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No history created or recorded in Act! versions 2011 (v13) through v20.0 when sending e-mail from Microsoft Outlook 2003 and later

  • Updated
Symptom:
When I try to send an email using Outlook 2003 or later, no history is created in my Act! database

Product Details:
Product Family: Act!
Product: Act! Pro, Act! Premium
Version: 2011 (v13) through v20.0

Environment:
Third Party: Microsoft Outlook 2003 and later



Cause:

There can be more than one possible cause for this issue:
  • History filters are not properly configured
  • Unsupported version of Microsoft Outlook
  • You have the desktop program and the Act! Premium (access via web) Outlook integration installed at the same time
  • History Recording is not enabled in the E-mail System Setup wizard
  • You are not sending from the default mailbox
  • There is no text in the body of your message
  • You are using Outlook 2016 version 16.0.6965.2058 or later versions
  • Administrative preferences set to not allow files and emails to attach (Sage ACT! 2011 and higher)
  • Preferences are configured to not attach history when e-mailing database users
  • Your computer hasn't been restarted in over 24 hours
  • The Act.Outlook.Service.exe is not running
  • The Act.Outlook.Service.exe is being blocked by your antivirus or firewall
  • The ACT! Address Book has not been properly added to Outlook
  • Insufficient Windows folder permissions for the folders of a shared database
  • Microsoft Word® is set as your e-mail editor (Outlook 2003)
  • The History Queue folder is backed up
  • File path to History Queue folder is incorrect in registry
  • ACT! Outlook add-in disabled
  • ACT! address book is setup with the wrong database.
  • Multiple versions of Microsoft Office are installed


Solution:


To resolve this issue, work through the sections below in the order they appear


History filters are not properly configured
It is possible that the history is recording, but your history filters may not be displaying the correct date range, History Type, or proper Record Manager.

  1. Click the Dates drop-down and ensure it’s set to All Dates
  2. Click the Types drop-down and ensure that Email and Correspondence is checked as a history type
  3. Click Select Users and ensure that the All users option is selected, then click OK
  4. Verify whether the email history appear in the list



Unsupported version of Microsoft Outlook)
History will not record if you are using a version of Microsoft Outlook that is not compatible with your version of Act!. For more information, refer to the following knowledgebase aritcle:

Supported Versions of Microsoft® Office by Version of Act!
Answer ID Supported Versions of Microsoft® Office by Version of Act!


You have the desktop program and the Act! Premium (access via web) Outlook integration installed at the same time

This issue can occur if you have the desktop version of Act! installed on the same machine that you have the web integration installed on. This will cause a conflict between the procesess used for Outlook Integration on the desktop program (Act.Outlook.Service.exe) and the process used for Outlook Integration in the web edition (APFW.Outlook.Service.exe) because they aren't designed to run side-by-side. To ensure fully functioning integration with Outlook, it is recommended that you have only one of them installed.

To resolve this:

  1. Choose whether you want to use the desktop version of Act! for your email history recording or whether you want to use Act! Premium (access via web) integration, then uninstall the one that you will not be using. For information on uninstalling either of these, refer to one of the following articles, respectively:

    How to uninstall Act! Pro, Act! Premium, or Act! Premium (access via web) v16 or later


    How to uninstall the Act! Premium (access via web) Outlook Integration


  2. Test recording email history



History Recording is not enabled in the E-mail System Setup wizard
In order for e-mail history to record, it is necessary to first configure history recording in the E-mail System Setup. For information on configuring history recording, refer to the knowledgebase article that applies to you below:

How to use Microsoft Outlook as your e-mail client in Act! versions 2011 and higher
Answer ID How to use Microsoft Outlook as your e-mail client in Act! versions 2011 and higher

How do I configure Microsoft Outlook as my email client in Act! Premium (access via web)?
Answer ID How do I configure Microsoft Outlook as my email client in Act! Premium (access via web)?


You are not sending from the default mailbox

E-mail history will only record if the email is sent using your default email box. If the email address you need to send from to record history for is not the default mailbox, you will need to change it. To do this:

  1. Click File &gt Account Settings &gt Account Settings...
  2. Under the E-mail tab, select the email address you want to use to record history with
  3. Ensure the selected email address is set as the default by clicking Set as Default
  4. Click Close
  5. Attempt to record history again to test

Note: After changing the default email address, if you wish to send email from the email address that was previously default, it will be necessary to manually select the email address from the "From" field of the message composition window going forward.



There is no text in the body of your message

Note: This does not apply if your message includes attachments. Only completely blank messages with no attachments.

History will not record if your message does not have anything in the body of the email. To test if this is your issue:
  1. Compose a new message addressed to a contact in your database that is not "My Record"
  2. Ensure that the body has text in it, and send it
  3. Wait a few moments and then check the history tab for that contact to see if the History was recorded



Administrative preferences not configured to allow files and emails to attach (Sage ACT! 2011 and later)
This can occur if your Administrative preferences have not been configured to allow files and emails to attach to the database. To resolve this:

  1. Log into Act! as an Administrator
  2. Click Tools > Preferences, then click the Admin tab
  3. Under the Attachments section, ensure the following options are enabled:
    • Allow files to be attached to this database
    • Allow e-mail messages to be attached to this database

  4. Click OK
  5. Test recording history again



You are using Outlook 2016 version 16.0.6965.2058 or later versions

Microsoft released an Office update containing an adal.dll file that creates a conflict with an Act! program file. This conflict is present in Outlook version 16.0.6965.2058 or later versions. For more information, refer to the following knowledgebase article:

Microsoft Outlook Contact and Calendar synchronization is not working when using Act! with Outlook 2016





Preferences are configured to not attach history when e-mailing database users

Note: If history is not recording for any of the contacts in the database, regardless of whether they are users, you can skip this section

If history is not recording when you're sending e-mail to other users in the database, the preferences may be configured to disable the history recording for messages sent between users of the database. To resolve this:
  1. Enable history recording between users by following the steps in the following knowledgebase article:

    How to disable or enable e-mail history recording between users of an Act! Database


  2. Test history recording again



Your computer hasn’t been restarted in over 24 hours
 
In some cases, if your computer hasn’t been restarted in over 24 hours, there could be leftover processes or services running in the background that could be keeping the Act.Outlook.Service.exe from having enough memory to run.
 
  1. Open the Task Manager and go to the Performance tab
  2. Under the system heading, check the Up Time section

    Note: This format is listed as DAYS:HOURS:MINUTES:SECONDS
     
  3. If it reads over 24 hours, save and close all of your programs and reboot the machine
  4. After the reboot, launch Act! and Outlook, then test to see if history records



Act.Outlook.Service.exe is not running or did not start properly
If the Act.Outlook.Service.exe process is not started or is not running properly, you may be able to resolve this issue by starting or restarting it using a batch file per the steps below:

  1. Depending on your version of Act!, download one of the following files from the File Attachments section of this article:
    • Act! v19 and later: AOSRESTART.bat
    • Act! v18 and earlier: AOSRESTART32.bat

  2. Double-click the downloaded file, then when prompted, press any key to continue
  3. Once prompted again, press any key to continue and close out of the command prompt
  4. Go back to Act!, refresh the view, then verify that the missing history records are now there


You can also verify that the Act.Outlook.Service.exe service is set to automatically start when you start up or reboot your computer. Follow these steps to verify this setting:
  1. Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to bring up the run dialog
  2. Type msconfig, then press Enter
  3. Click the Startup tab
  4. Scroll through the list of items until you find a Startup item called Act with a command line of one of the following depending on your operating system type and version of Act!:

    64-bit OS
    Act! Pro or Act! Premium: C:\Program Files (x86)\ACT\Act for Windows\Act.Outlook.Service.exe
    Act! Premium (access via web): C:\Program Files (x86)\ACT\Act for Web\Act.Outlook.Service.exe

    32-bit OS
    Act! Pro or Act! Premium: C:\Program Files\ACT\Act for Windows\Act.Outlook.Service.exe
    Act! Premium (access via web): C:\Program Files\ACT\Act for Web\Act.Outlook.Service.exe

  5. Ensure that the box for this item is checked, indicating that the service is set to automatically start when the computer starts up
  6. Click OK



The Act.Outlook.Service.exe is being blocked by your antivirus or firewall

Note: Swiftpage does not provide support for making modifications to your antivirus or firewall settings. For information on or assistance with adding exceptions to your antivirus or firewall, contact the vendor of your antivirus or firewall program.

This can occur if your antivirus or firewall is blocking Act.Outlook.Service.exe from running properly.
  1. Add Act.Outlook.Service.exe as an exception to your antivirus or firewall
  2. Reboot the computer
  3. Test recording history again


Important note for users of BullGuard Antivirus
 
BullGuard has been known to block Act.Outlook.Service.exe from running , and in some cases, remove it entirely. You can verify whether Act.Outlook.Service.exe is missing by browsing to one of the following locations, depending on the edition of Act! you have installed:
 
  • Act! Pro and Premium: C:\Program Files (x86)\ACT\Act for Windows
  • Act! Premium (access via web): C:\Program Files (x86)\ACT\Act for Web

    Note: If you’re on a 32-bit machine, change Program Files (x86) to Program Files in the paths listed above
 
If you do not see Act.Outlook.Service.exe listed in this directory, follow the steps below:
 
 
  1. Create a backup of your database by using the steps in the following knowledgebase article:

    How to back up and restore an Act! database
    Answer ID How to back up and restore an Act! database
     
  2. Uninstall Act! by using the steps in the following knowledgebase article:

    How do I uninstall Act!?
    Answer ID How do I uninstall Act!?
     
  3. Reinstall Act by using the steps in the following knowledgebase article:

    How do I install Act!?
    Answer ID How do I install Act!?
     
  4. Once the install is complete, ensure your preferences are set, then test to make sure history records 



ACT! Address Book Not Properly Added to Outlook

Outlook emails will not record in ACT! history if the address book for your ACT! database has not been properly added to Outlook. Please see the following Knowledgebase articles for the procedure to add the ACT! address book to Outlook:

How to Add My ACT! Address Book to Microsoft® Outlook® 2003, Outlook 2002 (XP) or Outlook 2000
Answer ID: How to Add My ACT! Address Book to Microsoft® Outlook® 2003, Outlook 2002 (XP) or Outlook 2000

How To Add My Act! Address Book To Microsoft® Outlook® 2007
Answer ID: How To Add My Act! Address Book To Microsoft® Outlook® 2007

How to add my Act! address book to Microsoft Outlook 2010, 2013, or 2016
Answer ID: How to add my Act! address book to Microsoft Outlook 2010 and later



Insufficient Windows folder permissions for the folders of the shared database

This error will occur if trying to access a database that has been shared, but the Windows user trying to access the database has insufficient Windows permissions to the shared database folders on the machine where the database is stored. To resolve this, ensure that the user’s Permissions are set to Full Control for the folders containing the shared database. For more detailed information on how to configure these permissions, refer to your Windows documentation.

Note: If you are not sure where to find your database files, refer to the following knowledgebase article for information on how to find your database files:

How to determine the location of an Act! database
Answer ID How to determine the location of an Act! database


Microsoft Word is Set as your E-Mail Editor (with Outlook 2003)
For users integrating with Outlook 2003 (this option is not available in Outlook 2007), this can also occur if you have Microsoft Word® set to edit your e-mail message in Outlook. You must disable this option. Use the following steps:

Note: The following information is provided as a convenience. Swiftpage does not provide support for Microsoft Products. For more information on this topic go to Microsoft.com.

Note: Images in your version of Outlook may differ slightly from the ones used in this Answer.
  1. Launch Outlook.
  2. Click the Tools menu, and then click Options. The Options dialog box appears.


     
  3. Under the Mail Format tab clear the Use Microsoft Office Word 2003 to edit e-mail messages option.
  4. Click Apply, and then click OK.
Note: This is not an option with Outlook 2010.


History Queue Folder
This issue can occur if the ACT! History Queue folder is backed up. The History Queue is a directory that email messages "pass through" between Outlook and ACT!. If there are messages that have become stuck in the History Queue folder, this can prevent ensuing messages from passing through to ACT! history. Follow the steps below to clear up the History Queue:
  1. Close ACT! and Microsoft Outlook.
  2. Open Windows Explorer and browse to the following directory:

    Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\ACT\ACT Data\History Queue
    Windows Vista, Windows 7: C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Roaming\ACT\ACT Data\History Queue


  3. Copy the History Queue folder and paste it to another location on your machine, such as your Desktop.
  4. Open the original History Queue folder and delete the entire contents of the folder
  5. Open your Windows Task Manager by going to your Start menu, selecting Run and typing in taskmgr. Windows Vista users will type this command in the Search box on the Start menu.
  6. Go to the Processes tab in the Task Manager, locate Act.Outlook.Service.exe, highlight it and click the End Process button. This will stop the ACT! Outlook Service.
  7. Browse to the following directory: C:\Program Files\ACT\Act for Windows.
  8. Locate the file Act.Outlook.Service.exe and double-click it to restart the service. Look under the Processes tab in the Task Manager again to verify the service is running.
  9. Send an email from ACT! to test if the emails are attaching to History.
  10. If successful, then you can go back to the copy of the History Queue folder you made in Step 3, and copy and paste the items from there into the original History Queue folder (see Step 2) a little at a time (perhaps 10-15 items). As the email messages get recorded into history, they will disappear from the History Queue folder. Please note that there are 2 files for each message - an .xml file and am .msg file.



File path to HistoryQueue folder is incorrect in registry
This issue can occur is the path to the HistoryQueue folder is incorrect or missing in the Windows Registry. Follow these steps to verify and correct if needed:
  1. Close ACT! and Outlook on your machine.
  2. Click your Windows Start button. Windows XP and Server 2003, click Run on the Start menu, then type regedit. For Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Server 2008, type the command in the Search box at the bottom of the Start menu. The Windows Registry Editor will open.
  3. In the left pane, navigate to the following registry key:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ACT\OutlookHistoryService\Desktop
  4. When you click the Desktop key, look in on the right-hand side, locate the item Qpath and double-click it to edit it.
  5. Modify the path to contain the location of the HistoryQueue folder on your machine.

    Default paths (according to your machine's operating system)
    Windows XP - C:\Documents and Settings\(Windows username)\Application Data\ACT\ACT for Windows(version #)\HistoryQueue
    Windows Vista, Windows 7 - C:\Users\(Windows username)\AppData\Roaming\ACT\Act for Windows (version #)\HistoryQueue

    It is important that this path contain the correct version number for your installation of ACT!:
    ACT! 2007 = 9
    ACT! 2008 = 10
    ACT! 2009 = 11
    ACT! 2010 = 12
    For Sage ACT! 2011 and higher the location will use ACT Data instead of Act for windows (version #)

    Examples:
    • For ACT! 2010 on a Windows Vista machine where the Windows username is "John", the path would be C:\Users\John\AppData\Roaming\ACT\Act for Windows 12\HistoryQueue
    • For ACT! 2009 on a Windows XP machine where the Windows username is "Lisa", the path would be C:\Documents and Settings\Lisa\Application Data\ACT\Act for Windows 11\HistoryQueue
    • For Sage ACT! 2012 on a Windows 7 machine where the Windows username is "Bob", the path would be C:\Users\Bob\AppData\Roaming\ACT\ACT Data\HistoryQueue


    Note: If the Qpath item it is not present in the registry, then you can create it by right-clicking on the Desktop sub-key in the left-hand pane, select New, then String Value. Name the item "Qpath" and then double-click it to add the file path information indicated above.
  6. When done editing the Qpath value, close the registry editor.
  7. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del on your keyboard and open the Task Manager.
  8. Under the Processes tab, highlight Act.Outlook.Service.exe and End Process on it. Close the Task Manager.
  9. Open Windows Explorer (My Computer) and browse to C:\Program Files\ACT\Act for Windows.
  10. In this directory, locate Act.Outlook.Service.exe and double-click it to restart the service.
  11. Reopen Outlook and ACT!, and send a test email.



ACT! Outlook Add-in Disabled
ACT! and other programs use a mechanism called an add-in to integrate directly with Outlook®. If the add-in for ACT! has been disabled in Outlook®, then this can be a cause for Outlook® emails not recording in ACT! history. Please click on the link below for your version of Outlook® to determine if the ACT! add-in is disabled:

Click to Expand/Collapse this section Outlook® 2003
Click to Expand/Collapse this section Outlook® 2007
Click to Expand/Collapse this section Outlook 2010 (Sage ACT! 2011 and higher) and Outlook 2013 (Act! v16 and higher)


Macro Security
To attempt to resolve this issue, reduce the macro security level to test if the ACT! add-in is being blocked from running.

click to expand/collapse this section Outlook 2002/2003
click to expand/collapse this section Outlook 2007 (ACT! 2008 and higher)
click to expand/collapse this section Outlook 2010 (Sage ACT! 2011 and higher) and Outlook 2013 (Act! v16 and higher)



Multiple versions of Microsoft Office are installed

This issue can occur if you have multiple versions of Office installed. You can check this by going to Programs and Features and checking for more than one listing of Microsoft Office. If more than one is listed:
  1. Uninstall one of the versions
  2. Test the history recording


Note: If the history recording still does not work, you may need to uninstall and reinstall Act! after uninstalling one of the versions of Office in order to get it to work

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