Custom form in another user's mailbox does not open in Outlook 200

[Praj]

I have a form published to the task folder. I am trying to open the custom
form from another user's computer who is assigned as a delegate for my tasks
with permission level of editor.
I can open a custom task added by me on the other user's computer in the
custom form.
However when I try to open the custom form to add a new task on the other
user's computer it gives me the following error.
"The form you selected cannot be displayed. The object could not be found."
I have installed the hotfix refered in 940556 and followed the steps to
clear the cache but it still gives me the error.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Did you also deploy the setting/registry change described at
http://outlookcode.com/article.aspx?id=67

 

[Praj]

Hi Sue,
Thanks for your reply. I have set the registry keys mentioned here. The
permission to run script in shared and public folders is enabled. This works
perfectly on Outlook 2003. It also works if the primary user has Outlook 2007
where the form is installed and the delegate tries to access this form from
Outlook 2003.
However if both have Outlook 2007, the delegate cannot access the form
through Actions> New Item. It tries to install the form and then throws the
error message mentioned in my post.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

You didn't say what you did to try to clear the forms cache, but I would
delete the complete contents of the Forms folder, not just the Frmcache.dat
file. Does the user have problems running forms published to the Personal
Forms or Organizational Forms library?
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Microsoft Outlook 2007 Programming:
Jumpstart for Power Users and Administrators
http://www.outlookcode.com/article.aspx?id=54

 

[Praj]

I did delete the contents of the FORMS folder and now I get the same error if
I try to open the form which is in another user's mailbox to which I am the
delegate.

So far I had the form published on both user's outlook accounts but I did
the following where only user 1 has the form published and user 2 is the
delegate.
The form is published to personal forms though I am not explicitly setting
this.

I published the form on user 1 account
Gave user 2 access to tasks on user 1
User 2 can open the tasks folder of user 1 and see the menu extension
Actions| New Item
The reg key settings are set as mentioned
But when user 2 tries to add a new item, it opens a regular tasks form.
It does not attempt to install the custom form as what happens in Outlook 2003

 

[Praj]

I also tried the following with a blank test form.

I made it of type task and hit the publish button on my computer. I verified
that it launches on my computer.
Then I tried to open it on my delegates computer and I get the error "The
form you selected cannot be displayed. The object could not be found."

 

[Praj]

Hi Sue, the form is published to Outlook Forms folder under tasks and not
personal forms library as previously mentioned

 

[Praj]

If I uncheck the 'Use Cached Exchange Mode' option and install the form on
the delegate's account then I can open the form in the shared Tasks Folder.

How can I publish the form as uncached? I am publishing the form using
vbscript command 'PublishForm'. Is there a parameter that I can add that will
publish the form as uncached?

Also is there a way I can avoid publishing the form on the delegates
computer but access it through the shared folder.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

You may want to create a separate mail profile that does not use cached
Exchange mode and use that profile for publishing forms.

 

[Praj]

I want to distribute this form and publish it using a script through a
windows installer. How can I do this so that all the user has to do is run
the setup file.
Also is there a way to protect the code behind the form so that the user
cannot modify it using the design mode in 2007. I know the password field is
not supported here.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

So, you want to publish the form to each user's Tasks folder? If you're doing
it as a Windows Installer project, you'd need to install the application that
contains the code to publish the form -- and (very important) that code would
have to start Outlook before doing the publishing. I think I'd try to do all
that with an Outlook add-in, not a standalone external application.

An add-in would also be a better solution for protecting code as it could be
designed to handle all the events now being handled in form code.
Furthermore, with an add-in, you could consider using a form region to handle
the UI for Outlook 2007 clients, thus eliminating the custom form issue.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Microsoft Outlook 2007 Programming:
Jumpstart for Power Users and Administrators
http://www.outlookcode.com/article.aspx?id=54

 

[Praj]

Hi Sue,
Thanks for all your prompt and detailed replies.
I already have Outlook 2003 addin which publishes the form to the outlook
folder using a .vbs file. I wanted to just probably modify some of the
pre-requisities and reg keys so that it will work for Outlook 2007.
It works fine except in shared folders. Is there any way at all that I can
salvage my previous work instead of starting from scrach to design a Form
region?
Thanks,

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

I'm not quite sure what you're asking, but there is no converter to turn a
legacy custom form into a form region.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Microsoft Outlook 2007 Programming:
Jumpstart for Power Users and Administrators
http://www.outlookcode.com/article.aspx?id=54

 

[Praj]

Hi Sue,
Is there a way to make the same legacy custom form work in Outlook 2007 as
in Outlook 2003 by publishing it to the Outlook Folder using the publishForm
api
Thanks

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

I have no ideas on this topic beyond the ones already discussed. Maybe it's
time for you to open a support incident with Microsoft. If you do, let us
know what you find out.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Microsoft Outlook 2007 Programming:
Jumpstart for Power Users and Administrators
http://www.outlookcode.com/article.aspx?id=54