Assigned task shows old text on update

[Vadim Rapp]

Hello,

User A sends task request to user B; or assigns a task to B. The checkboxes
"keep updated copy" and "send me status report" are checked.

Later, user B opens the task and upddates the text by adding new line.

Once B resaves the updated task, A immediately receives "task update" email
with the text of the task. However, the text is not updated, it does not
include new line. Same if A opens the task itself in his task list.

But if the email or task is left focused in Outlook, in about 30 seconds it
updates by itself on the screen and now displays the new line.

So, if the user A was too quick to look at the new email, he wouldn't see
the update.

I see this behaviour on several different machines, in Outlook 2000 and
2002. The server is Exchange 2K SP3.

Did anyone else see this? any hint what to look into?


thanks,

Vadim Rapp

 

[Judy Gleeson MVP Outlook]

I am guessing that when you say "is left focussed" in Outlook that it is
being marked as read as it's being viewed in the Preview pane or Reading
pane. Your version would be most helpful!!

I think that's all you're missing - when the Task Update: arrives you must
open it, shut it and then data gets sucked out of the back of it. Outlook
can't read and act on the data in an email until you open it.

Judy Gleeson [MVP Outlook]
Acorn Training and Consulting
www.acorntraining.com.au

Everyone - turn on your Advanced Toolbars and learn how to use the Field
Chooser and Group by Box!!

 

[Vadim Rapp]

Hello Judy:
You wrote in conference
microsoft.public.exchange2000.general,microsoft.public.outlook.calendaring,microsoft.public.outlook.general
on Sat, 21 May 2005 12:20:54 +1000:

JGM> I am guessing that when you say "is left focussed" in Outlook that it
JGM> is being marked as read as it's being viewed in the Preview pane or
JGM> Reading pane. Your version would be most helpful!!

Yes, I mean "viewed in the preview pane". Indeed, if it's opened, then it
shows the updated text.

JGM> I think that's all you're missing - when the Task Update: arrives you
must
JGM> open it, shut it and then data gets sucked out of the back of it.
JGM> Outlook can't read and act on the data in an email until you open it.

Hmm, I still don't quite understand why. When a regular message arrives, its
text is seen in the preview panel at once, without opening the message.
"Task Update" is also a message that just arrived, and it arrived with
already updated text. Even though, as I understand, it physically contains a
link to the single task object in Exchange store, at the time when the
notification is created in the mailbox of the recipient, the text is already
updated. Why then Outlook does not show it?

What's even worse is that the task itself is also not updated until the
notification message is opened. If the user who received notification does
not open it, but goes directly to the Tasks and opens the task in question,
he does not see the updated text, even after significant time, and even
after closing and restarting Outlook. If the user has deleted the email
notification without reading it, it looks like he won't see the updated text
ever.

This looks like a serios bug to me, unless it's caused by some
misconfiguration in my Exchange server.


thanks,

Vadim Rapp

 

[Judy Gleeson MVP Outlook]

I've explained the way it works. I'm not a programmer and can't explain why
it's done like this.

--

Judy Gleeson [MVP Outlook]
Acorn Training and Consulting
www.acorntraining.com.au

Everyone - turn on your Advanced Toolbars and learn how to use the Field
Chooser and Group by Box!!

 

[ProfDD]

Vadim:

Take the problem to Microsoft itself. Clearly it is not the right way
for this aspect of the program to work from a user perspective. A user
could legitimately expect that the preview pane would provide the
relevant meaning of a message. I couldn't imagine that organizations
would want to have to train users to recognize that some messages were
exceprtions to that expectation. It needs to be changed.

 

[Vadim Rapp]

Hello ProfDD:
You wrote on 24 May 2005 05:23:58 -0700:

P> Take the problem to Microsoft itself. Clearly it is not the right way
P> for this aspect of the program to work from a user perspective. A user
P> could legitimately expect that the preview pane would provide the
P> relevant meaning of a message. I couldn't imagine that organizations
P> would want to have to train users to recognize that some messages were
P> exceprtions to that expectation. It needs to be changed.

I would gladly do that, but I wanted to know if it's something that
everybody sees, or perhaps it's a problem in my particular Exchange or
Outlook configuration. Could you try to reproduce it?

thanks,

Vadim Rapp

 

[ProfDD]

I can't conveniently test. I am in a single-user environment at the
moment: I'm getting divorced from my wife who has password-protected
her PC !