I have a need to have a constant set of categories across my multiple
computers (1 laptop and 3 desktops) running Outlook (which connects to
my group’s exchange server). It would be even better to have the
same category set pushed out to everyone in my workgroup.
I asked the following question to someone on another web site.
QUESTION:
How can I standardize the Master categories list within my
organization. I want everyone categorizing stuff the same way with
the same list.
HERE IS AN GREAT ANSWER I GOT BACK:
----------------------------------------------------------
Mesch has provided good documents that give you the exact registry key
that holds the master category list. It would just be a matter of
modifying that key, and pushing it out to all the workstations needed.
Outlook 9x
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Outlook\Categories\MasterList
Outlook 2000
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Outlook\Categories\MasterList
Outlook 2002
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Outlook\Categories\MasterList
If you are using Windows 2000/XP and want to make this Master Category
List default for each new user (new profile) on that machine, then put
the Master Category List in the default profile, or in this reg key:
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Office\x.x\Outlook\Categories\MasterList
(x.x being the version of Outlook you are using. By default this key
will not exist and you will need to create it.)
NOTE #1: If an item is assigned to a category, then you remove the
category from the master category list, the category will still exist
for that item, but a note next to it will say (not in Master Category
List). It would be the same if you just typed a fictitious category
name inside a contact and saved it. (Which it does allow you to do)
NOTE #2: The user could still click on the "Reset" to reset the Master
Category List back to Microsoft's default. I'm not sure if there is a
work around for this, but one solution would be to push out the
registry key of the Master Category List via logon script and have it
run every time the user logs on.
NOTE #3: If you want to disable the Edit/Categories button, create
this registry key:
KEY: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\x.x\Outlook\DisabledCmdBarItemsList\EditCategories
TYPE: REG_SZ
VALUE: 1888
(again x.x being the version of outlook you are using)
Hope this gets you on the correct tack to accomplish what you are
trying to do.
----------------------------------------------------------
THE PROBLEM:
I can’t do this tedious and technical thing to all the computer. I
need a small, easy to use shareware program to do this. Is there one
out there?
Thanks in advance….
P.S. I am not allowed to run anything on the exchange server, so the
solution has to be on the client side. |
Request for Question Clarification by
webadept-ga
on
30 May 2003 22:39 PDT
Hi,
Will a Perl script work for you? Say something like a simple command
line like
c:\pushcat.pl newcatname
You would need to install Perl on each of the clients, and then setup
a scheduled job on each of them, and have a shared network drive that
each can get to. The pushcat.pl program would add a new category to
the list file on the shared network drive. The scheduled jobs would
check that file for anything new, once a day, maybe twice, and if it
finds a new cat name, then it will add it to that machine's Outlook
list. Otherwise it just dies, invisible to the user.
I'm sure there are VB guys in our group that could do this as well,
but thought I would check to see if Perl might be an option. Either
way, you are going to need some type of network file, accessed by all
the machines and a scheduled program running on the clients to work
this out right.
You could do this with a client/server program, but that would mean
the clients would be required to be run all the time, and really,
there's enough things running all the time, it could cause problems.
Having a simple scheduled job run, twice a day, is both easier on the
machine and less prone to bugs.
webadept-ga
|
Clarification of Question by
sherpaj-ga
on
02 Jun 2003 10:23 PDT
RE: The pushcat.pl program.
Yes this might work. The users do go and occasionally map their "S"
drive to a special share for updating an access db that they use.
They do this at their leisure, then they unmap the shares (they are
all on laptop and move around, so we don't encourage leaving shares
mapped).
I have 3 questions
1 - What all is involved in install Perl on their workstations? Does
it suckup resources when they are not doing this outlook Catagories
sync?
2 - What would this cost?? Is this "pushcat.pl program" an open
source thing or is that something someone has to program? We weren't
looking to spend much money.
3 – Is this easy enough for me (a non-programmer) to do?
4 – Is there any other options out there? Maybe one that is very
simple but is only good for just a one shot importing of these
Catagories?
