Fowarding Rule In Outlook 2003 does not reliably work

[Guest]

A user has about 8 rules in Outlook 2003 which are suppose forward incoming
e-mail to an assistant. Each rule has 4-7 address (exchange mailboxes)
within it. These 30 some addresses were selected from the Global address
list. Each rule is active.

The problem is they do not work reliably. One day they will forward the
e-mail correctly. The next day some the e-mail does not get forwarded. It
does not consistently fail on the same incoming message.

Outlook 2003 connects to an Exchange 5.5 server.

Is there a limit to the number of rules? Is there a limit to the number of
address to which mail can be forwarded?

 

[Martin Qiu [MSFT]]

Hello,

Thank you for posting here!

Firstly, I would like to explain that the rules size limit for mailboxes on
all versions of Microsoft Exchange Server is 32 kilobytes (KB). Especially
in Outlook 2003, the size of rules has increased mostly to provide support
for the Unicode format. For more information about the rules size limit,
you can refer to the following Knowledge Base articles.

886616 Some rules are disabled, and you receive an error message when you
try
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=886616

147298 XCLN: Maximum Number of Rules Per Folder
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=147298

241325 "There is not enough space on the Microsoft Exchange Server to store
all
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=241325

However, according to your description, the issue may be not caused by the
Outlook rules size limit, since the issue occurs intermittently and all
rules are active in the Rules and Alerts option. To double check it, please
backup and then delete all existing rules firstly, and then re-create some
rules to test the issue again. To backup Outlook rule, follow the steps
below:

(1) Open Outlook, Click Tools-> Rules and Alerts, Click Options
(2) Click Export Rules
(3) Provide a path/location and file name for the RWZ file that will be
created and click Save
(4) Click OK twice.

If the issue persists after you recreate the rules, it maybe caused by
other potential factors. Please perform the steps below to continue to
identify the root cause.

1. Please click "Run Rules Now" in the Rules and Alerts option to see
whether you can manually complete the operation.

2. Is the email unable to be forwarded to some specific recipients or all
recipients?

3. Try to send some test emails to the problematic recipients to see
whether they can receive.

4. Please also refer to the following Knowledge Base article to perform a
further troubleshooting

197496 Frequently asked questions about how to troubleshoot the Outlook
Rules
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=197496

Please don't hesitate to let me know in case you have any updates. Have a
nice day!



Regards,

Martin Qiu
Microsoft Online Partner Support

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security

When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
=====================================================
Business-Critical Phone Support (BCPS) provides you with technical phone
support at no charge during critical LAN outages or "business down"
situations. This benefit is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to all
Microsoft technology partners in the United States and Canada.

This and other support options are available here:

BCPS:
https://partner.microsoft.com/US/technicalsupport/supportoverview/40010469
Others: https://partner.microsoft.com/US/technicalsupport/supportoverview/

If you are outside the United States, please visit our International
Support page:
http://support.microsoft.com/common/international.aspx
=====================================================

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Guest]

You answer is great and appreciated.
Found the cause - User was update the rules at work. Then from his home
computer was selecting to use the local rules when the rules wizard would
prompt hm. Instructed him to always accept the server rules.

Thank you

 

[Guest]

Hello,

I kind of have this problem. I go to Rules and Alerts and it asks if I would
like to use Server or CLient rules, I select Server. After that I see all my
rules. I select them all and then hit delete. Hit apply then it says it's
updating the server. After that I hit ok, I then go BACK to the Rules and
Alerts and now all my rules are back.

There is no way I can delete them. I have tried EVERYTHING to get my rules
to work. My next step is to have my mailbox delete off the Exchange Server
(2003).

Any ideas how to delete the Rules for good!?

Thanks!

 

[Martin Qiu [MSFT]]

Hi,

Thank you for your reply and the detailed additional feedback on how you
were successful in resolving this issue. This information has been added to
Microsoft's database. Your solution will benefit many other users, and we
really value having you as a Microsoft customer.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to
contact us. It is always our pleasure to be of assistance.

Have a nice day!



