Description of troubleshooting Net Folders errors in Outlook 2000 (229962)

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Net Folders Error Conditions

The following are some error conditions you may encounter if Net Folders is not functioning properly:

• The sharing options found under File > Share are all dim or unavailable regardless of which folder is selected in the Folder List (This is normal if a root folder is selected).
  
  To fix this, run Outlook with the /cleanprofile switch. For additional information about command-line switches, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  197180 Additional command-line switches

• After you add a subscriber to a folder, you may not see the subscriber added to the subscriber's list.
• Subscribers initially receive the shared folder information, but updates are never received, updates for the shared Net Folder are never processed on the subscriber's computer, or the recipient never gets updates from the subscriber.
  
  These issues occur when the Internet Mail service is configured with the Corporate or Workgroup installation of Outlook.
  
  To resolve this issue, use the Outlook Address Book to send the initial invitation. To do so, follow these steps:
  1. On the File menu, click New, and then click Contact. In the new contact form, type the necessary information for the subscriber, including the e-mail address.
  2. On the File menu, click Save. The e-mail address appears as underlined.
  3. Double-click the e-mail address, and then select the Always send to this recipient in Microsoft Outlook rich-text format check box.
  4. To address the invitation, run the Net Folders Wizard using the contact you created.
• Subscribers do not see the Accept or Decline buttons on the subscription message. To preserve these features, always send messages to recipients in Rich Text Format. If that does not work, search for and rename any Frmcache.dat files on your hard drive to Frmcache.old, and then restart Outlook.
• After sharing a folder, Net Folders appears to share information, but some or all items do not appear in the shared folders.
  
  Check the items in the original folder and make sure they are not marked as Private. Private items may not be shared by means of Net Folders. To check if an item is marked as private, follow these steps:
  1. In the original shared folder, open an item.
  2. In the lower right-hand corner of the item, you should see a check box marked Private. If that box is checked, the item may not be shared with the other Net Folders users.
  For additional information on why Contacts are sometimes marked as private, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  241846 All new contacts are marked private after saving

Net Folders Error Messages

You may receive the following error messages while setting up or using Net Folders, each error message is indented below. Use the suggestions in the "What to try" section to resolve the problem.

What to try

This error occurs when you send an update that is larger than 2MB. Remove the newest data/items and add them back a little at a time, sending updates each time something is added.

NOTE: There is no limit to the size of the folder as far as Net Folders is concerned, only to the size of the update. Net Folders can only send up to a 2-megabyte update at any one time. Folder size is a factor in the following cases:

• If your shared folder is over 2 megabytes and you want to add a new subscriber, it won't ever update to that subscriber. You must reduce the folder size and then add the subscriber.
• If your shared folder is over 2 megabytes and you must re-setup the sharing for one reason or another. It will never update. You must reduce the size of the folder.

There is no server quota size for Net Folders. There can be a limit as to how large of a file you can send over the internet by your ISP. But either way, Net Folders will not allow you to send more that 2 megabytes. Also, you can adjust the update size in the properties of the shared folder. But you can only go up to 2 megabytes.

What to try

Subscriptions may not process if the Personal Folder (PST) file is password protected. Remove the password from the Personal Folder file, or create a new Personal Folder file as the delivery point.

What to try

The Net Folders feature relies on two add-ins, Net Folders and the Rules Wizard, to manage the subscription and update process. Issues with either, or both, of these items may cause the error mentioned. Use the following steps to reset these add-ins. You must follow the steps once for the Net Folders add-in, and once for the Rules Wizard add-in. To reset these add-ins, follow these steps:

1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click Other.
2. Click Advanced Options, and then click Add-in Manager.
3. Clear the Net Folders check box.
4. Click OK twice.
5. Quit and start Outlook again.
6. Return to the Add-in Manager, and then select the Net Folders check box.
7. Click OK twice.
8. Quit and start Outlook again.

After completing these steps, test the functionality of Net Folders.

What to try

In some cases the binary file, which stores Outlook rules, may be damaged. To generate a new rules file, follow these steps:

1. Windows 95/98: Click Start, point to Find, and then click Files or Folders.
   
   Windows Millennium Edition: Click Start, point to Search, and then click For Files or Folders.
2. Windows 95/98: In the Named box, type *.rwz. Ensure that the entire hard disk drive is selected in the Look In list, and then click Find Now.
   
