Theoretical Question?

[Guest_imported]

I have a dispute situation involving emails contents. Is it possible to alter the content of an original received Exchange email and save it back into the Information Store as the original? I don't see how? I know you can modify the message when you forward it but don't see how you can modify an original message in the IS.

I think you can read the IS database such as the Priv.edb, or the personal information store such as mail.pst, or mail.ost, with a text editor but you wouldn't be able to modify any messages because they are all garbled by the Exchange format. Am I right? Any light shed on the topic is much appreciated.

Best Regards,

Turnip Truck Rider
(sitting very close to the edge!)

 

[Zelandakh]

I use Outlook 2000 to connect to Exchange. I can go into an email that has come IN to me, I can modify it and close it. At that point I get the Save option. If I choose yes it saves the changes as if the sender had sent the modified email.

Oh yes, very useful...

 

[Xybertron]

The answer is kinda Yes and kinda No.

You can alter the message and save it. This creates a new instance to the item in the IS. It removes the pointer to the original item. The sender will still point to the original item in his sent items and the same with all other recipients.

Open the message and go to properties and see the modified time and decide who is chaging stuff.

Dan
Microsoft Exchange Support @ Microsoft

 

[Guest_imported]

Zelandakh and Xybertron: Thanks .

It seems that I cannot change the content of the email using Outlook, may be because I do not use personal information store but leave the emails on the server.

But, if you can modify the content and then saved, does this means that anytime the message is changed, it is logged in the property of the email? Or, just the modified date of the email is changed and no history is logged?

Are there anyway to tell for sure if an email has never been modified or tampered with? Thanks again.

 

[Guest_imported]

Sorry, I just fell off the truck!

I can change the contents of the email message!!! I could not before because I was using another account to read my emails. The questions remains the same.

 

[Zelandakh]

I can modify items in my whole mailbox with no properties changing as to date or time.

As Xybertron details, this does NOT change the original in the sent items folder of the sender.

 

[Xybertron]

Zelandakh - Open the message type in the message. Goto File and Save. Then File and Properties. The time for modified will be different than sent and recieved. I also tested trying to change the time on my computer to "mask" this and the time is generated by the server.

What is bothering me is with Outlook 2000 I can modify only some messages. All do the time thing though. With Outlook XP I can't modify. I'm not sure if messages sent with XP are "secure" or what but I can't change them with Outlook 2000 or XP. Pretty cool though. Dan
Microsoft Exchange Support @ Microsoft