Special Edition Using Microsoft Office Outlook 2003

Setting Default Item Types for a Folder

I'm trying to set a custom form as the default item type for my public folder. The custom form is based on a mail item and has a message class of IPM.Note.SalesForm. When I try to choose that form as the default for the folder, I receive a message that I can't create an item of that type in the folder. Why not?

When choosing a default item type for a folder, you must choose the type of item that can be posted in the folder. A form based on a mail item cannot actually be posted in a folder. It is created, and then emailed to another user where it can be stored in a folder. The types of items that can be posted in a folder are Calendar items (appointments, meetings, and events), Contact items, Journal items, Task items, Note items, and Post items. You must select a custom item based on one of those item types as the default item type for the folder. If you want a custom form based on an email to be the default item type for the folder, you can create a custom post form that calls the custom email form. Then make the custom post form the default for the folder. To do this, navigate to the public folder in question and select Tools, Forms, Design a Form. Choose the Post form and click Open. The default Post To value for your form should be the public folder you're currently viewing. Select the Form menu, and then choose View Code to display the Script Editor. Enter the following code in the Script Editor:

Function Item_Open() Dim objNS Dim objFolder Dim objItem Set objNS = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI") Set objFolder = objNS.GetDefaultFolder(6) 'Set reference to the Inbox folder Set objItem = objFolder.Items.Add("IPM.Note.MyForm") objItem.Display Set objFolder = Nothing Set objNS = Nothing Set objItem = Nothing Item.Close (1) End Function

When you've entered the code in the Script Editor, you can publish your custom post form in the public folder. Right-click the folder's name in the Folder List and choose Properties. On the General tab of the Properties dialog box, select your new customized post form as the default form for the folder. Now when your users click the New button while in the public folder, they'll see only your custom message form with the message class IPM.Note.MyForm.

My Owner Left

Only a folder owner can configure permissions on a public folder. One of my IT staff created a number of public folders that we use on a regular basis. He has since left the company and his Exchange account has been deleted. How can I administer permissions on these public folders?

There's really only one way to control permissions on a public folder if the only owner of the folder has left the company. The Exchange administrator can use the Exchange System Manager to grant another user owner permissions on the public folder. To accomplish this, the Exchange administrator needs to use the following steps:

1. Open Exchange System Manager.

2. Expand Administrative Groups and the administrative group to which you want to add your public folder.

3. Expand the Folders branch and then expand the Public Folders branch.

4. Navigate to the public folder in question and right-click the folder's name. Select Properties.

5. Choose the Permissions tab and then click the Client Permissions button.

6. Add a valid user to the folder permissions and configure him as a folder owner.

7. Click OK to save changes. The new owner should now be able to administer folder permissions.