   Windows Millennium Edition: In the Search for files or folders named box, type *.rwz, and then click Search Now.
3. The active Rules Wizard file name is the same as the name of the current Outlook profile, if you are using the Corporate or Workgroup (CW) installation, and the name Microsoft Internet Settings, if you are using the Internet Mail Only (IMO) installation.
4. Right-click the appropriate file and then click Rename. Change the file name extension to .old, and then click the Close button.

Repeat these steps to refresh the Rules Wizard and Net Folders add-ins.

After these steps are completed, test the functionality of Net Folders.

What to try

For more information on System errors involving Fldpub.dll, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

What to try

If you are using Net Folders to share information with others on the Internet, either your Internet Service Provider (ISP), or one of the participant's ISP's has turned off "Autoreplies to the Internet." Many ISPs turn off this feature to cut down on the propagation of viruses that are transmitted through e-mail. You can determine if Autoreplies are turned off by requesting a read receipt from other participants. To request a read receipt, follow these steps:

1. Create a new mail message and address it your associates.
2. In the message, on the File menu, click Properties.
3. Select the Read Receipt Requested check box.
4. Click OK, and then send the message.

If you do not receive a message that the test message was read, Autoreplies is likely turned off at the ISP; this is usually applied to all mailboxes. Contact your ISP to see if Autoreplies can be turned on for your account.

Using Nfclean to Reset Net Folders

NOTE: The following steps require that you locate files on your computer. If you are unsure of how to locate these files, see the "To Locate and Rename Files" section at the end of this article.

When the Net Folders option is selected in the Outlook section of the Windows Installer, a utility called Nfclean.exe is installed. To use Nfclean to reset the Net Folders structure, follow these steps:

1. Locate the Nfclean.exe utility.
2. Double-click Nfclean.exe to run the program. This utility provides no user interface. You may only see an hourglass pointer briefly.
3. Start Outlook and test Net Folders functionality.

To Create a New Installation of Net Folders

The files listed make up the core of the Net Folders feature. In some cases, one or more of these files may be damaged. Use the "To Locate and Rename Files" section to find and rename each of these files.

To create a clean installation of the Net Folders feature set, follow these steps:

1. On the Start menu, click Shut down, and then click Restart the computer.
2. Locate each of the following files and change the file name extension to .old:

   Fldpub.ecf
   Fldpub.dll
   Conflict.cfg
   Multiple.cfg
   Newsubsc.cfg
   Frmcache.dat
   Regcfg.exe
   Request.cfg
   Sync.cfg
   Update.cfg
   Fldpb.clt
   Fldpb.inf
   Fldpbpst.stf
   Newsubsc.oft
   Nfconf.oft
   Atl.dll
   Fpatl.ocx
   Nfclean.exe
   Extend.dat
   Outcmd.dat

3. On the Start menu, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
4. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.
5. Select <Microsoft Office 2000>, and then click Add/Remove, where <Microsoft Office 2000> is the version you are using.
6. In <Microsoft Office 2000> Maintenance Mode, click Add or Remove Features.
7. In <Microsoft Office 2000> Update Features, click the plus sign (+) next to Microsoft Outlook for Windows, to expand the Outlook features list.
8. Click the Net Folders icon, and then click Run from My Computer. Click Update Now.
9. Start Outlook.
10. On the Help menu, click Detect and Repair.
11. When Detect and Repair is finished restart your computer.

Start Outlook and test Net Folders functionality. You must reestablish sharing and resend any subscriptions.

NOTE: During the reinstallation of the Net Folders components, Microsoft strongly suggests that you not have any other programs running. This specifically applies to disk utilities or virus protection programs.

To Locate and Rename Files

To locate files on your computer, follow these steps:

1. Windows 95/98: Click Start, point to Find, and then click Files or Folders.
   
   Windows Millennium Edition: Click Start, point to Search, and then click For Files or Folders.
2. Windows 95/98: In the Named box, type the name of the file that you want to locate. Ensure that the entire hard disk drive is being searched, make the appropriate selection in the Look In box. Select the Include Subfolders option, and then click Find Now.
   
   Windows Millennium Edition: In the Search for files or folders named box, type the name of the file that you want to locate. In the Look In box, click your hard drive, and then click Search Now.
3. Right-click the file you want to rename, and then click Rename. Rename the file by changing the file name extension to .old.