Auto-Responder message for ex-employee's 1

[Badgeroonie]

A while ago I tried to set up an auto-responding message on an Exchange 2000 server, to answer emails sent to staff who have left the company. I simply did this by setting up a user call 'exuser' and then a rule within Outlook (for exuser) to reply to all incoming emails.

As a person left the company I would then add their email address to the list of email addresses under 'exuser'.

A strange thing has happened. This works if an email is sent to 'exuser' from an internal email address. However, if someone outside the company sends an email (i.e. any email address with a different domain name)to 'exuser', then nothing happens!

Does anyone know why this is? Also, does anyone have other suggestions for how best to invoke an auto-responder for ex-staff?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Davetoo]

You have to allow auto-replys to the Internet in your SM (which is not a good thing to do as this is something spammers will use to glean addresses).

If you want to do it, it's under your Internet Message Format properties in SM.

I'm Certifiable, not certified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.

 

[Badgeroonie]

OK, thanks for that - its not something I'd like to do then......any suggestions as to how to do this any other way?

 

[Davetoo]

Well, no, because what you don't want to do is auto-respond to an external email address. Any way "around" that is only going to send an auto-reply to an external address. Kind of a catch-22.

I'm Certifiable, not certified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.

 

[Badgeroonie]

OK, thanks - one last question as a result of my inexperience......what are you referring to by SM? I'll then have a look at it to educate myself.

 

[Davetoo]

System Manager, it's the MMC snap in to manage Exchange.

I'm Certifiable, not certified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.

 

[Badgeroonie]

I knew it'd be simple I know SM well, but couldn't think what it stood for - doh!

Thanks for your help.