free/busy problem for only one user only in Outlook 2007

[Guy Melamed]

Hi,

I have a customer that has more than 1000 Outlook 2007 SP1 clients that is
storing all their mailboxes on an Exchange 2003 server.

The customer has a problem with only one mailbox. The mailboxes belongs to
one of the executives. The problem started suddenly early this week. Until
then he did not have any problem.

The problem is that none of his delegates are able to create new
appointments in the problematic mailbox calendar. They are able to view his
calendar, and everyone sees his free/busy information.

The error the delegates are receiving is:
"Cannot open the free/busy information. Cannot locate recurrence
information for this appointment."

I tried to recreate the free/busy information on the server, but when I run
outlook /cleanfreebusy on his mailbox, I get the following error:
"Cannot clean your free/busy information on the server."

I manuly deleted the free/busy information from the public folder on the
server (using OWA and non_ipm_subtree), and tried to run outlook
/cleanfreebusy again, but got the same error.

I switched to Outlook XP, and was able to create the free/busy information
on the server using outlook /cleanfreebusy.

I also tried deleting the local free/busy message of the mailbox using
MFCmapi, but that did change the way this mailbox behaves.

Summary:
I can see the free/busy information message on the server using OWA, and all
the users can see the free/busy information of the mailbox.
Outlook 2007 users can view free/busy information for the mailbox.
Outlook 2007 delegates cannot create appointments on the problematic mailbox.
I am unable to "reset" the free busy information of the problematic mailbox
using Outlook 2007.
Outlook XP delegates are able to create appointments on the problematic
mailbox.
I am able to "reset" the free busy information of the problematic mailbox
using Outlook XP.

This is not a "Server" problem because all the othe mailboxes works fine,
and Outlook XP works OK.

It looks to me like the data on the mailbox, the user, or the free/busy
information is not handeled correctly by Outlook 2007.

I will be happy if someone can help me solve the problem.

Thanks,

 

[Dave]

I'm no expert here but I ran into an issue with one of my users where no one
could see her free/busy time. All the people in her workgroup were using
outlook 2003. I requested, downloaded and installed the hot fix mentioned in
KB935411. Not sure if this will help.

 

[Guy Melamed]

Thanks Dave,

I don't think this is the case in this problem, because the customer don't
have Outlook 2003 clients...

 

[Guy Melamed]

Hi,

The problem was caused by a couple of appointments that were probably
corrupted.
I discovered it using the following procedure:

1. Backup all the appointments, and start Outlook without cached mode.
2. Create a temporary calendar folder.
3. Move all the appointments to the temporary folder.
4. Test if you can start Outlooku using the /cleanfreebusy switch.
5. If you can, move half the appointments and do step 4 until you find the
problemtaic "Half", then try to find the problemtic appontments and delete
them.

In my case it was 2 reaccuring appointmnets that caused the problem.

Good luck,