XCLN: Outlook Sends Mail to the Wrong Recipient

• Microsoft Outlook Windows 95/98 client, version 8.5

SYMPTOMS

When you use Outlook offline and address a piece of mail to a recipient, Outlook may send the message to the wrong recipient.

CAUSE

When a name in a message is resolved against the global address list in an Offline Address Book (OAB), that name coincides with an entry ID in the Online global address list. If the message with the resolved name in it is not sent and a modified OAB has been downloaded, the entry ID can point to a different address book entry.

For example, if the OAB has 60 entries in it and a message is composed to entry 60 and not sent, then an updated OAB is downloaded with 61 entries, the unsent message will be sent to the new entry 60 instead of the entry ID 61, causing a misrouted message.

After the message is sent, the item in the Sent Items folder shows the actual recipient who received the message.

RESOLUTION

Send the message before downloading a new OAB from the server or re-resolve the names on the To, and Cc lines after downloading the updated OAB.

MORE INFORMATION

If a new user is added to the global address list, and the new user appears before the intended recipient alphabetically in the global address list, the intended recipient will change if a new OAB is downloaded while the message is waiting the in the Outbox to be sent.

Additional query words:

Keywords          : 
Version           : WINDOWS:8.5
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb 

Last Reviewed: April 2, 1999