doesn't have that feature, except via a registry setting. What
you describe here and before are Outlook 2003 features.

Do know where it is?

 

[Brian Tillman]

Do know where it is?

Ben Winzenz answered the question.

 

[Andy David - MVP]

Do know where it is?

Hes referring to the ability to minimize Outlook to the tray, not the
connection status stuff

 

[Ed Crowley [MVP]]

No, the user's Outlook profile settings. I think this is the one:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
Messaging Subsystem\Profiles\ [Profile_Name]
\48a1954c53196b4696a6b460e62e1803

Value 001e660c

 

[Tim Murray]

No, the user's Outlook profile settings. I think this is the one:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
Messaging Subsystem\Profiles\ [Profile_Name]
\48a1954c53196b4696a6b460e62e1803

Value 001e660c

Darn, I thought it was nailed ... but that value is my Exchange mail
server. By the way, I did try using (a) that server in my busy/free
server field; (b) leaving the busy/free field blank; and (c) using the
data at the same MS Exchange Settings key, name=001e6602.

That whole MS Exchange Settings key is interesting - one server, the
one at name=001e660c, is the usual mail server, and it appears in
several keys. One value entry in one subkey has the only server that's
different. I figured that server was the free/busy server, but it
didn't work.

Please don't reply to this e-mail. Today I will make a new, condensed
write-up that incorporates suggestions made and things learned, and I
will start a new thread. Thanks.

 

[John Fullbright [MVP]]

If all else fails, do a netstat to show the connections not as detailed as
ctrl right click ... but you can figure it out.

 

[Tim Murray]

If all else fails, do a netstat to show the connections not as detailed as
ctrl right click ... but you can figure it out.

Thanks. I got it by going ahead and installing Outlook 2003, but I will
remember this next time 2003 is not available.

 

[Tim Murray]

In 2002 or 2003, hold the Ctrl Key down and right-click the Outlook
icon in the right hand tray on the desktop. Select connection status.
Should be listed there.

This one was eventually the solution. I ended up installing 2003 so I would
have the System tray icon to right-click, and it worked. Thanks.