OL97: Custom Field Values Lost When Sending Request Form

ID: Q168784

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

If you store user-defined field values in a Microsoft Outlook 97 Task Request or Meeting Request, you lose the values when you send an item based on the form to another person.

CAUSE

This is a limitation of Outlook 97's request forms.

WORKAROUND

Store the value in a standard, unused Outlook field for the item, such as a Mileage field. Using the Field Chooser, you can drag this field onto the form and change the caption of the field (the label that is displayed on the form) to suit the form's needs.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Outlook 97. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Problem

 1. Open a new Task Request form.

 2. On the form's Tools menu, click "Design Outlook Form" to enter the
    design mode.

 3. Click the (P.3) page of the form.

 4. At the bottom of the Field Chooser, click New.

 5. In the Name box, type a name for the user-defined field and then
    click OK.

 6. Drag the new field from the Field Chooser to the P.3 form page.

 7. Click the form's background to deselect the field.

 8. Click the field's blank value box once and then click a second time so
    you can type a value in the field. Type a value in the field.

 9. On the form's Tools menu, click "Design Outlook Form" to exit the
    design mode.
10. Click the Task page. In the To field, type an e-mail name to address 
    the form to someone, and then click Send.
11. On the recipient's computer, open the item.

12. Click to view the P3 form page.

13. Note that the user-defined value is empty.

Additional query words: OutSol OutSol97 custom blank empty null lost gone 

Keywords          : kbcode
Version           : 97
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbhowto

Last Reviewed: June 2, 1998