OL97: Blank Item in Deleted Items Folder While Journaling

• Microsoft Outlook 97

SYMPTOMS

After you activate the Journal Recording feature for Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel in Microsoft Outlook, a blank Word or Microsoft Excel document may appear in the Outlook Deleted Items folder whenever you close Word or Microsoft Excel while Outlook is open.

CAUSE

When Word or Microsoft Excel starts, the Journal recording is activated and a blank entry is logged. This occurs because both Word and Microsoft Excel open with a default document.

If the default document is modified and subsequently saved, the blank Journal entry is moved to the Deleted Items folder after Word or Microsoft Excel is terminated. This behavior occurs so that the actual saved item can be recorded. The same behavior is exhibited if the default document is left unmodified and Word or Microsoft Excel is terminated.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Outlook 97. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

WORKAROUND

Use one of the following workarounds to prevent this behavior.

Method 1

Start Word or Microsoft Excel without a default document by following these steps:

1. Create a shortcut to Word or Microsoft Excel. To do so, use the right mouse button to click the desktop. On the menu that appears, point to New, and then click Shortcut.

2. When the Shortcut Wizard appears, click the Browse button.

3. Move to the folder that contains the Word or Microsoft Excel program file. (In Office 97, the default folder for these items is C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office. In Office 95, the default folder is C:\Microsoft Office\Winword for Word and C:\Microsoft Office\Excel for Microsoft Excel).

4. Select the Word or Microsoft Excel program icon, and then click Open.

5. When you return to the Shortcut Wizard, click once in the Command Line box and move your pointer to the end of the line (outside of the quotation marks).

6. Type a space and "/n" (without the quotation marks) for Word or a space and "/e" (without the quotation marks) for Microsoft Excel, and then click Next.

7. Type a name for your shortcut in the appropriate box, and then click Finish.

Method 2

Use Word as the e-mail editor by following these steps:

NOTE: This method will only prevent a blank Word entry from appearing in your Deleted Items folder. This method does not work for Microsoft Excel entries.

1. On the Outlook Tools menu, click Options.

2. Click the E-mail tab, and click to select "Use Microsoft Word as the e-mail editor." click OK.

3. On the File menu, click "Exit And Log Off."

4. Restart Outlook.

Method 3

Turn Journal Recording off in Outlook for Word and/or Microsoft Excel. To deactivate Journal Recording in Outlook:

1. On the Outlook Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Journal tab.

2. In the "Also record files from" list, click to clear the Microsoft Word and/or Microsoft Excel check boxes, and then click OK.