5 – Would this Perl solution work for more then just Outlook
Catagories? Would it, for example, work for the Outlook Bar (we do
lots of shortcuts on there and have them named different things). I
believe all these are registry settings when you come down to it.
Thanks much…
|
Clarification of Question by
sherpaj-ga
on
18 Jun 2003 22:08 PDT
Hey webadept-ga, you there?
|
Request for Question Clarification by
webadept-ga
on
23 Jun 2003 09:11 PDT
I appologize for not getting back to you, I was sure one of the VB or
C++ guys would take this, thinking it more interesting to them than
me. I'll look into actully doing this in the next few days, I have a
copy of XP office I can load and check with.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have 3 questions
:-) There's always more than three :-)
1 - What all is involved in install Perl on their workstations? Does
it suckup resources when they are not doing this outlook Catagories
sync?
There is a thing called Scheduled Tasks, running on your system. It
runs all the time. You would put the name of the perl script in a
Scheduled Task, and tell it when to run. When the time came, it would
just run.
2 - What would this cost?? Is this "pushcat.pl program" an open
source thing or is that something someone has to program? We weren't
looking to spend much money.
I wrote one of these for an earlier version of Outlook, I think I can
find the code, and adjust it for the new XP version, and this bid you
have here would cover that.
3 – Is this easy enough for me (a non-programmer) to do?
All you have to do is edit a text file on the shared drive (you
mentioned S:) to add new categories and setup the a Scheduled Task on
each client.
4 – Is there any other options out there? Maybe one that is very
simple but is only good for just a one shot importing of these
Categories?
There is always more than one way of doing something. This one I can
do, I'm sure someone else could present something else. This one would
work for as long as you want it to. Each client would keep a list of
categories it has already installed, so when it found a new one on the
S:\ dirve it would install it then. So it add a new category in the
future, all you do is add it to the text file sitting on the S:\
drive.
5 – Would this Perl solution work for more then just Outlook
Catagories? Would it, for example, work for the Outlook Bar (we do
lots of shortcuts on there and have them named different things). I
believe all these are registry settings when you come down to it.
I don't know this one off hand I'll have to look into it this week.
What is your time frame for needing this? As you can see I've been a
little out of touch lately working on a large project. But I'm
definitely willing to help you as much as I can.
webadept-ga
|
Clarification of Question by
sherpaj-ga
on
23 Jun 2003 11:44 PDT
Thanks for your comments webadept-ga. Your solutions sounds good. I
guess it would just come down to price and timing. Our timing? Ideal
would be approx 2 weeks to have a beta thing going. Might be able to
hold off another week..maybe.
Would it be better to move this discussion into email? How can this
be done?
|
Request for Question Clarification by
webadept-ga
on
23 Jun 2003 18:03 PDT
Hi again,
E-mail isn't an option, and really everything we need for this we can
do here.
If the script can be done at all, it will be rather simple. So your
bid is fine for this if I do it. There's always the tip option if you
feel its worth more, but the researchers generally don't take
questions on, unless they agree to the bid in the first place.
There will be little in the way of installs on your clients. I will
have an answer for you by Friday or, let you know why it isn't
feasible. If another researcher feels that she/he can get it done
faster, then that is better for you.
webadept-ga
|
Clarification of Question by
sherpaj-ga
on
23 Jun 2003 22:44 PDT
thanks!
|
Request for Question Clarification by
webadept-ga
on
27 Jun 2003 14:09 PDT
Hi,
It is Friday, and I have an update. Seems no one else is going to do
this, so mine is probably the answer for you.
First off, Perl accesses this information and edits it very nicely. I
was rather pleased with the ease and accuracy this can be done. I've
tested it several times and it works really well.
Second, I discovered I can also access the calender, so I can put in a
message with a pop up alarm, which will tell the user that the change
has been made and what the new categories are. I'm adding that as an
option, you can use it or not.
I'm done with tests, I'm going to build it up now into a fuller
utility and post it the completed program with install and usage
instructions here by Monday as an answer to this question.
Again, you will need to install perl for windows on each of the
computers. I will supply you with instructions on how to do that.
thanks
webadept-ga
|
