OL97: E-Mail Forms Fix Utility

This article describes the E-mail Forms Fix Utility, and differences between it and the SwitchForms Utility.

This utility is for users of Microsoft Outlook 97 and the Microsoft Exchange Client who need to switch between the two e-mail clients. If you upgraded permanently to Outlook (and will never use the Exchange client) or you have not yet upgraded to Microsoft Office 97 or Outlook 97, you do not need this utility. This utility installs automatically upon download; it substantially improves e-mail client performance for users who install Outlook 97, but continue to use the Microsoft Exchange client for e-mail. It produces improved performance by automatically switching to the correct forms registration, based on your current e-mail client.

If you have Microsoft Outlook 98, you do not need this utility. In Outlook 98, the Forms Fix utility functionality is built into the program.

Differences Between E-mail Forms Fix Utility and SwitchForms Utility

The Forms Fix utility is for users frequently moving between Outlook and the Microsoft Exchange client; it runs in the background, without user intervention. The SwitchForms utility accomplishes essentially the same task, but you must manually run it each time you switch between e-mail clients. If used properly, both utilities increase mail client performance.

The E-mail Forms Fix Utility is available on the Microsoft Web site at: NOTE: Because the Microsoft Web site is regularly updated, the site address may change without notice. If this occurs, link to the Microsoft home page at the following address: This fix is included in Microsoft Outlook 97, Service Release 1.

Issues Running SwitchForms After Applying the E-mail Forms Fix Utility

If you run the SwitchForms utility after installing the E-mail Forms Fix utility, the E-mail Forms Fix utility may no longer work as designed. You can still use the SwitchForms utility to manually control forms registration, based on which e-mail client you will use next.

For more information on the SwitchForms utility, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: