OL97: SwitchForms Utility for Outlook and Exchange

This article describes the purpose and use of the Switch Forms utility, included in the Microsoft Office 97 Resource Kit and available on the Microsoft Web site.

The Outlook and Microsoft Exchange clients each use a slightly different form technology. When you install Outlook, the setup program configures your system to run Outlook; switching to the Microsoft Exchange Client can cause slower performance. Since you may need to use both clients on the same computer, Office 97 includes a utility that allows you to indicate which client you are using and configure your computer appropriately. This utility allows you to switch between clients without any performance loss. The SwitchForms utility ships with the Microsoft Office 97 Resource Kit CD-ROM and is also available on the following Microsoft Internet Web site: With the SwitchForms utility, you can easily switch between the Microsoft Exchange Client and Outlook. Although you can view the same e-mail folders in both programs, each program installs its own forms for composing and reading messages. If you need to run both the Microsoft Exchange Client and Outlook on the same computer, use SwitchForms to register the correct forms.

NOTE: Using the wrong form with either mail client may result in a "Cannot create the item" error message.

The SwitchForms utility is intended for:

• Help desk personnel who support and run both programs.
• Microsoft Exchange Server public folder application designers who need to test their applications under both the Microsoft Exchange Client and Outlook.
• Systems professionals who run Microsoft Exchange Client for production use but need to evaluate Outlook.

Installing SwitchForms

Follow these steps to install the SwitchForms utility:

1. From the Microsoft Web site listed above, click the link to download the file Switchfm.exe and save it to your hard drive.
2. In Windows Explorer, double-click Switchfm.exe to run Setup.

The SwitchForms files decompress and install in the folder on your computer. The Setup also creates a Switch Forms menu item.

SwitchForms requires the form configuration files from the Microsoft Exchange Client, which the Microsoft Exchange Client Setup program installs automatically. SwitchForms also requires the Outlook 97 form configuration files, which the Typical option of Office or Outlook Setup does not provide. Follow these steps to install the Outlook form configuration files:

1. Run Office or Outlook Setup and click "Add/Remove."
2. In Options, click to select "Microsoft Outlook" and then click "Change Option."
3. Click to select "Visuals for Form Design."
4. Click OK and Continue.

Running SwitchForms

Before you use Outlook SwitchForms, quit the Microsoft Exchange Client or Outlook. Then use the following steps to run the SwitchForms utility:

1. On the Windows Taskbar, click Start and then Programs and Switch Forms to run the Regforms.exe file on your hard drive.
2. In the "Install forms for" box, click to select either "Microsoft Exchange Client" or "Microsoft Outlook" to indicate which program you want to switch to.
3. In the "Search for form configuration files" box, type the path for the form configuration files.
   
   You do not need to specify a full path. SwitchForms searches the folder you specify and all of its subfolders. By default, Microsoft Exchange Client form configuration files install in the folder:
   C:\Windows\Forms\Configs
   Outlook form configuration files install in
   C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Forms
4. Click OK to configure your computer for the appropriate forms.

NOTE: If you have Outlook or Microsoft Exchange Client files running on your computer, you may receive errors when you run SwitchForms. To correct this problem, restart your computer and run SwitchForms again. When SwitchForms has successfully completed, you will receive a message; if you do not receive the message, restart your computer and run SwitchForms again.

For more information on automatically switching forms, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: