Only the client-side "Move to PST File" rule appears to be applied to messages when you use both server-side and client-side rules in Outlook 2003 (826969)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office Outlook 2003

SYMPTOMS

When you create multiple rules for messages in Outlook 2003, where you specify a client-side action that moves files to your .pst file in one rule and you specify a server-side action in another rule, you may find that Outlook 2003 appears to only apply the client-side rule to messages that satisfy the conditions contained in both rules.

For example, when you create a rule to move all messages that are sent to you to the .pst file on your hard disk and you create another rule to move all messages that contain the line "MyProject" in the Subject box to a folder on the server, any message that you receive that contains "MyProject" in the Subject box appears to be moved only to your .pst file. A copy of the message is present in your .pst file, but a copy of the message is not also present in the folder on the server. You do not experience these symptoms when you apply the same two rules in Microsoft Outlook 2002. In Outlook 2002, a copy of the message is present in your .pst file and a copy of the message is also present in the appropriate folder on the server.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs if the on this machine only option is set on the client-side rule. By default, in Outlook 2003, when you create a rule that specifies a client-side action, and the action is specific to your local computer, the on this machine only setting is automatically configured for the rule. For example, when you create a rule to move messages to a folder in the .pst file on your hard disk, the on this machine only setting is automatically added to the rule. By doing so, Outlook 2003 prevents potential loss of data from occurring in situations where you use Outlook on more than one computer, and you apply a rule that moves messages to a .pst file, on a computer where a .pst file does not exist.

The automatic addition of the on this machine only setting to a rule that contain a client-side action is a change in behavior from Outlook 2002. In Outlook 2002, the on this machine only option is not automatically added to client-side rules that you create.

In the example described earlier in the "Symptoms" section of this article, the message is first moved to the folder on the server that you specified in the rule that contains the server-side action, and then the message is moved to your .pst file, as specified by the rule that contains the client-side action. Both rules are applied to the message, even though it appears that only the client-side rule is applied to the message.

WORKAROUND

To work around this behavior, turn off the on this machine only option that is set on the client-side rule. By doing so, the client-side action is applied by using the behavior that Outlook 2002 uses. Note that in situations where you use Outlook on more than one computer, messages can only be moved to a .pst file if a .pst file exists on the computer.

To turn off the on this machine only setting for a rule, follow these steps:
  1. Start Outlook.
  2. On the Tools menu, click Rules and Alerts.
  3. Click the client-side rule that you want to modify, click Change Rule, and then click Edit Rule Settings.
  4. In the list of conditions, click to clear the on this machine only check box, click Finish, and then click OK.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about how to work with rules in Outlook 2003, see Outlook Help. To do so, on the Help menu, click Microsoft Outlook Help. In the Search for box, type rules, and then press ENTER to view the topics that are returned.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:1/6/2006
Keywords:kbprb kbnofix KB826969 kbAudEndUser kbAudITPRO
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