Developer: Outlook COM Add-in and Large Address Aware

Starting from build 16.0.8528.2147 (Version 1709) of the 32-bit version of Outlook 2016 for Windows has been updated to be Large Address Aware (LAA). This increases the maximum address space available to Outlook from 2 GB to 4 GB when it is running on a 64-bit version of Windows. This is key to improved graphics rendering in Outlook when using newer displays that support higher screen resolutions.

• LAA Outlook has been extensively tested. But there is the possibility that some third-party or in-house developed Outlook COM Add-ins may experience issues with the change.
• Only 32-bit, 1709 versions of Outlook 2016 or later and running on a 64-bit version of Windows may be impacted.
• The symptoms may range from COM Add-ins that crash or that exhibit unexpected behaviour or errors.
• Outlook’s current design automatically disables any COM add-ins that crash.
• Office store/Office.js add-ins are not be impacted by the LAA
  change.

So what’s for the app developer?

• So if you are a developer, you should review your COM Add-in code.
• Test and determine if the add-in is updated for LAA.
• Ensure it is LAA compatible and not checking for or expecting the high bit to be unset.
• If the COM Add-in is not updated to work with LAA, the use of the COM Add-in must be reassessed since indefinitely disabling automatic updates to Office is not recommended.

For more info, please refer the detailed info at,

• What steps you need to do if you see issues with COM addins?
• Memory limits for Windows and Windows Server releases

Hope this helps.

FIX: Installation runs every time you start Outlook 2013 on Windows Server 2008 R2…

Recently I was working with one of my customer, where they installed Outlook 2013 (32-bit) on Windows Server 2008 R2 (64 bit) environment. Every time when you start Outlook 2013, it runs an installation (Microsoft Office 64-bit Components 2013) – just like the below. I know it’s strange.

They tried repairing/fresh install, updated latest fixes as well – still it haven’t fixed this behavior; strangely this happened only in this server.  To fix the error, they tried the following: Added Windows Search Service to the File Services role on servers.

Adding related thread that I found the MSDN Community is here. Happy troubleshooting!!

Microsoft Office 2010 SP2 available for download

Now you can download Office 2010 SP2 which provides the latest updates for Office 2010. This service pack includes two kinds of fixes: (1) Previously unreleased fixes that are included in this service pack. In addition to general product fixes, these fixes include improvements in stability, performance, and security. (2) All the public updates that were released through May 2013, and all the cumulative updates that were released through April 2013.

Either you can install this via Microsoft Update (recommended one) or download Office 201 SP2 32-bit or Office 201 SP2 64-bit package. For more info you can refer, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2687455

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Download: Exchange Web Services (EWS) Managed API 1.2.1

Now, you can download the latest Exchange Web Services (EWS) Managed API 1.2.1 (version 14.03.0067.001) @ two flavors – 64-bit, 32-bit. It provides a managed interface for developing client applications that use Exchange Web Services. 

The latest EWS Managed API 1.2.1 includes new Exchange Web Services (EWS) client logging features for Exchange Online as part of Office 365, as well as some minor bug fixes. It introduces an important change for client applications that target Microsoft Office 365. This change includes the following two new properties on the ExchangeService object:

• ExchangeService.ReturnClientRequestId – Indicates whether the x-ms-client-request-id header is sent. This is set to true by default.

• ExchangeService.SendClientLatencies – Indicates whether the client will send client latency information to Exchange Online. This is set to true by default.

For more information, you can refer the articles @ Exchange API-spotting and Exchange Web Services Managed API 1.2.1 SDK page.

Troubleshooting: Outlook Social Connector Provider error codes

Outlook Social Connector providers should return errors to the caller. Please note that Success, warning, and error values are returned by using a 32-bit number that is called a result handle, or HRESULT. An HRESULT is not a handle to anything; it is merely a 32-bit value that has several fields encoded in the value.

A positive result indicates success with status, a zero result indicates success without status (S_OK), and a negative result indicates failure. I have listed the couple of the error codes that I noticed…

Error code	Description
0x80041404	Authentication failed on the network of the social network site.
0x80041402	No connection is available to connect to the social network site.
0x80004005	General failure error.
0x80041403	The OSC provider denied permission for the resource
0x80070057	An invalid argument was passed to a function.

