Changing text on logon screen in Exchange 2007 4

[AndyH1]

I was recently asked to change the logon screen for Our Outlook Web Email, to make it fit my companies logos etc.

Similar to what is done here

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb310750.aspx

Ive done this but Iv'e also been asked to change some of the text on the logon and logoff screens, but can only find an article on how to do this in 2003

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa996007(EXCHG.65).aspx

(under changing the basics)

Which doesn't apply anymore (it was asp not aspx). Looking at the logon.aspx for 2007 the text is not hard coded in the page but seems to be dynamically generated, ie

Response.Write(LocalizedStrings.GetHtmlEncoded(Strings.IDs.LogoffMessage));

v'e looked in the web.config file and can't see anything. Could anyone tell me where the message texts are stored and where/how I can alter them?

many thanks for your help
AndyH1

 

[AndyH1]

Answering my own question (as it may be useful to others)

It looks like the text customization for 2003 no longer applies to Exchange 2007. This is because Localisation has been added to Exchange 2007 (The ability to see the page in different languages depending on your location) which means that the text is now stored in compiled dlls. If you want to change the text you would have to modify the Microsoft.Exchange.Client.Strings.resources.dll file found in the 'Program FilesMicrosoftExchange ServerClientAccessOWABinen' using a binary file editor. Modifying this file is dangerous - if you make even a minor mistake, you can destroy or invalidate the DLL. Your'e basically messing around with machine code.

If you hardcoded into the Logon.aspx file itself, replacing the dynamic text with 'hardcoded' text you'd also run a risk of causing errors (since the program would be looking for the dynamic localization declarations in the aspx code) and also would probably lose the text with the next update (as would apply to editing the dlls too).

I'd therefore say to keep a stable system you are probably best, like us, forgetting this.

AndyH1

 

[Zelandakh]

I'll give you a star for reporting back the information.

 

[58sniper]

There are also issues with upgrades, service packs, and hotfixes. Like the other customization you've already done, applying updates may require you to redo your customization each time.

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[markdmac]

You can add text to the OWA login screen if you want.

Edit logon.aspx which is found here:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\ClientAccess\Owa\auth


Look for this line:

<form action="owaauth.dll" method="POST" name="logonForm" autocomplete="off">

Insert HTML code above that line. Can be words or whatever else you want. For example I added a company logo like this:

<img src="tsplogo.gif">
<form action="owaauth.dll" method="POST" name="logonForm" autocomplete="off">

For simplicity, I added the logo file to the same directory as the logon.aspx file.

To have text go below the OWA login box, look for </form> and add text after that.

For example:

</form><center><b>
Technology Consulting for Small and Medium Business</b></center>

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

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[AndyH1]

Thanks Mark, but they were actually wanting to modify the existing text (which is stored in the dll). You can add new text fairly easily to the logon.aspx file as you said but the problem is you then run the risk of it being overwritten in an update.
Thanks
Andy

 

[Zelandakh]

For that, you'd just take a copy of the logon.aspx and drop it over the top after any service packs. You used to have to do that with Exchange 2000...

 

[AndyH1]

Zelandakh
Hmm, yes along as they don't change the functionality/coding in the logon.aspx page itself in the service pack update.

In one of the links I included which covered Exchange 2003 they suggested renaming the logon page and doing a redirect to ensure it never got overwritten. I don't see anything wrong with what you and Mark are suggesting, but in the case of the cutomisation I needed it was to replace/modify the existing text and not add new text. Thanks for the feedback though
AndyH1

 

[Zelandakh]

No problem.

 

[58sniper]

In one of the links I included which covered Exchange 2003 they suggested renaming the logon page and doing a redirect to ensure it never got overwritten.

The reason why you don't want to do that is because you WANT the file to get updated when a service pack is installed. There's a reason it gets overwritten - it's been changed. Keeping the old version running is just asking for trouble when it starts sending "old" commands to "new" files.

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[AndyH1]

58sniper,
Agreed, its never a good idea to edit source code on an application because of updates, and its not something I'd do myself. However, in this case it was Microsoft suggesting it (see link

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa996007(EXCHG.65).aspx)

not me.
AndyH1

 

[Zelandakh]

Andy,
Have a look at

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa579439.aspx

and see if that allows you to progress this issue and let us know how you get on?

It might do what you want.

 

[AndyH1]

Zelandakh,

Thanks for the info, however I'm not sure how that would help for the logon text, but in could be useful for further customisation. At the moment though they seem happy with the theming only, the text was really a nice to have and Iv'e moved onto other projects.

I really appreciate all the help people have given me on this and other problems Iv'e had that Iv'e put on this forum. many thanks to you all
AndyH1