out of office assistant outlook 2000

[nlm9802]

Hi, I am having trouble with autoforwarding messages using out of office assistant and rules wizard.

I am actually supporting a customer who will be out of his office for a few months, so I set up a rule to forward all incoming messages to his internet account.
When i click on run this rule now, the messages are forwarded, however, I want this to run automatically, and it won't do it. It just sits in the inbox.

When i do the exact same thing on my personal computer, it works fine. The incoming message is immediately sent to my internet account. I am beginning to think there is a problem with the user's install of outlook or some option is checked that shouldnt be.

Can anyone help me out here please?
Thanks

 

[Dreamboat]

Common reasons rules don't work when testing:

1. People don't change the date so that it works TODAY too; they usually leave the rule to run on the vacation dates or for the messages received during those dates and then expect the rule to work today...

2. They set the rule so that it won't work if they send email from themselves and then send an email from themselves to test it...

3. The rules are able to run from the PC, only from the server...

Although the first two ARE true and do happen a lot, they're really given for fun. Number 3 is the most common reason they don't work for real.


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[PeterGillham]

The rules designed on the client will only run when the client is active. IE the mailbox is up.
To do it automatically without the mailbox being open the rules have to be put on the server.

 

[nlm9802]

Under options for this rule, I did click "update the exchange server" and hit apply. I am assuming this would update the exchange server and say "hey I have a rule I need processed for user yaddayadda"

The thing is I walked them through the exact same steps, I had them clear out all existing rules (was just the (assumed) faulty one), then walked them through, when messages are received with no arguments, meaning all messages, forward to outside@internetemail.account
No exceptions, and named it rule1. I selected turn this rule on, and did not select run this rule now (i dont want the customer to receive the 100 messages in his inbox twice)
I then clicked finish. selected options, update exchange server automatically, and closed it.

now, the computer i am on, it worked as expected, you would watch the new messages come in and immediately be sent to the outbox, then sent. For the customer I am supporting the test messages just sat in the inbox. There were no other rules running, out of office assistant is off, I had them close outlook, log off, and log back on. and it still did not work. The rule was still checked and on, just not working.

when you click run this rule now, however, it sends them out like nothing is wrong.

 

[nlm9802]

I just received some more information from the customer. She is receiving an error:

"The version of outlook you are using is different from the one on the server, do you want to continue using yours?"

or something to that effect. Obviously this would cause a conflict in rules.. She is using outlook 2000 at the moment. I would assume then that the server has 98 or possibly 97.

How would I update the version of outlook on the server? (yes i know there is no outlook on the server.. blah)
Is it actually a service that needs to be started? I am running out of options...

the remove and install didnt fix it, making a very basic rule didnt work.. I guess the only question is what service/component would fail to do this automatically but still be able to do it manually?