OL97: Blank Item in Deleted Items Folder While Journaling

ID: Q161032

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

After you activate the Journal Recording feature for Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel in Microsoft Outlook, a blank Word or Microsoft Excel document may appear in the Outlook Deleted Items folder whenever you close Word or Microsoft Excel while Outlook is open.

CAUSE

When Word or Microsoft Excel starts, the Journal recording is activated and a blank entry is logged. This occurs because both Word and Microsoft Excel open with a default document.

If the default document is modified and subsequently saved, the blank Journal entry is moved to the Deleted Items folder after Word or Microsoft Excel is terminated. This behavior occurs so that the actual saved item can be recorded. The same behavior is exhibited if the default document is left unmodified and Word or Microsoft Excel is terminated.

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.

WORKAROUND

Use one of the following workarounds to prevent this behavior.

Method 1

Start Word or Microsoft Excel without a default document by following these steps:

1. Create a shortcut to Word or Microsoft Excel. To do so, use the right

   mouse button to click the desktop. On the menu that appears, point to
   New, and then click Shortcut.

2. When the Shortcut Wizard appears, click the Browse button.

3. Move to the folder that contains the Word or Microsoft Excel

   program file. (In Office 97, the default folder for these items
   is C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office. In Office 95, the
   default folder is C:\Microsoft Office\Winword for Word and
   C:\Microsoft Office\Excel for Microsoft Excel).

4. Select the Word or Microsoft Excel program icon, and then click Open.

5. When you return to the Shortcut Wizard, click once in the Command

   Line box and move your pointer to the end of the line (outside of
   the quotation marks).

6. Type a space and "/n" (without the quotation marks) for Word or a space
   and "/e" (without the quotation marks) for Microsoft Excel, and then
   click Next.

7. Type a name for your shortcut in the appropriate box, and then click
   Finish.

A new shortcut for Word or Microsoft Excel now appears on your desktop. You can double-click this new shortcut to start Word or Microsoft Excel without a default document.

Method 2

Use Word as the e-mail editor by following these steps:

NOTE: This method will only prevent a blank Word entry from appearing in your Deleted Items folder. This method does not work for Microsoft Excel entries.

1. On the Outlook Tools menu, click Options.

2. Click the E-mail tab, and click to select "Use Microsoft Word as the

   e-mail editor." click OK.

3. On the File menu, click "Exit And Log Off."

4. Restart Outlook.

Method 3

Turn Journal Recording off in Outlook for Word and/or Microsoft Excel. To deactivate Journal Recording in Outlook:

1. On the Outlook Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Journal

   tab.

2. In the "Also record files from" list, click to clear the Microsoft Word
   and/or Microsoft Excel check boxes, and then click OK.

Journal Recording will now be turned off for the applications, which will prevent blank items from appearing in your Deleted Items folder.

Additional query words: 97

Keywords          : GnlJrnl 
Version           : WINDOWS:97
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: June 3, 1998