For the detailed list of Outlook Social Connector Provider Error Codes are listed at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff759376.aspx

 

Download: Microsoft Online Services Migration Tools

The Microsoft Online Services Migration Tools is used to support migration of Microsoft Exchange to Microsoft Online Services. You can use the Microsoft Online Services Migration Tools to forward copies of your Exchange Server mail to your Exchange Online mailboxes. You can also use the Migration Tools to copy content from your Exchange Server, POP3, or IMAP4 e-mail server mailboxes to your Exchange Online mailboxes. This product intended for use with Microsoft Online Services only.

You can download Microsoft Online Services Migration tools (32-bit | 64-bit).

Error message on 64-bit windows when you try run regsvr32.exe?

When you attempt to run Regsvr32.exe to register a 32-bit dll (dynamic link library) on a 64-bit version of Windows, you receive the following error message: Filename.dll is not an executable file and no registration helper is registered for this file type. This behavior is by design. This behavior occurs because the Regsvr32.exe file in the System32 folder is a 64-bit version. When you run Regsvr32 to register a DLL, you are using the 64-bit version by default.

To resolve this issue, run Regsvr32.exe from the %SystemRoot%Syswow64 folder. For example, type the following commands to register the DLL:

cd windowssyswow64
regsvr32 c:filename.dll

Please note that the Syswow64 folder contains the 32-bit versions of Windows program files and DLLs.

Hope this helps.

My View : Office 2010, what’s up, buddy?

Whenever our discussion turns towards Office 2010, most of my customers ask, “What’s up with Office 2010? Any new features? Some thing new for end users? What’s up buddy?”

There are many new features, user experiences available with each application/product of Office 2010 suite, which i reported couple of them earlier. Additionally I want to share couple of my experiences, that i personally tried.  

Regarding Office 2010, you can see new features, mobility, productivity and provide new dimensional user experiences:

• Outlook Conversation view: I like this feature a lot, which helps me to keep track of conversation regarding a topic – whole thread for my view.
  
  


• Use anywhere: Expect the best productivity experience across PCs, Phones and browsers.
  
  


• Office anywhere: Find a new hands-on experience with Office Web Apps – people will be able to view, access, share and work with their Office documents from virtually anywhere.
  
  


• Better Social Connectivity: It’s a social networking age, so our applications do. You can manage the professional, personal and social networks together with Outlook using Outlook Social Connector (OSC).
  
  


• Mobile Office: You can have your whole office related work using Windows Mobile Office.
  
  


• SharePoint Mobility: It’s just not Office, you can use SharePoint Mobility to access documents, lists, calendars on SharePoint 2010, performing people and document searches and receiving SMS alerts on SharePoint content.
  
  


• x64 bit Office: As 64-bit processors and operating systems are becoming the standard for systems ranging from servers to desktop computers, 64-bit Office will be able to take advantage of everything that 64-bit systems have to offer. Microsoft Office 2010 marks the first time Office will be shipping in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.
  
  


• Virtualization & Office: Per Takeshi Numoto, CVP in Office, “App-V 4.6 provides Office customers with a robust set of features to tackle core challenges including application upgrade, application coexistence, and user readiness. It’s an exciting, powerful new way for IT to deliver Office 2010 quickly without impacting user productivity”
  
  


• Office Graphics: With Office 2010, i do see lot of improvements for using Pictures – cropping pictures, background removal in Office 2010 (Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook).
  
  


• My custom ribbon: I can create, customize and personalize my own Ribbon that suits my Office 2010 client applications.
  
  


• Click-to-Run: This new software delivery mechanism introduced with Office 2010. It based on MS App-V (again, virtualization and streaming technologies). Already i discussed regarding this.
  
  


• UI Extensibility: With new Backstage View, you can provide support for customization and extend the UI per your custom requirement.
  
  


• Product Key-card: Using this single license card (with no DVD media), we can access and experience Office 2010 on new PC’s pre-loaded with Office 2010.
  

I know the list above is few, but i like them more, as they help me to improve the productivity.

Hope this helps. I wish you to try new Office 2010 suite and have a wonderful user experience with Office 2010!!

Bitness : How to identify Outlook 2010 installation is a 32-bit or 64-bit?

When Outlook 2010 is installed, it sets the new registry key named Bitness, which indicates whether the Outlook 2010 installation is a 32-bit or 64-bit version. This can be useful to administrators who want to audit computers to determine the installed versions of Outlook 2010 in their organizations.

• Registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftOffice14.0Outlook
• Registry key: Bitness
• Value: either x86 or x64

For more information about Microsoft Office 2010 in 64-bit, see 64-bit editions of Office 2010.

Developer : Does Exchange Client Extension (ECE) deprecation matters me?

Per Randy’s blog post, Exchange Client Extension (ECEs) deprecation does (for Outlook 2010) matters the developers. For more information please refer the excerpts of the blog post:

“For most Outlook users, this announcement will not concern you. However, if you are a developer that uses Exchange Client Extension interfaces to build a solution in Outlook, then this deprecation is significant because you will have to redesign your solution for Microsoft Outlook 2010.

Exchange Client Extensions (ECEs) represent an extensibility feature introduced with the Microsoft Exchange client in 1995. The Exchange client was a 16-bit mail application running against the earliest versions of Exchange Server. ECEs must be written in native code, typically using C++ and relying heavily on the Messaging API (MAPI). When Outlook replaced the Exchange client, ECEs were used to extend Outlook 97-98 until COM Add-ins replaced ECEs in Outlook 2000 as the primary extensibility technology for Outlook.

ECEs will continue to operate as expected in Outlook 2007 and earlier. However, ECEs will not load in 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Outlook 2010. Outlook 2010 has converted its own ECEs such as Delegate Access, Deleted Items Recovery, Exchange Extensions commands, and Exchange Extensions property pages to native Outlook code.

To redesign your solution, you should consider the following options:

• Rewrite your ECE as a COM Add-in using native or managed code. Unlike ECEs, an add-in represents a strategic extensibility technology that is fully supported in Outlook 2010. Using an Outlook add-in, you can build Outlook form regions and extend the Office Fluent User Interface. For additional information, please visit the Outlook Developer Portal on MSDN.
• Rewrite your ECE as a Windows service application using native code and MAPI. If you are writing a Windows service application, you must use MAPI to access Outlook items rather than the Outlook object model. ”

New Outlook Hotmail Connector 14.0 (Outlook Connector) for Outlook 2010 Beta

I am an avid fan of using MS Outlook connector with previous versions of Outlook. Earlier when i was using Outlook Connector 12.1, i can manage my Windows Live Hotmail e-mail, calendar, and contacts from within Outlook.  Recently i read blog post by Alessio, that MS had announced the Beta release of Microsoft Outlook Hotmail Connector 14.0 (previously called Outlook Connector) in parallel with the Outlook 2010 Beta. It’s really a nice thing to hear.

What’s new? Outlook Hotmail Connector 14.0 Beta is compatible with Outlook 2003 and 2007, and will replace Outlook Connector 12.1 upon release and provides an improved authentication and synchronization experience.

Better with Outlook 2010: With Outlook Hotmail Connector 14.0 and Outlook 2010, you gain these additional benefits:

• Junk filter settings Your Safe Sender List/Blocked sender list/Safe Recipient lists are synchronized between Outlook and Hotmail.
• Integrated Send/Receive Send/receive works like your other Outlook accounts.
• Integrated connection status Your Hotmail account status appears in the Outlook status bar.
• Rule support for secondary accounts Rules work with the Hotmail account in Outlook even if it’s not your primary account.

Where to download & use the Outlook Hotmail Connector 14.0 Beta: To download the Outlook Hotmail Connector 14.0 Beta manually, go to the Microsoft Download Center.

Outlook Hotmail Connector 14.0 for Outlook 2003, 2007 and 2010 32-bit

Outlook Hotmail Connector 14.0 for Outlook 2010 64-bit

Try this out. Start enjoy with Hotmail Connector and save more time!!

Outlook 2010 : Why CDO 1.2.1 not supported with Outlook 2010?

Collaboration Data Objects (CDO) 1.2.1 is a client library that provides a thin wrapper over Extended MAPI functionality. CDO does not install with Outlook 2010, and is available only as a download. For more information, see Collaboration Data Objects, version 1.2.1 in the Microsoft Download Center. CDO is not guaranteed to work correctly in an environment with multiple Exchange accounts. CDO 1.2.1 is a 32-bit client library and will not operate with 64-bit Outlook 2010. Therefore, CDO 1.2.1 is not supported for use with Outlook 2010. Most of the CDO 1.2.1 functionality has been incorporated into the Outlook 2010 object model.

Then, what’s the alternative? As an alternative to CDO 1.2.1, update existing solutions that depend on CDO to use the Outlook object model or to use MAPI directly.