Problem with custom form & Outlook 2003 - HELP!!

[Sven Golly]

Our office just upgraded to Office 2003 across the board. We run Exchange
Server 2000. We have a couple of custom contact forms located in public
folders and published in the organization forms library. These were
developed using Outlook 2002 (XP).

In particular, one public folder has a specialized contact form with a
custom details page that has three user-defined fields.

When I open a contact in this folder, it displays a basterdized version
of the custom form -- it shows the new Outlook 2003 style main contact
page layout and my customized details page. Plus, even though NO changes
have been made to the contact record displayed, Outlook wants to save the
contact anyway when you close it (Do you want to save changes?).

On top of this, I can't create a NEW contact in that folder using the
custom form -- Outlook 2003 defaults to its own regular form. AND, since
the custom form is the only one permitted in the public folder, Exchange
refuses to save it in that folder.

How do I fix this? I really need to use the custom forms.

 

[Joel]

Try this:

Right click on the contacts folder. Properties. General. When posting to
this folder use: (the name of your form). Then go to forms, manage, select
your form, then clear cache. Now try opening your contact and see what
happens.

-Joel

 

[Sven Golly]

Right click on the contacts folder. Properties. General. When
posting to this folder use: (the name of your form). Then go to
forms, manage, select your form, then clear cache. Now try opening
your contact and see what happens.

BTDT. Already set to use the form. Tried resetting. Cleared cache. No
change. Opening the contact still gives me the bastardized cross between
the Outlook standard Contact form and my custom form. If I tyr to create a
new contact in the public folder, Outlook (Exchange) says no can save
there.

 

[Lou Zher]

We've been having similar problems. There is a Service Pack (SP1) for Office
2003 that addresses some of these issues.
One trick I found that seems to fix the form business was to create a new
contact. For some reason, that would reset the form where loading an
existing one wouldn't. Give it a shot.
-LZ

 

[Sven Golly]

We've been having similar problems. There is a Service Pack (SP1) for
Office 2003 that addresses some of these issues.
One trick I found that seems to fix the form business was to create a
new contact. For some reason, that would reset the form where loading
an existing one wouldn't. Give it a shot.

That's just it, I can't create a new contact based on the custom form.
Exchange won't let me save it in that public folder!!!

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

When I open a contact in this folder, it displays a bastardized version

of the custom form -- it shows the new Outlook 2003 style main contact
page layout and my customized details page.

This is expected behavior if you never customized the first page. If you
make any customization of the first page (including moving a label one
pixel), the form will display the page, as you've customized it.

Plus, even though NO changes
have been made to the contact record displayed, Outlook wants to save the
contact anyway when you close it (Do you want to save changes?).

Outlook doesn't do this in vain. *something* changed. If you want to find
out what, put code in the PropertyChange and CustomPropertyChange events.

On top of this, I can't create a NEW contact in that folder using the
custom form -- Outlook 2003 defaults to its own regular form.

Is the custom form set as the default form for that folder? I'm unclear from
your post whether this form is published to the folder or Org Forms or both.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[John Riddle]

How are you trying to create the new item? Instead of using the "New" button
when viewing that folder, try Tools--->Forms--->Choose Form...---> (then
select the form you want). You don't need to resave it to the folder, but it
should reload the form into your forms cache.

John