Outlook 2003: Cannot edit default Contact Form

[makanda]

Hi, I run Outlook 2003 on my home laptop. I do not use Microsoft Exchange Server. I do not share my information with others nor do I intend to in the future.

I have created a custom form in Outlook to schedule appointments and interview applicants.

It is essentially a one page check list of questions and responses I make with applicants over the phone.

I import my applicant contact information into Outlook via Contact Genie and that all works perfectly.

I have saved my custom form as the default form in my Contacts Folder and all new contacts successfully use that default form.

My problem is, I now need to edit the default form but Outlook keeps calling up the original form without my changes.

The changes I need to make are critical so I cannot simply do a work a round using the old form.

I have tried everything I can think of but I simply cannot modify edit or change that default form.

Every time I make a change and try to save the updated form as the default contact form, Outlook keeps using the old form.

I suspect that there is a copy of the original form that I may have saved in a different folder somewhere that Outlook keeps accssing but I cannot find it.

Any help I can get will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jerry

[Diane Poremsky]

Did you delete the formscache?
How to clean up Outlook's Forms Cache | Outlook Daily Tips


Are you adding a version # to the form when you publish? Increasing the version #, outlook won't get confused and will always use the newer version.
Publishing Custom Forms in Outlook | Slipstick Systems

[makanda]

Diane,

First let me thank you for your reply. I have asked this question on several forums. It has been viewed over a thousand times, but you are the only person to answer it.

Thank you.

I did what you suggested but it Outlook is tenaciously calling up the old form.

I cleared the cache as directed. When I followed the directions for a deeper cleaning by removing any .dat files from the FORMS folder ... there were none there.

I tried to hunt down every possible version of the old form and delete it from my computer.

Thank you for the tip regarding changing the version number of the form.

My original form was set at version 2.0. I had been saving edited versions at 2.1, 2.2, etc. I did not know that the first number was the version number. Had you not made that suggestion I wouldn't have known to make those changes.

I have since saved the file as version 3.1 but it does not make a difference. Outlook continues to pull up the old form.

I have even gone as far as uninstalling and re installing outlook. My uninstall program supposedly does a deep registry clean to make sure all the old files are gone.

But to my dismay when I opened the newly installed program all of my calendar and contact information was still intact and like a vampire returning from the grave, the old version continues to be the only version Outlook recognizes.

Question: When I originally installed this form, I did so using a saved template off of my hard drive. That template is the same form as the one that will not go away. Is it possible that it is that template that is being called up each time in preference to the edited version of the form that I publish in the Contacts folder?

Just a thought.

Anyway, thank you for your help. This problem has me stopped dead in the water. I need to get it corrected and your help is greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Jerry Probst
Dallas, TX

[Diane Poremsky]

Because you are using a template, not a published form, the version # matters less.

Because you are using templates, I think what has happened is that each contact probably has a 'one-off form'. Rather than use a template from the hard drive, i would publish the form - you can then use docmessageclass to change everything to the new published form. But first, check and see what the message class is for each item, mostly because I'm curious.

You can use a list view (like phone list) and and the message class field to the view. I have not checked it in a scenario like your so i don't know if it will show the default message class or something else.

docmessageclass - http://www.publicshareware.com/downl...ssageClass.zip
how to publish a form Publishing Custom Forms in Outlook | Slipstick Systems

[makanda]

Thank you Diane,

Right now, all contacts have the following message class: IPM.Contact.Contacts 4.0. Contacts4.0 is the default form in the contacts folder.

Jerry

[makanda]

Hi Diane,

I have a thought and a question.

First, I do disaster work during hurricane season. I use this Outlook scheduling forom to make appointments with contacts in the field.

Things are starting to heat up in the tropics so I am starting to feel an increased urgency to get this problem resolved.

The custom form that Outlook won't let me change is already laid out. The edits I need to make actually lie with a few fields that use drop down lists that I have pre defined in the advanced properties.

Thinking of a work-a-round, I wonder of those field properties are saved within the form itself or if Outlook stores them independentally of the forms themselves.

If I am able to revise the lists and still use the old form, I can live with that.

I am going to try it out to see if it works.

But I am interested in your thoughts.

Thank you

Jerry

[Diane Poremsky]

The lists are stored in the forms, not in Outlook.

If Contact4.0 is set as the default, it's published - I was originally thinking this comment meant you were using a template for the new items too.

Question: When I originally installed this form, I did so using a saved template off of my hard drive. That template is the same form as the one that will not go away. Is it possible that it is that template that is being called up each time in preference to the edited version of the form that I publish in the Contacts folder?

Try this: make your edits to the form and publish it using a new name - then use docmessage class to apply it to the existing items (if needed) or just use it for new items by changing the default form.

[makanda]

Good News!

When I tried editing the drop down values It Worked!

I was able to make several corrections and get the form working as I intended. There are a couple minor issues that I have. (mainly a couple lables that don't want to change, but the rest of the form is working and published (Now as Inspections6.2) as my default contact form. I have successfully imported some test contact data into Outlook and it works.

Thank you for your assistance and for the references you sent me. They helped. Each time I made a change I adjusted the version / form numbers. I then published the file with a new name reflecting the version/form in my contact folder.

I then saved the form as a template on my hard drive.

Next I set the new form as the default in the contacts folder and deleted the previous version from the Forms manager. Finally I cleared the cache and applied the changes.

It all seems to work good enough that I can now move on.

I am saving this whole configuration as a virtual snapshot withing VirtualBox and exporting the Virtual Machine so I have a operable backup in case I mess things up in the future.

Thank you so much for your help. As a new storm is beginning to develop in the Gulf of Mexico I was beginning to panic that I wouldn't get this problem fixed.

Yours truly,

Jerry Probst

[Diane Poremsky]

Glad to hear you got it working again.

[makanda]

Much appreciated,

Now that I have it working there are two fields I would like to add if I can. Perhaps you can give me some guidance how to accomplish what I need to do.

I have an address field. I would like to create another field that will look up that address in Google Earth or Zillow (a real estate web site). What I am thinking is creating some code that will take the address info and plug it in as a link in a new field that will do an address lookup of either site when clicked.

I would think it is a simple task, but it may be beyond my simple capabilities.

What I need to know is would I do this sort of task as a Macro or do I need to write code? I think I can figure out a macro ... doubtful about my coding skills.

Thanks again. Almost there.

Jerry