OSX and M$ Exchange Server

[tismey]

Has anyone had any joy using OSX with Microsoft Exchange to read/send email? It's the last thing I need my work PC for, and I'd really like to be able to get rid of the horrible grey Dell box.
I have Outlook installed on my Virtual PC, but the missing networking functionality means I can't connect to the Exchange server, even though I can see it across the network.

I've read a couple of things in various places claiming that you can configure Mail to read Exchange mail, but doesn't give any hints on HOW (and I have a feeling that it wouldn't be possible to send mail this way). Entourage isn't Exchange server-savvy as far as I can tell (despite some rumours that it would be), and as far as I know there's no OSX version of Outlook yet (same rumours suggest there won't be).

[tismey]

I've managed to suss out 3 possible ways of connecting to an Exchange server, by the way, but they all have slight drawbacks.
1) is Outlook 2001, which works properly (that IS what it's designed for, after all), but you have to run it in Classic and it crashes within 2 seconds of connecting, which is fairly pointless. Might just be my setup, and I'd be interested to hear from anyone who is using it successfully under 9.2.1 Classic.
2) is Mail, which surprisingly works if you set it up as an IMAP account, but treats all the Outlook appointments/contacts like emails, which is a little unhelpful (you can't really complain though, cos it wasn't designed for them)
3) is Entourage 10, which I HAVE finally managed to get to work (IMAP account again). Downside to this is that it still can't use the appointments etc. But at least it just ignores them, rather than doing mental things to them. It is, unfortunately, also really ugly compared to Outlook.

[lbrandt]

I've been using Outlook in Classic under X for a couple of months. Seems to work as well as under 9, so it is possible to do. It is not an elegant application in any case. I hope their next release (I'm currently using version 9 build 1808) is better. The main problem I have is the incredible length of time it takes to do a remote synchronization (download of new email).

[tismey]

I trashed my Outlook profile and started again, and it will now stay open for a while, although it still has a tendency to crash. But at least I can use it.

Unfortunately, if I try to use my Calendar, it crashes it. <sigh> There's a few people on the newsgroup who've had the same problem, but no solutions as yet.

It turns out the Entourage/Mail solution is no good, as you can't SEND mail through it. Poo.

[dani++]

I am also trying to use MS Outlook 2001 under Classic (9.1.1) and it doesn't crash at all.

The login window dialog shows up (asking user, passwd and 'domain'). As a domain I use the DNS name of the exchange server here.

It seems to work but afterwards it says that the MS Exchange Server is unavailable. Retrying after that brings no results. I can choose to work offline but then it shows a dialog: "The set of folders could not be opened. The information store could not be opened." click on ok and outlook quits.


Has anybody encountered this behaviour?
I can ping the exchange server with no problems.


dani++

[hazmat]

Yeah, I just finally got it working now with a suggestion I saw here. In System Preferences/Network, add the Exchange server to Search Domains.

[dani++]

I have added our exchange server to the search domains of both os9 and osX. I have also upgraded to 9.2.1 (and also to get rid of those annoying classic startup messages).

It still refuses to connect, even thought it only refuses when you have correctly entered user and passwd information.

I can easily ping the exchange server and the name resolution is ok. Maybe a port scan should tell me something? Could anyone do a portscan of their exchange server and tell of any significant ports being open?

[PassY]

http://www.mozilla.org

a great program for all sort of platforms, and it has a mail function for connections to a exchange server or internet mail.