The Outlook API wrongfully shows an outlook folder to have zero sub-folders

[outlooklover]

Hello,

I have a random issue where moving a MailItem to a sub-folder (uner the same Exchange Store)
FAILS from time to time.

The real issue is that Outlook stops "seeing" sub-folders under the "\\DRK\DefaultInbox\".
* It basicaly shows the "DefaultInbox" sub-folder to have "zero" sub-folders.

** VBA and VBNET- same phenomemon.

By thwe way, Redemption does not have this issue.


Sample and edited code from slipstick.com :
FolderPath = \\DRK\DefaultInbox\CannoSeeThis"

FoldersArray = Split(FolderPath, "\")
Set oFolder = Application.Session.Folders.item(FoldersArray(0))
If Not oFolder Is Nothing Then
For i = 1 To UBound(FoldersArray, 1)
Dim SubFolders As Outlook.Folders
Set SubFolders = oFolder.Folders <<<< The error will happen here for "DefaultInbox"
Set oFolder = SubFolders.item(FoldersArray(i))
If oFolder Is Nothing Then
Set GetFolderPath = Nothing
End If
Next
End If


I investigated more and it seems that when the issue happens, the EntryId of the "DefaultInbox" folder is WRONG .

It can be seen by the following experiment-

* Just for testing, I requested (Outlook native code) the folder using the CORRECT entryid (and storeid) :

Set ns = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI")
Set oFolder = ns.GetFolderFromID("000000001558C00B64527A4E83C186E33FCE9CCF018018D07E87680CDD48B628CC1483CA3B1B00001BAEBE590100", _
"0000000038A1BB1005E5101AA1BB08002....")

* However, what I got is a folder with a DIFFERENT entryid-

?oFolder.EntryID
000000001558C00B64527A4E83C186E33FCE9CCF010018D07E87680CDD48B628CC1483CA3B1B00001BAEBE590000


** The difference are small:

*** at the end- 90100 (good one) VS 90000 (bad one).

*** in the middle- F018018 vs F010018 .


The issue almost seems like a some kind of security feature that "acts out" from time to time.



Thanks in advance

OutlookLover

 

[outlooklover]

Sorry, double posted by mistake.

 

[Diane Poremsky]

I asked Dimtry (Redemption author) about it - he said this:

I have seen similar issues with Outlook losing the Drafts folder – everything looks normal, but inline replies break: select a different message, come back, but the inline response is silently gone. And GetDefaultFolder(olFolderDrafts) raises an exception. Outlook restart helps.

And you can’t compare the entry ids one bit at a time: there are some flags inside, but OutlookSpy parses them:

abFlags[0]: 00

abFlags[1]: 00

abFlags[2]: 00

abFlags[3]: 00

muid: 5E81754F003E1549B0659F2AEA92E7C2 ({4F75815E-3E00-4915-B065-9F2AEA92E7C2})

Type: 0x0001 (eitLTPrivateFolder)

DatabaseGUID: C7CF2304C77BF64585E8892DD6FF7BAC ({0423CFC7-7BC7-45F6-85E8-892DD6FF7BAC})

GlobalCounter: 0xB62000000000

Pad: 0x0000