Outlook Offers No "Accept" Option for .ics Files

[Andy Briggs]

Hello,

I wonder if anybody can help.

I have written an Access 2010 database which, as part of its functionality, creates .ics files to be attached to e-mails and sent to users via Exchange server.

This works fine. The VBA creates the .ics files, writes an e-mail, attaches the .ics file and sends.

We have around 2000 users and on 99% of the Outlook 2010 installations, the user can open the attachment and accept the calendar entry. But on a small number of machines, there is no "Accept" option when the user opens the attachment. Instead, there is a message saying "As the meeting organizer you do not need to respond."

I have examined the machines in question and can find absolutely no differences in the Outlook installation. Everything appears fine.

Has anybody else experienced this error, and if so is there a solution? As the same mails are being sent successfully at the same time to other users, obviously there is no problem with the .ics file itself, so where *is* the problem?

If it helps, we get exactly the same problem when sending from Outlook 2013.

Any help would be much appreciated!

Thank you

Andy.

 

[Diane Poremsky]

Has anybody else experienced this error, and if so is there a solution? As the same mails are being sent successfully at the same time to other users, obviously there is no problem with the .ics file itself, so where *is* the problem?

Yes. No. I've had this problem, usually only with online reservations when i try to add the appointment to my calendar but this is the first time I've seen one fail for some in the organization and not others.

Are the users delegates for the sending account? Is there anything on the account side that could be different for the users where it fails - group membership, ou, home server, using a smartphone to read the mail first, etc

Does it always fail for the same users?

 

[Andy Briggs]

Yes. No. I've had this problem, usually only with online reservations when i try to add the appointment to my calendar but this is the first time I've seen one fail for some in the organization and not others.

Are the users delegates for the sending account? Is there anything on the account side that could be different for the users where it fails - group membership, ou, home server, using a smartphone to read the mail first, etc

Does it always fail for the same users?

Many thanks for your reply Diane!

No, as far as I can make out there is nothing different about the users' accounts. No delegations, same server, no smartphones - all mails being read on a PC. All part of the same user group as far as I know....

It's happening to the same users all the time. This should make it easier to solve, but I just cannot see anything different about those users (as far as Outlook goes, anyway!! ). I think my next step is to talk to our IT department to see if they know of anything different or can spot something I have missed. I am normally reluctant to call in the IT guys with problems like this because they don't have expertise in applications...that's my area. However, I will talk to them.

Needless to say, anything else you can think of would be useful. There was a guy asking for help with exactly the same problem on another forum, in 2010, but it never got solved. So this is not the first time it's happened.

Your help is much appreciated.

Andy.

 

[Andy Briggs]

Many thanks for your reply Diane!

No, as far as I can make out there is nothing different about the users' accounts. No delegations, same server, no smartphones - all mails being read on a PC. All part of the same user group as far as I know....

It's happening to the same users all the time. This should make it easier to solve, but I just cannot see anything different about those users (as far as Outlook goes, anyway!! ). I think my next step is to talk to our IT department to see if they know of anything different or can spot something I have missed. I am normally reluctant to call in the IT guys with problems like this because they don't have expertise in applications...that's my area. However, I will talk to them.

Needless to say, anything else you can think of would be useful. There was a guy asking for help with exactly the same problem on another forum, in 2010, but it never got solved. So this is not the first time it's happened.

Your help is much appreciated.

Andy.

Hmmm...well, the IT guys can't find anything wrong either, so I'm back here to ask if anybody has any other ideas. Anybody?

 

[Diane Poremsky]

Because it's the same users, it's either their account or their configuration. Anything unique to the affected users that is not used by the others?

I know if we (or more likely, you ) can figure it out, it could be a good clue for everyone else with this problem.

 

[Andy Briggs]

Absoulutely agreed Diane! I am going to go over their machines with a fine toothcomb until I find something!

I will let you know.

Kind regards

Andy.