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General Troubleshooting Guide For Issues With ACT! and Microsoft Outlook

  • Updated
You are attempting to resolve e-mail issues when using Microsoft Outlook through ACT!.

Issues when using Microsoft Outlook with ACT! can result from several causes. Follow the instructions in each section below, and then test your desired functionality until the issue is resolved. In addition, you can find located at the bottom of this Answer additional Knowledgebase resources for troubleshooting Outlook integration.

Order of Installed Applications:
For the successful integration between Microsoft Outlook and ACT!, it is important that Outlook be installed before ACT!. If you installed ACT! before installing Microsoft Outlook, you will need to uninstall and reinstall your ACT! software. For information on uninstalling and reinstalling ACT!, refer to the following Knowledgebase Answers.

Click to Expand/Collapse this section Uninstall ACT!
Click to Expand/Collapse this section Install ACT!

Default E-mail Client:
Microsoft Outlook must be set as the default e-mail client for Windows. Use the steps below to verify this setting:
  1. Close ACT! and Outlook.
  2. Open Internet Explorer.
  3. Click the Tools menu, then click Internet Options. The Internet Options dialog appears.



  4. Under the Programs tab, make sure that the E-mail field displays Microsoft Outlook.
  5. Click Apply, then click OK.
  6. Exit Internet Explorer.

Microsoft Word as E-mail Editor (only applies to ACT! 2007 used with Outlook 2003):
If Microsoft Outlook uses Microsoft Word to edit e-mail messages, this can interfere with other programs communicating with Outlook. Also, Outlook needs to be set to compose messages in HTML format. In addition, it is recommended that the options for Microsoft Word to edit or read Rich Text e-mail messages be cleared (as illustrated below).

Please use the steps below to verify these settings:
  1. Close ACT!.
  2. Open Outlook.
  3. Click the Tools menu, then click Options. The Options dialog appears.



  4. Under the Mail Format tab, be sure that HTML is displayed in the Compose in this message format: field. (Rich Text may also work, the important thing is it NOT be set to Plain Text.)
  5. Clear the Use Microsoft Word to edit e-mail messages and the User Microsoft Word to read Rich Text e-mail messages options.
  6. Click Apply, then click OK.

Using MS Outlook 2003 through an Exchange Server with Cached Mode Enabled:
If you are using MS Outlook 2003 through an Exchange server, issues can arise if Cached Exchange Mode is enabled. Follow the steps below to ensure that Cached Exchange Mode is not enabled in your Microsoft Outlook 2003 E-mail account:
  1. Close ACT! and open MS Outlook.
  2. Click the Tools menu, and then click E-mail Accounts. The E-mail Accounts dialog box appears.
  3. Enable the View or change existing e-mail accounts option is enabled, and then click Next. Another E-mail Accounts dialog box appears.
  4. In the Outlook processes e-mail for these accounts in the following order list, click the Exchange Server e-mail account, and then click Change. A third E-mail Accounts dialog box appears.
  5. Ensure that the Use Cached Exchange Mode option is clear, and then click Next. The second E-mail Accounts dialog box re-appears.
  6. Click Finish, close and then reopen MS Outlook to complete the process.

Ensure that the ACT! Add-In is selected:
  1. Open Outlook.
  2. Click Tools and select Options.
  3. Click the Other tab and click the Advanced Options button.
  4. Click the Add-In Manager button. The following Add-In Manager dialog box appears:



  5. Check the box next to ACT! Extensions if it is not already checked then click OK.
  6. Click OK on the Advanced Options dialog box and click OK on the Other dialog box to close the window.

ACT! Add-In Disabled in Outlook:
  1. Open Outlook.
  2. Click Help, then click About Microsoft Outlook (Outlook 2002, 2003) or Disabled Items (Outlook 2007).
  3. In the lower right-hand corner, click the Disabled Items button.
  4. If you see any items referencing ACT! in the name, highlight them and click Enable.
  5. Close Outlook and ACT!.
  6. Restart Outlook.

Extend.dat File
You may be able to resolve issues with ACT! and Outlook integration by renaming the extend.dat file found in the Outlook directory. The location of this file is as follows depending on the version of Windows you are using:
  • Windows XP / Server 2003: C:\Documents and Settings\(username)\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook
  • Windows Vista, Windows 7, Server 2008: C:\Users\(username)\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook


  • Note: In the above file paths, (username) would be your Windows account name.
First close ACT! and Outlook on your machine. Then in this directory, locate the extend.dat file and rename it to extend.dat.old. When you reopen Outlook, a new extend.dat file will be created.


Conflicts

The antivirus software and firewall have a major impact on ACT! integration with Microsoft Outlook.

Whilst troubleshooting integration with Microsoft Outlook, Norton AntiVirus 2006 should be turned off.

Add the following files to the firewall's Exception List:

  • actsage.exe - Located within C:/Program Files/Act/Act For Windows
  • actemail.exe - Located within C:/Program Files/Act/Act For Windows
  • act11.exe - Located within C:/Program Files/Act/Act For Windows
  • sqlbrowser.exe - Located within C:/Program Files/Microsoft SQL Server/90/Shared
  • sqlservr.exe - C:/Program Files/Microsoft SQL Server/MSSQL.1/MSSQL/Binn

For further information about this, please refer to the firewall documentation or article Using your antivirus/firewall software with Act!

To reduce the risk of conflicts, restart the PC in Selective Startup mode. For further information about this, please refer to article How To Restart in Windows Selective Startup Mode



Registry Keys

There are two different keys that Sage ACT! adds for Act9ext.dll:

  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Exchange\Client\Extensions (ACT! by Sage 2007 and below)
  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SharedDLLs

Ensure that Act9Ext.dll exists in both locations and that the Value Data is set to
4.0;C:\WINNT\system32\Act9Ext.dll;1;11111111111111;1111111 and 1 respectively.

Damaged Microsoft Office Application:
Various issue can occur if Microsoft Outlook is damaged. It is recommended that you run the Detect and Repair (Outlook 2000-2003) or Office Diagnostics (Outlook 2007) procedure in Outlook in an attempt to resolve issues:

Note: You may need your Microsoft Office Installation CD to perform the Detect and Repair, depending on how Outlook was installed on your machine.
 
Outlook 2000/2002(XP)/2003
Microsoft Office 2003/2002 (XP) and 2000 have a Detect and Repair function that can resolve issues with the installation and configuration of Outlook. This feature may also be able to repair corrupt e-mail messages that can cause issues. Use the following steps to Detect and Repair Microsoft Outlook:

Note: The following information is provided as a convenience. Sage Software, Inc. does not provide support for Microsoft Products. For more information on this topic go to Microsoft.com.
  1. Close ACT! and any other running programs.
  2. Open Outlook.
  3. Click the Help menu, then click Detect and Repair. The Detect and Repair dialog appears.



  4. Enable the Discard my customized settings and restore default settings option, then click Start. You may be prompted to insert the Microsoft Office Installation CD.
    Note: Checking this option will clear your custom settings and options in Outlook. Do not check this box if you wish to retain these settings.
  5. Once the Detect and Repair is complete, restart your computer.

Outlook 2007
Office 2007 has an Office Diagnostics process which can detect and possibly fix issues with Office 2007 applications.
  1. From Outlook, go to Help, then click Office Diagnostics. Then click Continue. The Start Diagnostics screen will appear:




  3. Click Run Diagnostics to start the procedure.
For additional details regarding the Detect and Repair utility, refer to the link below for your version of Microsoft Office:

SCANPST.EXE - The Outlook Inbox Repair Tool:
The Microsoft Outlook data file that stores e-mail messages is the Personal Folders (.pst) file. The Personal Folders (.pst) file can be assigned to be the default delivery location for e-mail messages or you can use a Personal Folders (.pst) file to back up or organize e-mail messages.

