Anyone manage to virtualize Outlook 2003 with EV vault cache successfully?

[BruGuy]

Hello,

We need to use the offline vault feature for our portable PC users. However, it only appears to work reliably on Outlook 2003 or later, while our corporate standard is still Office 2002/XP. We can't change that in a hurry.

So we're trying to virtualize Outlook 2003 with the Vault Cache feature using Vmware Thinapp. The Outook part works fine and EV works for everything except sync'ing the vault cache (BITS not available error).

Has anyone tried to do this before and got it working please? We're really stuck.

Thanks,

- Alan.

[MichelZ]

I don't believe that this will work and/or is supported...

You are probably better off "fixing" the 2002/XP & Offline Vault issues.

What issues do you have there?

Cheers

[BruGuy]

Anyone using it on Outlook 2002?

The Thinapp Outlook 2003 works fine and is used a lot. It's just the EV vault cache that's causing problems. Does it have to use BITs?

Thx.

[Rob_Wilcox1]

@bruguy,

What version of EV server are you using?

Outlook XP is not supported with the EV 8 client, and the EV 8 client is needed for Vault Cache and that uses BITS for it's updates.

If you using EV prior to EV 8 then the client can be Outlook 2003 or Outlook 2007, and doesn't use bits (it's all about Offline Vault in that world).

Hope that helps,

[BruGuy]

Hi Rob,

We're using EV8.0 and Outlook 2002/XP with the 7.5 add-in. It all works well... except for the offline vault option.

Problem is that every time we go offline, the offline vault setup wizard runs. Even if we go through it, it pops up the next time. Strange thing is that all the messages appear to have been dwonloaded; the offline archive explorer works and we can open archived messages when not connected to the network.

The log files say that the trawling hasn't completed. But it's been several days. Done the reset cache to no avail.

We have reproduced this on several PCs and reckon we can do it on demand. There's nothing special on the XP PCs or with the Outlook installation.

Thanks,

- Alan.

[Frank_Beck]

Hi Bruguy,

Which version of the 2007 client are you using?

I assume since you've said that the items appear to have been downloaded that the users \%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\KVS\Enterprise Vault\ directory is persistent between sessions?

Just reading your original post - Outlook 2003 / Vault Cache (8.0) doesn't work because you get a BITS error and Outlook XP / Offline Vault (2007) doesn't work because it shows the wizard each time?

Thanks!

Best Regards,

Frank

[BruGuy]

Hi Frank,

Server is EV8.0 with latest SP. Fairly new installation.

Client reports "7.5.5.2635.0.dcom". Outlook 2002 SP3. XP PRO SP2.

Yes, the Enterprise Vault directory is persistent. I did once have a problem once with it being emptied every time the wizard started, but I just removed the directory name key from the registry and it downloaded the messages again and they stay there now. BTW pressing the Reset Cache button has no effect even after restarting Outlook.

Yes, the virtualized Outlook 2003/VC8 cannot sync because it says that BITS isn't available. The service was running when the app was virtualised and it is running on the PC where the virt app is run.

The Outlook XP/Offline Vault appears to work (messages + archive explorer available offline) but it shows the wizard each time Outlook is started in offline mode. Cancelling or going through the wizard makes no difference. The log says that auto download cannot start because the initial trawl hasn't completed.

Like I say, we can reproduce this on all our PCs.

Would really appreciate any ideas.

Thanks,

- Alan.

[Rob_Wilcox1]

BruGuy, can you reproduce the problem in a non-virtualised client?

[BruGuy]

Let me be clearer...

The Outlook 2003/Vault cache is virtualised.

The Outlook 2002/Offline vault is not virtualised.

We're only trying to virtualise Outlook 2003 because the Outlook 2002/Offline Vault is giving the problems described and our MS Office corp standard is still Office XP.

Thanks.

[Rob_Wilcox1]

Okay so the problems then are :-

Outlook 2003 / VC - virtualised you get problems about BITS availability ?

Outlook 2002 / OV - not virtualised, but you keep on getting OV setup wizard running after you restart Outlook?

Is that it?

[BruGuy]

That's it.