Why would an Outlook/IE user be thrown into Lotus Notes? 1

[Baylee]

Please forgive me if this question has been asked and answered already, but I don't know where else to turn.

I have a client on a Windows 95 platform. His agency uses Outlook exclusively for mail, and Lotus Notes 4.6 only for other databases. He's set his default browser to IE (his is version 5.0).

EVERY time he clicks on an email link (whether in an email sent to him or on a website), he's thrown into Lotus Notes to respond.

This does NOT happen when he clicks on a website link, just an email link.

Is there something we can do that would set it to default to Outlook when he clicks on such a link?

Thanks so much for any advice you can offer.
Beth

 

[joegz]

When the client clicks on a link in Outlook try doing a SHIFT+Click on the hyperlink and then direct to the location of the browser .exe file and hopefully this will correct the error. joegz
"Sometimes you just need to find out what it's not first to figure out what it is."

 

[Baylee]

Thanks, Joe,

I'll have my client give it a try tomorrow and let you know if it works.

I appreciate your help!
Beth

 

[Baylee]

Hi, again, Joe,

Thanks for your advice, but my client has tried every variation of shifting and clicking possible and still cannot dislodge his email links from Lotus Notes.

Any more ideas?

 

[joegz]

When you shift + click on the hyperlink does a window explorer type window appear prompting you locate the program file at all?

If not you can check the file association for URL:Hyper Text Transfer Protocol and see if it is set to the correct browser. I assume the link is an HTTP link that your client is having problems with. joegz
"Sometimes you just need to find out what it's not first to figure out what it is."

 

[Baylee]

As I understand it, he doesn't have any problems with his http's, just with email links. Why do you think would there be a difference?

 

[joegz]

Do you mean the MAILTO link? If yes I have been suggesting for the wrong issue.

If it is MailTo then go to the file association for URL:MailTo Protocol. Select EDIT and then select the OPEN action. Select EDIT. The command line should read something close to (depending on where Outlook is installed)

"C:\PROGRAM FILE\MICROSOFT OFFICE\Office\OUTLOOK.EXE" -c IPM.Note /m "%1"

This will cause and Outlook new mail message to open when you click on a MailTo link. I hope this what you need. joegz
"Sometimes you just need to find out what it's not first to figure out what it is."

 

[Baylee]

Thanks, Joe,

We're much closer than we were because now he does get sent to Outlook. However, it doesn't act like a "Mail to" message insofar as the "To" line does not contain the email address he's trying to click on.

In fact, he gets this error message: "The command line argument is not valid. Verify the switch you are using." If he clicks "Okay," the box disappears and he's put into Outlook at the place he last was.

He's almost euphoric about not being in Lotus Notes anymore because of the time it took to boot Lotus, but it is still imperfect.

What am I not telling him to do?

 

[joegz]

Sounds like he just possibly mistyped something after the path to Outlook.exe. The part that should read:

-c IPM.Note /m "%1"

Are you sure he got this part entered correctly? It should be the same for each version of Outlook but just in case what is the version of Outlook being used?

joegz
"Sometimes you just need to find out what it's not first to figure out what it is."

 

[Baylee]

Good morning, Joe,

He didn't type anything; he browsed to find the executable. But this is what shows up after his path to Outlook: /f"&1"

Should I recommend that he try your version?

 

[Baylee]

Shoot! I almost forgot: His version of Outlook is 98 8.5.

BTW, Joe, thanks for all your help.

 

[joegz]

It's OK that he browsed to find Outlook bu you must include this switch informatio after the command path to Outlook.exe

-c IPM.Note /m "%1"

otherwise it will not work. This is what tells Outlook to open a new mail message and include the e-mail address. He needs to delete the /f"&1" data and enter in the above information instead.

joegz
"Sometimes you just need to find out what it's not first to figure out what it is."

 

[Baylee]

I can't tell you, Joe, how much I appreciate your spending the time to help me solve this. I emailed my client your instructions, and he's tried every variation he can think of to make it work. When he clicks "okay," he still gets this error message: "The specified program could not be found. Make sure the filename and path are correct"

I find it quite frustrating because I don't use Outlook, either at work or home, plus my platform is NT, so I've no way of following along as he tries to perform these operations (and he's 45 miles away).

When he browses for the executable, it accepts the path and file name, but then ultimately doesn't work properly when he clicks on a "mail to."

Is there an extra space or character that should precede or follow the switch information?

I'm about ready for Miller Time...

 

[joegz]

I am sorry you are being frustrated by this and I can empathize cause we have all been there. This error he is getting now is still because of a typing error. The client has not entered the syntax correctly for the command.

This time he does not have the command statement
C:\program files\......Outlook.exe enclosed in double quotes.

Perhaps giving the client something to look at may make this easier. Have the client go to

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q195/1/77.asp

(it refers to Outlook 2000 but don't worry about that as it is the same for Outlook 98)

Half way through the article the command he needs is displayed and he needs to type it exactly like that. Double quotes are important.

Good luck. joegz
"Sometimes you just need to find out what it's not first to figure out what it is."

 

[Baylee]

Joe! You did it. You did it, and I got the credit! That's not fair, is it?

Thank you so much!!

Um. Would you be up for an IE Favorites problem? It seems that suddently IE 6.0 on a Windows 98 machine stopped allowing alphabetization (or other permanent organization) of Favorites. I've looked through the FAQs, trying to find if it's a known problem, but haven't found anything satisfactory by way of a fix.

I figure if you can solve a nagging Mail-To problem, maybe you can help here, too...

 

[joegz]

I'll try to help but would you mind posting the issue to a new question on the IE forum so we can close this one out. Just in case others run into the same issue in the future and could benefit from the information.

Cheers joegz
"Sometimes you just need to find out what it's not first to figure out what it is."