Outlook Web Access to Microsoft Exchange Server

Outlook Web Access (OWA) allows any client with a compatible browser to access Exchange Server folders.

OWA for Exchange Server 5.5 is also a development platform using the rendering engine in CDO. Using the Outlook HTML Forms Converter, you can convert Outlook forms to HTML forms, but any code behind the forms will have to be converted by hand to use CDO. The latest version of the Forms Converter can be downloaded as part of Exchange Server 5.5. Service Pack 4.

For Exchange 2000, you create applications using web forms. No conversion tool is currently available to turn Outlook forms into Exchange 2000 OWA forms. For resources at tools, see:

• Exchange 2000 Developer Enablement Kit
• Exchange SDK June 2001
• Exchange SDK Workflow Application Template
• Exchange SDK Application Templates

Exchange 5.5 | Exchange 2000 | Troubleshooting | MSKB Articles | Tools | Samples | Discussion | More Information

Basics & FAQs for Exchange 5.5

Security patches:

• MS01-047: OWA Function Allows Unauthenticated User to Enumerate Global Address List.

More at Microsoft: 

• Planning and Deploying MS Outlook Web Access
• Configuring OWA Outside the Default Web Site
• MS Outlook Web Access Performance and Extensibility
• XWEB How to Set Up OWA for Specific Users  
• XWEB Exchange Server 5.5 Outlook Web Access Logon Process  

• XCCC Exchange 2000 Windows 2000 Connectivity Through Firewalls -- How to install Outlook Web Access 5.5 on computers isolated from their Windows 2000 networks by a firewall

Other resources: 

• Microsoft Outlook Web Access HOWTO (Simpler-Webb)
• Brian Zoromski's FAQ for Outlook Web Access
• Steve Luzynski's FAQ for Outlook Web Access
• CDOLive - All you ever wanted to know about ASP & CDO but were afraid to ask
• Outlook Web Access Security (SWYNK.com)
• Outlook Web Access Permissions (SWYNK.com)

• A look at Exchange 5.5's Outlook Web Access (Exploring Windows NT)

• Customize Your OWA Logon/Logoff Screens (Exchange Administrator newsletter)

• SSL's Benefits on OWA (Exchange Administrator newsletter)

Basics & FAQs for Exchange 2000

OWA is built into Exchange 2000 and allows access to contacts and calendar folders in public folders. Still no support for tasks or journal folders yet. Exchange 2000 SP1 adds deleted item recovery, attachments in public folders, week numbers in Calendar, and more languages to OWA.

Security patches:

• MS01-049 - Deeply-nested OWA Request Can Consume Server CPU Availability
• MS01-030 - Incorrect Attachment Handling in Exchange OWA Can Execute Script

Other patches:

• XWEB Exchange 2000 Server Post-Service Pack 1 Web Client Fixes Available

More at Microsoft: 

• Outlook Web Access Setup and Deployment
• Exchange 2000 Outlook Web Access White Paper
• Exchange 2000 Front-end and Back-end Topology
• Microsoft Exchange 2000 Front-End Server and SMTP Gateway Hardware Scalability Guide

• XCCC How to Set Up OWA for UPN Logon Names

• XCCC Session Timeout Settings for Outlook Web Access on Exchange 2000 Server

• The Microsoft Exchange 2000 “Web Client” Outlook Web Access -- online seminar on architecture, features, deployment and customization

• XCCC Exchange 2000 Windows 2000 Connectivity Through Firewalls -- How to install Outlook Web Access 5.5 on computers isolated from their Windows 2000 networks by a firewall

Other resources: 

• Are Front-End/Back-End Servers Necessary?

• WebDAV - Proxy Interoperability -- Is your proxy server compatible with OWA?

Troubleshooting

• OWA Troubleshooter  
• Troubleshooting Outlook Web Access (Support WebCast)

Exchange 2000

• If users get this error message when they try to access Public Folders
  
  Access is denied. Your browser security settings will not allow access to this folder from this page.
  
  this problem is fixed in Exchange 2000 Service Pack 1. See  XCCC Access Is Denied Error Message When Accessing Folders in Outlook Web Access.

• XADM Basic Authentication Box Is Displayed When You Log on to OWA

• XCCC Links Are Still Active After You Click Send

• XWEB Cannot Post to a Public Folder with Drag and Drop Posting Set to Forward -- hotfix available

• XCCC Only Administrators Can Access Exchange Server 2000 Outlook Web Access Through a Proxy Server

• XCCC Empty Inbox When Using Internet Explorer 5 and Later to Gain Access to OWA

• XWEB Error Message The Item Could Not Be Found When You Expand Public Folders

MSKB Articles

• OWA Creates English Special Folders (Contacts, Calendar ...) During First Logon -- if you need non-English folder names (MSKB)
• Diagnostic Logging Levels for OWA Defined in the Exchange Administrator Program
• XWEB: How to Remove the Change Password Button in Outlook Web Access
• XWEB: Check Name in OWA Only Resolves Names in the Global Address List
• XCLN: Error Message The Page Cannot Be Displayed Adding an Attachment in Outlook Web Access or Internet Explorer 5
• XWEB: Suddenly and Permanently Unable to Reach Inbox Using Outlook Web Access
• XWEB: Day or Year Inconsistencies in Outlook Web Access Calendar View
• XWEB Outlook Web Access Error Message When Attempting to Reply to or Forward Messages
• XWEB Outlook Web Access Stops Responding When Users Log On If One Exchange Server Computer Is Unavailable Because of Network Problems
•   XWEB: Contact Created in OWA Cannot Be Added As E-Mail Recipient in Outlook MAPI Clients
•   XWEB: Outlook Web Access Error Message When Attempting to Reply to or Forward Messages
• XWEB .MMP file Created by MS Exchange Active Server
• XWEB OWA Logon Page Does Not Display Graphics
• XWEB How to Move Messages to Folders in OWA
• XWEB Outlook Web Access Processes Consecutive All-Day Appointments Incorrectly
• XWEB OWA Error Message Internet Explorer Cannot Download from the Internet Site
• XWEB Windows 2000 Users Are Unable to Gain Access to Outlook Web Access
• XWEB Error Message Accessing Outlook Web Access HTTP 404 Not Found  
• XWEB: VBScript Error 0x800A01A8 When Using OWA on Windows 2000
• XWEB Outlook Web Access Error Message Unable to Render View

Exchange 2000:

• XWEB How to Hide the Change Password Button on the Outlook Web Access Options Page

• XWEB How to Change OWA Passwords Through IIS

• XWEB How to Enable the Change Password Option in Exchange 2000 OWA Clustering

• XWEB Virtual Internet Information Server Directories Used By Outlook Web Access

• XCCC OWA Does Not Support Integrated Windows Authentication on Front-End Servers

• XWEB Name Resolution Mishandles an Outlook Personal Distribution List on the Organizer's Appointment Form

• XCCC Time Zone on OWA Client Does Not Match the Time on the Local Computer

• XCCC OWA 2000 Icons and Folder Items Are Not Displayed

• HTTP Error 404 Page Cannot Be Displayed When You Attempt to Connect to the OWA Server

• XCCC OWA Error Http--1.1 401 Unauthorized

• XWEB How to Disable the Multimedia Button in OWA

• XCCC How to Connect to a Non-MAPI TLH in Outlook Web Access

• XWEB How to Open Another Person's Calendar Using Exchange 2000 OWA

• XCCC Browser May Not Display OWA Icons When Exchange 2000 Is Behind Proxy 2.0

Tools

Samples

• Outlook Web Access Public Folder Contacts Enhancement -- Allows you to display a Contacts folder from Public Folders with OWA. 
• Exchange Phone List Web Application -- A sample showing how to display the Exchange Server GAL via CDO anonymous access.
• Customer Contact Web Application -- Using an Exchange Server public Contacts folder. 
• SAMPLE Cdoasp.exe Creates Simple Mail Client Using CDO and ASP
• Using Outlook WEB Access to store customer registrations into an Outlook Contact Public Folder in Exchange

Discussion

• aspexchangeoutlook -- Moderated mailing list for ASP mail issues, including CDO, CDONTS, Outlook and Exchange automation and third-party components.

More Information

• How to Use Outlook Table Views with Microsoft Exchange Client and OWA
• Using Outlook WEB Access to store WEB customer registrations into an Outlook Contact Public Folder in Exchange  (detailed how-to article for Exchange 5.5 by Ian Morrish)
• Microsoft Outlook Web Access Performance and Extensibility (Microsoft)
• Outlook Web Access Reborn (Exchange and Outloook Magazine)
• Using Outlook Web Access to check your mail when you're away from the office (TechRepublic)