OL98: (CW) Outlook Slow to Start While Downloading Calendar (192981)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Outlook 98
This article was previously published under Q192981
IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe.

NOTE: These procedures only apply if you have installed Outlook with the Corporate Workgroup/Other option. This option allows you to use Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI) services. To determine your installation type, on the Help Menu click About Microsoft Outlook. In About Microsoft Outlook you should see "Corporate" if you have the Corporate Workgroup installation.

SYMPTOMS

With Microsoft Outlook 98, if you connect to your Microsoft Exchange Server remotely, you may notice a delay of several minutes before you can use Outlook. During this time, Outlook is downloading your calendar data to your local hard drive. This may be true even if you have chosen not to use an Offline Store file (OST).

For more information on the calendar-caching feature, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

185237 OL98: (CW) Outlook Speed Enhancement to Calendar Folder Access

CAUSE

Outlook, by default, caches your calendar information to your local hard drive. This allows you faster access to the calendar data when you work primarily online with your mail server.

RESOLUTION

You can discontinue this caching process by one of two means. You can disable offline use by modifying the Microsoft Exchange Server properties or you can add a Windows registry entry to control offline use.

MORE INFORMATION

Modify the Exchange Server Properties

  1. On the Tools menu, click Services.
  2. Click to select the Microsoft Exchange Server service and click Properties.
  3. On the Advanced tab, click "Offline Folder File Settings."
  4. Click Disable Offline Use and click Yes to the warning.
  5. Make sure that the option "Enable offline use" is now unavailable (grayed out).

    NOTE: You must disable offline use as described; it is not effective to only click to clear this option check box.
  6. Click OK and OK.

Add a Windows Registry Entry

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys And Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it.

  1. Quit Outlook.
  2. click the Start button, click Run, type "regedit" (without quotation marks) and click OK.
  3. Click to select the following registry entry:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Outlook

  4. If the Outlook key has a sub-key named OST with a NoOST entry, skip to step 8. Otherwise, right-click the Outlook key and on the shortcut menu, point to New and click Key.
  5. Type OST as the name for the new key and press ENTER.
  6. Right-click the new OST key and on the shortcut menu, point to New and click DWORD Value.
  7. Type NoOST as the name for the new entry and press ENTER.
  8. Right-click the NoOST entry and on the shortcut menu, click Modify.
  9. Enter one of the following values: 
        0 = An offline store will be set up by default and used for calendar
        caching. Also, the user will be allowed to enable offline access
        and use the offline store. This is the same as the absence
        of the OST key and NoOST entry.

    1 = An offline store will be set up by default and used for calendar
        caching. However, the user will NOT be allowed to enable offline
        access and use the offline store. The options in the Microsoft
        Exchange Server properties will not be available.

    2 = An offline store will NOT be setup by default and the user will
        NOT be allowed to enable offline access and use the offline store.
        The options in the Microsoft Exchange Server properties will not be
        available.

    3 = Caching is disabled. Users can still create an offline store
        and synchronize with the Exchange Server.  (Outlook 97 mode)
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:4/25/2000
Keywords:kbprb KB192981
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