Why some RSS feeds stop getting updates?

[Commodore]

I've discovered that some RSS feeds simply stop being updated at some point. Any speculation as to why this happens? I don't know if it's an Outlook related or provider related issue.


For instance, this is the latest such example:


Our Ultimate Reality's Facebook Wall


I just discovered there's tons of new posts there, yet in Outlook the last one was from Sep. 8.


There may be others too -- I remember it happened with some Dropbox blog (RSS from their website), but I can't find it right now.

 

[Diane Poremsky]

Do they come in if you open the folder and press Shift + F9 or the Update folder button? Mine seem to stall too - but i can kick start them by updating the folder.

 

[Commodore]

Good question, I never tried that before. Well, I tried it now, and it gives an error (I don't know why it always gives any send/receive error twice):

Task "RSS Feeds" reported error 0xFDE04005: Synchronization to RSS Feed ... has failed. Outlook cannot process the RSS content from ... The link may not point to a valid RSS source.

Task "RSS Feeds" reported error 0xFDE04005: Outlook cannot process the RSS content from ... The link may not point to a valid RSS source.

 

[marty1975]

I don't know the answer, but I get the same error trying to add it to Outlook. Outlook doesn't like the format for some reason.

 

[Diane Poremsky]

Did either of you try a new profile? That is the usual fix for rss errors. (i get the same error, will try a new profile after i take my words with friends turn. )

 

[Commodore]

You mean creating a new profile from "Mail (32-bit)" entry in Control Panel? I never tried that. What will "break" or got reset if I do this? (if I have to enter all my email accounts data, customize the toolbars and windows again, I guess I'll live with that RSS error )

 

[Diane Poremsky]

You'll need to enter your email accounts and can export/import an opml file for RSS but will need to repoint the feeds to folders if you didn't use the defaults. You can export/import the customizations. Still a lot of work...

I would probably try a new profile with one account and the problem feed and see if it makes a diff- I get the same error in Outlook 2013 so I'm not hopeful.

 

[Commodore]

That's weird, that very same feed I used in this example just got downloaded. Not sure if it's on their side, or on mine (as I've changed the "Show home page by default" on the default RSS folder (but not the one used for storing RSS feeds, that's in another PST file) -- speaking of which, I was trying this: The Outlook Client Show Home Page by Default Option is Grayed Out to un-gray the "Show home page by default" option on "non-default" PST files, but it didn't do the trick, they're still grayed out).

 

[Diane Poremsky]

Hmmm. Works here in Outlook 2013 now too. (I tried it the other day after Marty said it didn't work.) I'd say the problem is with the feed - and I would definitely not mess with a new profile.

I don't think changing the home page settings or saving RSS elsewhere is a factor.

 

[Commodore]

I guess Facebook has been trying really hard lately to keep people locked within their walled garden... Oh well.

So is it possible to have the home page set up on an other-than-default PST file in 2007 (apart from that registry tweak, which apparently doesn't do anything on my system)?

 

[Diane Poremsky]

Hmmm. The registry should work as long as you are not on a corporate system that uses policies. But it's not working here either - and i used the policy editor to make sure i got the key right. I don't think it was disabled by a later update but will double check.

 

[Commodore]

I have yet to reboot the computer, we'll see if that helps (but I did "restart" Outlook, of course). Just to be sure: Is the key

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Outlook\Security, with DWORD of NonDefaultStoreScript set to 1? I'm asking because on some sites I noticed the "Policies" and "Microsoft" and "Office" parts in different positions (and Office can also quite picky about the version part, 12.0).

 

[Diane Poremsky]

The policies key is at

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\xx.0\Outlook\Security - where xx is your version of office. That was copied from the registry, where the GPO placed it so i know its right.

Any values under policies can usually be used in the normal keys at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\xx.0\Outlook\Security - the difference is the policy keys lock down the GUI options. If this were exposed in the Options dialog, setting in the policies key would gray out the options setting, preventing users from changing the option.

I tried the key in both paths and it did not work for me. I didn't reboot either - that is not usually necessary, plus i tried it in both the local and policy location. But I need to install updates, so I will do that next then reboot and check it.

ETA: of course, no space in 'office', that's the board software.