Regards,

Martin Qiu
Microsoft Online Partner Support

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security

When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
=====================================================
Business-Critical Phone Support (BCPS) provides you with technical phone
support at no charge during critical LAN outages or "business down"
situations. This benefit is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to all
Microsoft technology partners in the United States and Canada.

This and other support options are available here:

BCPS:
https://partner.microsoft.com/US/technicalsupport/supportoverview/40010469
Others: https://partner.microsoft.com/US/technicalsupport/supportoverview/

If you are outside the United States, please visit our International
Support page:
http://support.microsoft.com/common/international.aspx
=====================================================

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Martin Qiu [MSFT]]

Hi Jaz,

It is nice to meet you here.

You can use the Mdbvu32 utility to remove Inbox rules. This utility is
located on your Exchange Server CD in the
<CD-ROM_Drive>\Server\Support\Utils\I386 folder. Note: If you can not find
it there, please visit the following link to download it:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=3D1C7482-4C6E-4EC5-
983E-127100D71376&displaylang=en

For more detailed information, please refer to the following Knowledge Base
articles:

320022 XCLN: How to Use the Mdbvu32 Utility to Remove Inbox Rules
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=320022

If the issue persists, I suggest you submit a new post in our newsgroup.
This clarifies the issue as well as makes sure our troubleshooting steps
are accurate. Feel free to post more messages if you have additional
questions, and we are glad to be of assistance.

I appreciate your understanding!



Regards,

Martin Qiu
Microsoft Online Partner Support

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security

When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
=====================================================
Business-Critical Phone Support (BCPS) provides you with technical phone
support at no charge during critical LAN outages or "business down"
situations. This benefit is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to all
Microsoft technology partners in the United States and Canada.

This and other support options are available here:

BCPS:
https://partner.microsoft.com/US/technicalsupport/supportoverview/40010469
Others: https://partner.microsoft.com/US/technicalsupport/supportoverview/

If you are outside the United States, please visit our International
Support page:
http://support.microsoft.com/common/international.aspx
=====================================================

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Guest]

Please help me as well. I had Office Outlook 2003 in which I set up simple
three rules (forward incoming mails to individual folders). None of them work
at all! I had no problem to do so in Outlook 2000. Tried numerous times &
I have the PC that comes in with outlook 2003 and work in my home office.

Thank you.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Please clarify. A forward rule sends items to an email address. A move rule sends them to a folder. Which are you using?

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Guest]

A new rule sent to a folder. I have three emails accounts within outlook. I
was using outlook rule, after they arrive to my default inobx, to deliver
them into the individual folders.

The rule for one email account does work - the first time - and will not
work again.
The other two did not work at all (nothing transferred to my folders). I
did remove the rules and created brand new rules - still will not work. As
indicated, I was using these rules before and had no problem. So I think
there are something wrong with the outlook (I had SP2).

HELP - Thanks much for your quick response!
Sincerely.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

And what are the details of these rules, particularly the conditions?

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Guest]

Rule condition: When emails arrive from (e-mail address removed), transfer to a
folder called lwei0328.....all the same condition.

Also I just noticed that the ARCHIVE function does not work as well. When I
try to archive my emails (my default inbox), it sits there doing absolutely
nothing.

I am not technical but this sounds a pretty obvious connection - how d you
think?

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

So that's using the "from people or distribution list" condition to move items that a user with the address (e-mail address removed) sends to you? Do the rules work if you run them manually?

Archiving and rules have no connection at all. If you want to pursue the archiving issue, please start a new thread on that subject.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Guest]

"once the emails arrive,
from the email account of (e-mail address removed)
transfer the email to a folder called lwei0328"

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

These are all POP3 accounts? What happens when you run the rules manually?

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Guest]

does not work as well - manually. The similarity is that the settings are
all correct but the outlook decides to ignore these requests.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Sorry, but I don't understand what you mean by that.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Guest]

Question from you: So that's using the "from people or distribution list"
condition to move items that a user with the address (e-mail address removed) sends
to you? Do the rules work if you run them manually?

Answer: Yes to the first question. And the rules did not work manually.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Now I'm really confused. I still can't tell whether your rule is looking for a sender address or an account name. You've said both.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers