Comments on: Four ways for Mail users to beat Exchange’s public folders http://www.hawkwings.net/2007/01/25/four-ways-for-mail-users-to-beat-exchanges-public-folders/ Tips and add-ons to make Apple Mail / Mail.app even better Fri, 09 Jan 2009 06:18:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Histrionic http://www.hawkwings.net/2007/01/25/four-ways-for-mail-users-to-beat-exchanges-public-folders/#comment-77774 Histrionic Wed, 31 Jan 2007 14:28:13 +0000 http://www.hawkwings.net/2007/01/25/four-ways-for-mail-users-to-beat-exchanges-public-folders/#comment-77774 You can disable the IMAP Public Folder access on a per-user basis in Exchange 2003, and you don't need to do it globally. However, in limited testing, I've had an Apple Mail client in Tiger refuse to launch (it force quits) when this change is made on a user's Exchange account. In other testing, we've not had this happen. Just be forewarned, and prepared for the support call. As for changing the path prefix for an Exchange account, I would never advise this. It can break compatibility of your Exchange account's folders with other clients, like Outlook Web Access or Outlook, which will be bad if you need to log in with another client. If you are stuck with only a local fix that applies to your computer, locking the local cache folder seems to be the least destructive option. However, despite any warts, Entourage is a much fuller-featured Exchange client. Given that Apple is moving towards its own calendar server and has been so slow to address Exchange-related problems in Mail (really, Apple Mail is the only IMAP client I'd ever seen without the option to subscribe/unsubscribe from folders … Netscape Communicator 4 had this!), I doubt we'll see much improvement in the overall Exchange support situation from Apple. There is much more to Exchange than just mail. We'll see. You can disable the IMAP Public Folder access on a per-user basis in Exchange 2003, and you don’t need to do it globally. However, in limited testing, I’ve had an Apple Mail client in Tiger refuse to launch (it force quits) when this change is made on a user’s Exchange account. In other testing, we’ve not had this happen. Just be forewarned, and prepared for the support call.

As for changing the path prefix for an Exchange account, I would never advise this. It can break compatibility of your Exchange account’s folders with other clients, like Outlook Web Access or Outlook, which will be bad if you need to log in with another client.

If you are stuck with only a local fix that applies to your computer, locking the local cache folder seems to be the least destructive option.

However, despite any warts, Entourage is a much fuller-featured Exchange client. Given that Apple is moving towards its own calendar server and has been so slow to address Exchange-related problems in Mail (really, Apple Mail is the only IMAP client I’d ever seen without the option to subscribe/unsubscribe from folders … Netscape Communicator 4 had this!), I doubt we’ll see much improvement in the overall Exchange support situation from Apple. There is much more to Exchange than just mail. We’ll see.

]]> By: Dennis http://www.hawkwings.net/2007/01/25/four-ways-for-mail-users-to-beat-exchanges-public-folders/#comment-74878 Dennis Sat, 27 Jan 2007 05:59:03 +0000 http://www.hawkwings.net/2007/01/25/four-ways-for-mail-users-to-beat-exchanges-public-folders/#comment-74878 I was lazy. I just went in to my Mac and linked all the directories I did not want synced with /dev/null. It seems to work. I was lazy. I just went in to my Mac and linked all the directories I did not want synced with /dev/null. It seems to work.

]]> By: Jesse David Hollington http://www.hawkwings.net/2007/01/25/four-ways-for-mail-users-to-beat-exchanges-public-folders/#comment-73324 Jesse David Hollington Thu, 25 Jan 2007 17:56:14 +0000 http://www.hawkwings.net/2007/01/25/four-ways-for-mail-users-to-beat-exchanges-public-folders/#comment-73324 Somehow I knew you would.... :) Somehow I knew you would…. :)

]]> By: Tim Gaden http://www.hawkwings.net/2007/01/25/four-ways-for-mail-users-to-beat-exchanges-public-folders/#comment-72843 Tim Gaden Thu, 25 Jan 2007 12:57:19 +0000 http://www.hawkwings.net/2007/01/25/four-ways-for-mail-users-to-beat-exchanges-public-folders/#comment-72843 Fortunately, I do have a URL to hand :) "<a href="Rebuild your database and speed up Mail.app">Rebuild your database and speed up Mail.app</a>" Fortunately, I do have a URL to hand :)

“Rebuild your database and speed up Mail.app“

]]> By: Jesse David Hollington http://www.hawkwings.net/2007/01/25/four-ways-for-mail-users-to-beat-exchanges-public-folders/#comment-72838 Jesse David Hollington Thu, 25 Jan 2007 12:54:47 +0000 http://www.hawkwings.net/2007/01/25/four-ways-for-mail-users-to-beat-exchanges-public-folders/#comment-72838 Nice tips, thanks. It's important to note, however, that modifying the settings on the Exchange Server itself will affect <em>all</em> IMAP users' access to public folders, so is therefore only an option if you don't want to expose them at all. More importantly, however, turning OFF the public folders on the server-side does not remove them from your Mail folders, nor your spotlight index. If you're downloaded a lot of public folder information, this data will need to be cleared out manually be rebuilding the Envelope Index file (there are tips out there on how to do this, but I don't have any URLs handy right now). Nice tips, thanks.

It’s important to note, however, that modifying the settings on the Exchange Server itself will affect all IMAP users’ access to public folders, so is therefore only an option if you don’t want to expose them at all.

More importantly, however, turning OFF the public folders on the server-side does not remove them from your Mail folders, nor your spotlight index. If you’re downloaded a lot of public folder information, this data will need to be cleared out manually be rebuilding the Envelope Index file (there are tips out there on how to do this, but I don’t have any URLs handy right now).

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