The Font in the First Paragraph of an OWA Message Is Different From the Rest of the Message (817314)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Enterprise Edition
  • Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Standard Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Premium Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Standard Edition

SYMPTOMS

When you use Microsoft Outlook Web Access (OWA) to send an e-mail message to a recipient, the fonts do not appear as you expect when the recipient views the message.

When the recipient views the message, the font in the first paragraph is different from the rest of the message. For example, the font in the first paragraph of the message body is Arial and the font in the rest of the message is Times New Roman.

CAUSE

This issue occurs because the OWA e-mail editor does not insert font face tags around each paragraph (or division) in the message body. The first paragraph in the message has the default OWA font applied with a font face tag. The other paragraphs in the message revert to the default font that is used on the computer.

This issue occurs if all the following conditions are true:
  • The font that you use in the message is the same as the default font that is used by Microsoft Internet Explorer.
  • The message contains more than one paragraph.
  • The recipient computer has a different default font than the font that you used when you created the message.

MORE INFORMATION

Because the OWA e-mail editor does not insert font face tags around each paragraph in the message body, if the default font that is used by Internet Explorer is the same as the font that is used in the message, the message looks correct when you send it. However, if the default font that is used in Internet Explorer is different on the recipient computer, the recipient experiences the following behavior when they view the message:
  • The first paragraph appears with the font that was used in OWA when you sent the message.
  • The remaining paragraphs of the message use the default font that is used by Internet Explorer on the recipient computer.
Note This issue occurs whether the recipient views your message by using OWA or by using another e-mail client program such as Microsoft Outlook.

WORKAROUND

To work around this issue, change the default font in Internet Explorer to a font other than the font that you use in OWA. To do so:
  1. Start Internet Explorer.
  2. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
  3. Click Fonts.
  4. In the Web page font list, click a font other than the font that is used in OWA (the default font used in OWA is Arial), and then click OK.
  5. Click OK, and then quit Internet Explorer.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Microsoft Exchange Server 2003.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:11/8/2005
Keywords:kbBug kbpending kbprb KB817314
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