My rules won't run automatically. What's the problem?

[Guest]

I have a list of rules. When I run them manually, saying run this rule now,
each one works. But when an applicable message comes in, it is not run. I
read something about client side versus server side rules and changed them
all to server side rules but the problem persists. Anyone know any other
reasons a rule might be ignored?

A typical example of an ignored rule I have is

After a message arrives from <email address>
move to folder <save/group/subject>

 

[Guest]

This is frustrating, because the rules actually do work, but they don't
process automatically. You can clean out your corrupted registry entries, or
what ever is causing the problem by one command. But before you do that,
consider how many rules you have, and how easy it will be to recreate them.
It's super easy to export your rules to a file on your desktop, just click on
the options button from your rules and alerts screen, and export from there.

After your rules are backed up, simply click on START, RUN.
Type:

outlook /cleanrules

All of your rules will be gone, but you can import them back in easily, and
they WILL work. Take it from me, this is a great switch to clean out the
corruption. There's tons of other outlook switches which are both powerful
and helpful, that will accomplish a similar result in other areas with the
application. Check out the following URL:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP010031101033.aspx

Regards,
Chris

 

[Gabriel]

Did you upgrade Outlook or changed your pst file? You can try to make copies
of all your rules and delete the old ones. This should point the rules to the
new Inbox and they should start running automatically.

 

[John R. Hamilton]

I had the same problem. I do believe it is a Microsoft "BUG". Sometimes my
rules work and sometimes they don't. Often, I had to run manually. All in
all, the rules I set worked just fine when run manually. Even after
performing all the tips and tricks from MVP Outlook professionals, I still
had the same problem !!!! Here is my solution that WORKED for me as my rules
NOW run automatically with my VBA scripts.

a) Click Tools, Macro, Visual Basic Editor.
b) In the project explorer to the left, expand Microsoft Office Outlook
Objects
c) Double Click "ThisOutlookSession"
d) Copy and past the following code

Private Sub Application_Startup()
MsgBox "Welcome, " & Application.GetNamespace("MAPI").CurrentUser
Application.ActiveExplorer.WindowState = olMaximized
End Sub

e) Save the Visual Basic Program.
f) Close.
g) Done.

I know this doesn't make sense, but I think that the VBA macro library is
NOT loading properly at the start of Microsoft Outlook. I think the startup
event forces the loading of the VBA scripts properly. I don't think it
matters what code you place just as long as it is something to properly start
the VBA macros.

Anyway, again, I know that the above doesn't make any sense but it WORKED
for me. All the other LOGICAL solutions by the MVP professionals and other
users simply just did not work, which those other solutions should have
worked. Therefore, this leads me to believe that there is a BUG is the
Outlook product.

Again, it worked for me and I am NOW happy and I have stopped wasting hours
looking for a solution.

If this SOLUTION worked for you, please let me know. If this solution works
for you, please make a post so that Microsoft will know where to look for
this goofy bug in the Outlook product.

I hope this works for you as I spent over 200 hours trying to fix this same
problem.

John R. Hamilton

 

[Raymon]

Unfortunately this didn't work for me. My problem may, however be different,
because my rule won't run at all. Even manually, there is no response.