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Outlook / Exchng 2000 - Runtime Error handling Meetings


BraytonAK

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We've run into a strange problem this year. Our environment is a Windows 2000 Server AD domain. The domain controller is also our Exchange 2000 server. The clients use Windows XP Pro and Office 2000 Pro.

The problem that seems to be creeping up is quite peculiar. Different users all of a sudden started getting Runtime Errors in Outlook, which causes Outlook to close, when trying to send or reply to meeting requests. There was also an incident where one of our Resource rooms suddenly wouldn't show any of its published availability at our defined 12 month settings. (The Exchange default is 3 Months.) I had to open the Resource mailbox in Outlook, set it's calendar publishing to 3 months, save that change, then go back in and change it back to 12 months. I think this is what made it start showing its availability correctly again.

The runtime error in Outlook doesn't give any specific details about the error, just that it occurred and Outlook is closing. Sometimes repeated attempts to make a meeting will work. When users Accept a Meeting, sometimes Outlook crashes, but the acceptance IS made. This is happening when various resource rooms are involved.

We were going to just make this a good reason to upgrade our server and clients to a current version of Exchange and Office. Before spending money and time on that, we'd like to find out if anyone else has heard of these kinds of errors and if they can be corrected.

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So this isn't happening to all the users in the network, just a select unlucky few? On one of the machines with the problem, have you tried running detect and repair? Reinstalled? Don't think would fix it in your case, but I've seen where deleting .ost files in the user's dir fixes a lot of weird issues with the calendar and other things.

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I forgot about the Detect and Repair feature. Duh?! And yes, this only happens to a select few people. They don't really have anything in common, either. Two of them have been using their systems for a couple years, another for only a few months. Four of them have been employed here for a number of years, so their Exchange accounts are well-used.

Does the Detect & Repair function overwrite any Office Updates? If it does, I'm sure our WSUS server will catch it. (Although it's on the fritz lately, too.)

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It shouldn't overwrite any files which would effect updates... try it and see what happens. I would also try reinstalling the app if that doesn't work. Are all these users in the same OU in AD?

Last but least, hit up the boss for some cash and go all 2003 ;)

Edited by ringfinger
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haha I'm definitely going to do the Detect & Repair function. It seems logical to me that it has to be done on the user account that is having trouble (in other words, while the user is logged in and unlocked.) I tried it briefly this morning, but as is typical of Office, it fails because the user isn't an Admin. So this will take a chunk of time per user.

Our AD is currently configured with one OU. We only have about 150 users, at most. If this doesn't stop the problem, I'll definitely do a re-install.

I would like to see us upgrade to a newer version of Office. My mouth waters at the thought. I'd love to use 2007, but I know our users would panic. And I've read that Exchange '07 can be a bit troublesome to configure, but that's just one thread that I found. And I know most businesses would rather wait for updates and patches to surface before going to brand new software. {Le Sigh}

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It shouldn't overwrite any files which would effect updates... try it and see what happens. I would also try reinstalling the app if that doesn't work. Are all these users in the same OU in AD?

Last but least, hit up the boss for some cash and go all 2003 ;)

Office has burst my bubble of hope. I tried doing Detect & Repair, but was told that it could not find the source files. (Even with the user set to Admin.) I was able to run Detect & Repair by starting it from the Autorun utility on the installation disc. The problem was the same after the process was complete.

I did an Uninstall, Reinstall and Office Update routine to try to fix the problem. No change at all.

I attached a screenshot of the error that I get. Really generic with no leading information. The error appears moments after accepting, canceling or declining a meeting. It can also do this when trying to send the request.

Maybe I'll set up the victim on a temporary computer and have her do one of these to narrow down the computer or the server. Time consuming. :angry:

post-117286-1168882537_thumb.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...

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