OL97: Cannot Change the Default Mail Message Form

• Microsoft Outlook 97

SYMPTOMS

If you create a custom Microsoft Outlook 97 form based on the Mail Message form, when you try to set the custom form as the default form for the Inbox, you may receive the following error message:

   You cannot create an item of this type in this folder.

CAUSE

The base message class (an internal property) of the custom form does not match the Inbox folder's base message class.

WORKAROUND

Publish the custom form in the Folder Forms Library for the Inbox and use the form from the item (Compose) menu.

To publish the form in the Inbox Folder Forms Library, follow these steps:

1. With the custom form open, on the File menu, click Publish Form As to open the Publish Form As dialog box.

2. In the Publish Form As dialog box, click Publish In to open the Set Library To dialog box.

3. From the Folder Forms Library list, select the Inbox.

4. Click OK, and then OK again.

NOTE: There is no way to have a custom form applied to incoming mail. All mail that is received will have a message class of IPM.Note and will use Outlook's default mail message form. This means that there is no way to have Visual Basic Scripting Edition (VBScript) code run when a message is received. A workaround would be to create a Visual Basic program that runs continuously (an "agent") and periodically automates Outlook to process new items in the Inbox.

MORE INFORMATION

To set a default form for a folder, follow these steps:

1. Using the right mouse button, click the folder, and then click Properties on the shortcut menu.

2. Click the General tab, and specify the default form by selecting the "When posting to this folder, use" choice.

The table below lists the folder type and its message class.

   Folder Type        Base Message Class required for default form
   ---------------------------------------------------------------
   Mail Items         IPM.Post
   Task Items         IPM.Task
   Appointment Items  IPM.Appointment
   Contact Items      IPM.Contact
   Journal Items      IPM.Activity

For folders other than mail item folders, this is not limiting behavior. If you are designing a custom form for a Task folder, you start with the built-in Task form which has the IPM.Task message class; therefore, the base message class is compatible. The only folder type that has this limitation is the Mail Items folder type.

REFERENCES

For more information about creating solutions with Microsoft Outlook 97, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   Article-ID: Q166368
   Title     : OL97: How to Get Help Programming with Outlook

   Article-ID: Q170783
   Title     : OL97: Q&A: Questions about Customizing or
               Programming Outlook