Outlook 2003 does not exit with Act 2009 V11 Address Book Installed

[docEdoc]

Has anyone been able to get the outlook.exe process to automatically close after adding an Act 2009 address book to Outlook 2003?  

To create the problem 

• Add the Demo address book -- or an address book with only one record with only one email address that is known to be good -- to Outlook.
• View the Windows Task Manager Process List and notice that outlook.exe persists after Outlook exits.
• This occurs whether Act is open or closed and whether Outlook was launched by its shortcut or by Act Email Center.

This causes subsequent errors

• Repeatedly opening and closing Outlook causes a hang on the fourth or fifth launch, with the Outlook error "the operation failed". Ending all outlook.exe processes dismisses the error and allows a subsequent launch of Outlook to open.
• Sending a second email from within Act causes the Act error "Creating an instance of the COM component with CLSID {...} from the ICLASSFactory filed due to the following error: 80004005. Ending the outlook.exe process allows subsequent emails to be sent. However, dismissing the error and attempting to send another email causes the error ActEmail.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close
• In some circumstances sending a subsequent email via Act causes the Act error "The RPC server is unavailable ..."

Problem is not due to interaction with other applications or the sequence in which Office 2003 and Act are installed. I can duplicate the problem on a stripped PC

• Dell Vostro E220 dual CPU 2.20 GHz with 2GB RAM
• WinXP SP3 with no antivirus, no firewall other than Windows Firewall, no ITunes or any other Outlook addins, almost no other applications
• Office 2003 with or without Office SP3
• Office installed and upgraded to SP3 (or not) prior to or after Act install.
•  Chris who is second level Act support support confirmed the problem on his WinXP SP2 PC, suggesting that it is general.

I've been working with Act level 2 tech support and they committed to take this to the developers by reopening a trouble ticket that was previously closed due to being unable to duplicate the problem. More to follow . . .

[dlunceford]

The support agent is correct.  We are currently looking into the issue.  I will follow up when I receive any updates.

[docEdoc]

Thanks for the update.

Until there's a fix I'm using "Shutdown Addin for Outlook" from http://www.daveswebsite.com to see if it will do as a work around. So far I've had good results, at least on a stripped system without ITunes and the like to muddle up things. With the Shutdown Addin outlook.exe behaves as expected whether Outlook is launched by Act or its own shortcut.

[docEdoc]

As has been discussed in other threads, we have found that both Outlook 2007 and 2003 have the problem in which outlook.exe fails to exit when Act closes. Outlook 2007 differs from 2003 in that outlook.exe will close if the process was started by Outlook itself, rather than being launched by Act.

To duplicate the problem:

Using WinXP SP3, with Act 2009 email (Email setup = E-mail systems: Microsoft Outlook, Outlook address books: \\(local)ACT!!Demo (default), E-mail editor: Microsoft Outlook Send email from Microsoft Outlook).

With Act 2009 open and Outlook 2007 closed, click the Act Email icon and then either send or cancel the resulting email.

Close Act and outlook.exe persists in the Windows Task Manager list.

Attempting to launch Outlook from the Start menu fails until the orphaned outlook.exe launched by Act is closed via Windows Task Manager.

The work around appears to to have Outlook 2007 open prior to creating an email, or perhaps to have it open anytime Act is open.

Today Act Technical support stated that the Act Developers are working the outlook.exe issue but a fix is not currently available.

[dlunceford]

Correct, the issue is being looked into.  I will provide an update if the status changes, or if an alternative workaround (besides killing the process) to this issue is identified.

I apologize for any inconvenience this issue may cause.

[docEdoc]

Updating Act 2009 to V 11.1 failed to resolve this problem.

We tested on a WinXp SP3 system running Outlook 2003, Act, Windows Firewall, Acronis True Image and not much else (no antivirus, no ITunes, no other applications).

Has anyone found a workaround other than:

• Installing Shutdown Addin by David Levinson
• Killing the Outlook.exe process from Windows Task Manager

David, since Sage advertises Act as being compatible with Outlook 2003 and it clearly is not, what is the plan to remedy this situation?

[Default]

Did some research and this issue isn't unique to the Act addin or address book. This is an issue for Outlook users with other com addins, AV addins and a few other paramaters.

Having a shutdown issue does not incompatability make.

[dlunceford]

The issue is still under research.   I will provide an update if the status changes, or if an alternative workaround to this issue is identified.

ACT! is compatible with Office.  The issue is specific to environments.  Not all users using the integration experience this issue.

[docEdoc]

David,

Thanks for the reply and the assurance that Act! is compatible with Office.

Can you elaborate on the environment in which Act is compatible with Office 2003? I ask because I'm trying to determine if we're doing something wrong in terms of hardware and software configuration. Again, despite much experimentation, we are unable to find a Windows XP, Outlook 2003, Act 2009 environment in which Outlook.exe shuts down.