KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q197712: XCLN: How to Configure Default Free/Busy Options

Article: Q197712
Product(s): Microsoft Exchange
Version(s): 8.0,8.01,8.02,8.03
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 02-JUL-2002

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Outlook 97, versions 8.0, 8.01, 8.02, 8.03 
- Microsoft Outlook 98 
- Microsoft Outlook 2000 
- Microsoft Exchange Server, version 5.5 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you 
modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore 
the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the 
registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SUMMARY
=======

In Microsoft Outlook, two options are available for configuring how much and how
often Calendar Free/Busy information is published to a Microsoft Exchange Server
computer. This article explains how to modify an Outlook.prf file so that you
can specify default values for these two options.

This customized .prf file can then be used by Profgen.exe and/or Newprof.exe to
create a new profile using these default values.

MORE INFORMATION
================

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems
that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot
guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor
incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

The Microsoft Outlook client allows a user to specify how many months of
free/busy data should be published on the server, and how often (in minutes) to
update the information on the server. These values are stored as part of a
user's profile in the following registry key:

Windows 95 or Windows 98
------------------------

HKEY_CURRENT_USER
\Software
 \Microsoft
  \Windows Messaging Subsystem
   \Profiles
    \<profile name>
     \0a0d020000000000c000000000000046

Windows NT
----------

HKEY_CURRENT_USER
\Software
 \Microsoft
  \Windows NT
   \CurrentVersion
    \Windows Messaging Subsystem
     \Profiles
      \<profile name>
      \0a0d020000000000c000000000000046

To specify the number of months to publish Free/Busy information, change the
following registry value to a value between 0 and 12:


  Value Name: 00030330
  Value Type: REG_BINARY
  Value Range: 00 00 00 00 (0) to 0c 00 00 00 (12)

To specify the update interval to publish Free/Busy information, change the
following Registry value to a value between 60 and 5940 seconds:

  Value Name: 00030331
  Value Type: REG_BINARY
  Value Range: 3c 00 00 00 (60)  to  34 17 00 00 (5940)

For example, to specify an update interval of 60 minutes:

  60 min. * 60 secs. = 3600 (decimal) = E10 (hex) = 10 0e 00 00

If you wish to include these values in a .prf file, you must reverse the order of
the numbers. For example, the above value would be represented as 0x00000e10.
The following shows how these values would be entered in a .prf file:

     [Service List]
     Service1=Microsoft Outlook Client
     
     [Service1]
     NumberOfMonthsFB=0x0000000c
     FrequencyToPublishFB=0x00000e10
     
     [Microsoft Outlook Client]
     SectionGUID=0a0d020000000000c000000000000046
     
     NumberOfMonthsFB=PT_LONG,0x0330
     ; -- Number of months of Calendar data to publish to the server
     
     FrequencyToPublishFB=PT_LONG,0x0331
     ; -- Frequency in seconds to publish Calendar data to server

Outlook 2000 writes these values to the following registry locations:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER
\Software
 \Microsoft
  \Office
   \9.0
    \Outlook
     \Preferences

  Value Name: FBPublishRange
  Value Type: DWORD

HKEY_CURRENT_USER
\Software
 \Microsoft
  \Office
   \9.0
    \Outlook
     \Preferences

  Value Name: FBUpdateSecs
  Value Type: DWORD
  Value Data: <interval in seconds>

Additional query words: f/b freebusy outlook.prf 8.5

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbOutlookSearch kbExchangeSearch kbExchange550 kbOutlook97 kbZNotKeyword2 kbOutlook2000Search kbOutlook97Search kbOutlook98Search kbZNotKeyword3 kbOutlook801 kbOutlook802 kbOutlook803
Version           : :8.0,8.01,8.02,8.03
Issue type        : kbhowto

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.