If ACT! is not able to open the Personal Folders (.pst) file, or you suspect that this data file is damaged, you can use the SCANPST.EXE file to diagnose and repair errors. If your mailbox is located on a Microsoft Exchange Server, it is not necessary to run this executable file to repair your Inbox.

The Inbox Repair tool is installed when you install Microsoft Outlook and works on both the Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders File (.pst) and the Outlook Personal Folders File (.pst) data files.

For information on using the Outlook Inbox Repair Tool click the link below:
Creating a New Outlook Profile:
Outlook uses Profiles to store e-mail account information (including where your e-mail is stored). A Profile is created the first time Outlook is opened. Most users only need one Profile. However, you may find it to your advantage to create more than one Profile; if (for example) you need a personal e-mail account that is different from your work e-mail account. If you share your computer with other users, their e-mail accounts and settings can be kept in a separate Profile.

For additional information regarding Outlook Profiles, click the following link:
Note: The following information is provided as a convenience. Sage does not provide support for Microsoft Products. For more information on this topic go to Microsoft.com

Before creating a new profile it is highly recommended that you back up your current Personal folders (.PST) file. for more information, please refer to the following Microsoft Knowledge Base document:

Title: How to Back Up, Restore, or Move Outlook Data
Document ID : 196492
Web URL:  http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;196492

For more detailed instructions on creating a new Outlook Profile, please refer to the following Knowledgebase Answer:

Title: How to Add a New Profile to Microsoft Outlook
Answer ID: How to Add a New Profile to Microsoft Outlook

Additional Resources Troubleshooting Outlook Integration:
To view additional resources related to troubleshooting issue that occur with Outlook Integration, please refer to the following Knowledgebase Answers Below:

Title: ACT! Icons Missing From Outlook® Tool Bar
Answer ID: Act! icons missing from Microsoft Outlook toolbar in Act! versions 2006 (v8) through v21
Title: Error: The ACT! Address Book service is not properly configured, or one of the configured databases is locked. Do you want to configure it now?
Answer ID: Error: The ACT! Address Book service is not properly configured, or one of the configured databases is locked. Do you want to configure it now?
Title: Outlook® is Missing as an Option in the ACT! E-mail Setup
Answer ID: Outlook® is Missing as an Option in the ACT! E-mail Setup
Title: No History Created When Sending E-mail from Microsoft® Outlook® 2003/2007
Answer ID: No history created or recorded in Act! versions 2011 (v13) through v20.0 when sending e-mail from Microsoft Outlook 2003 and later
Title: Error: "Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation" When Launching Outlook®
Answer ID: Error: "Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation" When Launching Outlook®
Title: Error: "Object reference not set to an instance of an object" or "Unable to cast COM object of type 'Word.ApplicationClass' to interface type 'Word._Application'" When Attempting to Write Letter or Send E-mail
Answer ID: Error: "Object reference not set to an instance of an object" or "Unable to cast COM object of type 'Word.ApplicationClass' to interface type 'Word._Application'" When Attempting to Write Letter or Send E-mail
Title: Error: Activities Do Not All Transfer When Updating ACT! and/or Outlook Calendars
Answer ID: Activities Do Not All Transfer When Updating ACT! and/or Outlook Calendars
Title: Outlook® Remains Open in Task Manager After Closing
Answer ID: Outlook® Remains Open in Task Manager After Closing
Title: Unable to Click in Body of Outlook® E-Mail Message or Microsoft® Word Document
Answer ID: Unable to Click in Body of Outlook® E-Mail Message or Microsoft® Word Document
If you would like to discuss the content of this article with other ACT! users, please visit the ACT! Online Community. The ACT! Online Community is moderated by Sage and provides the opportunity to give and receive feedback from other ACT! users. To find posts on a specific topic, you can use the Community's built-in search feature.

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