Emailing a contact vCard with custom form loses all custom info

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Guest

I have customized contact forms for staff. When I forward the vCard through
an email, all the custom portion of the form is lost. Why? Can this be
fixed?
 
A vCard is just a text file. You can see this for yourself by saving the ..vcf file attachment and opening it in Notepad.

Where is your custom contact form published?

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
 
I created the form in Outlook by opening a regular contact form and choosing
Tools, Forms, Design this form. Then I saved it as an OFT in my templates
folder. I then create a contact from the form by choosing it in User
Templates in File System. Is this what you meant by "Where is your custom
contact form published?" It works great except for when I send it in an email.
 
Your description indicates that the form is not published at all

Since you're using an .oft file, you can try this: Send the contact to someone else by creating a new rich-text format message, then using the Insert | Item command to insert the contact as an attachment. Before you send the message, double-click the underlined recipient name/address and check to make sure it's set to allow rich-text format.

Do you use Exchange as your mail server?
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
 
If you want the other person to see your custom form, they must have access to the form definition. In your scenario that means you need to embed it in each item. I had expected that to happen automatically, based on your description, but lets add one more setting -- on the Properties page of the form in design mode, check the box for "Send form definition with item." Then go through the same process of sending a rich-text message to a rich-text recipient with the attached item.

What version and build number of Outlook is the recipient using? If it's Outlook 2003 SP2, you may need to save the contact as an .oft file, then send that .oft with instructions for the user to save it as a file, then open it with Tools | Forms | Choose Form.

As you might have guessed, custom forms were never intended to be used in the way you're trying to use yours.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
 
That didn't work either. I am using Outlook 2003 and sending to myself. The
Sent items shows the file intact. However, the file received in the Inbox
does not include the custom form. I have found a work around by creating a
PST and placing all the vCards I want to send into it. Then I send the PST
(different extension for emailing of course).

I'm curious, what are custom forms supposed to be used for? I discovered
this feature and taught myself with no training. I didn't know I was so far
off track.
 
Sending the OFT file DID work.

Kim said:
That didn't work either. I am using Outlook 2003 and sending to myself. The
Sent items shows the file intact. However, the file received in the Inbox
does not include the custom form. I have found a work around by creating a
PST and placing all the vCards I want to send into it. Then I send the PST
(different extension for emailing of course).

I'm curious, what are custom forms supposed to be used for? I discovered
this feature and taught myself with no training. I didn't know I was so far
off track.
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