Outlook 2013 corrupting custom forms?

[astro46]

I have had a problem using a custom form in outlook 2013, email, address, phone fields do not display with correct field names. i posted about this in the microsoft social forum, originally thinking that it was only a problem with seeing email "display name" field, but have since found that the problem is more fundamental than that. the only reply that i have received there was from a user indicating the same problem with a custom email form. since posting there i have come up with more information:

as an experiment I rolled system back to just after uninstalling Office 2010, then deleted whatever office files and folders i could find in appdata, except for some of the templates (though i deleted any outlook templates), changed the mail>data file location . and opened outlook.

when i created a new contact, of course it gave me the native contact form. it is titled 'untitled- contact (design)' ok. then i opened developer>design a form and picked the contact form from standard library. (picking it from 'contact' gives the same result). a form opened that looked very much like my custom form. apparently design always change to this format, since i saw the same change in ol10. the notes field is across bottom of form, and no business card field. BUT, in OL13 design mode fields are misnamed. the top phone field is called 'email3'. email field is called 'other'. similar to how it is messed up in my custom contact form.

clicking 'run this form' , if no changes were made to the initial design form, takes you back to the native contact form format, with notes on right, with business card. fields correctly named. changing fields from drop down boxes, gives the fields picked.

however if anything is changed on the design form, and then click 'run this form' the format stays like the design form format (not the native form), fields stay incorrectly named, picking a field from drop down list gives a different field from one picked. notes field remains along bottom, no business card.

so, 'design a form' is basically the custom form design that i use with a few fields added or resized. but ol13 screws up the field names in the design form, and retains those mistakes if any change is made to the native form. and seems to force this corruption on a customized form in normal use.

this should be easily reproducible .

[Diane Poremsky]

The look is how it behaves - when you edit the first page of a contact form in any version, you loose the pretty parts and it reverts to the old look. The Forms Designer is also looks like the old form. (Designing Custom Outlook Forms - Slipstick Systems - bottom of page)

Are the field names incorrectly labeled or is it just the ugly Outlook 2002 look?

[astro46]

The look is how it behaves - when you edit the first page of a contact form in any version, you loose the pretty parts and it reverts to the old look. The Forms Designer is also looks like the old form. (Designing Custom Outlook Forms - Slipstick Systems - bottom of page)

Are the field names incorrectly labeled or is it just the ugly Outlook 2002 look?

it isn't how it looks that i am questioning. i only mentioned that to indicate that my "custom" form apparenlty is basically the OL design a form, wiith a few modifications. i like having notes at bottom of screen and not having the the business card on the screen.

the corruption is the incorrect naming of fields, and when a new field is picked from a drop down, it isn't the field that appears. this happens when "running" a form during the design process, and OL13 makes these same errors when using a published custom form. try it and you will see what i mean.

jeffrey

[Diane Poremsky]

I have new ones I created in outlook 2013 and old ones, most created in outlook 2010. They look fine. Can you post a screenshot so i can see the corruption?

[astro46]

the first ol10, should be a correct form. the second, ol13, notice the telephone field names are different, and the bits of text below the address label. what i can't show in pics is how if i use a drop down box to get a different phone number, for example, and pick "call back", instead "home fax" label appears, similar problem with email dropdown box and address drop down. if i were to use these corrupt forms to enter a new contact, who knows what field the info is winding up in.

currently i am trying office 2013 on laptop and still have office 2010 on desktop. the files, including .pst, get synced between them. as i mentioned in post, this problem was found immediately after installing office 2013 on laptop. the desktop, even after syncing back and forth numerous times, still works correctly.

[Diane Poremsky]

Thanks. I'll see what i can find out.

[astro46]

Diane, any luck with this? are you seeing the same changes that i am, when designing form in ol13? if not, i wonder,why not? (i had tried reinstalling office 2013, no difference.)

jeffrey

[Diane Poremsky]

It's something relating to customizing the first page - just going into design this form will show the behavior, even before you edit it. I hadn't noticed it before because i avoid editing the first page - i like the pretty contact.

I'm waiting to hear from the guys about it.

[astro46]

It's something relating to customizing the first page - just going into design this form will show the behavior, even before you edit it. I hadn't noticed it before because i avoid editing the first page - i like the pretty contact.

I'm waiting to hear from the guys about it.

just hearing that you are also seeing this problem is a step forward. at least i know that it isn't just me. it is surprising that no one has reported it before. i can't be the only person using customized forms. of course, there is also the person that posted in reply to my post on the social.answers forum, who claims to have the same problem with a customized email form. perhaps the guys would like to know about that, as well. another clue to help them figure out the solution.

[astro46]

Diane, occurs to me that if this is in microsoft's hands, a solution, if it comes, could be months away.

do you think that there is any way to deal with the problem, short of waiting for an ms fix?

likelihood , similar to journal, that custom forms are something that ms wants to do awaywith, and that no solution will be coming?