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Outlook Web Access to Microsoft Exchange Server

Outlook Web Access (OWA) allows any client with a compatible browser to access Exchange Server folders.

The "premium" version of OWA in Exchange 2003 looks and acts much like the Outlook 2003 desktop client, although it does not offer support for the Journal folder. The "basic" version looks more like previous versions. You may want to try both and see which is faster for the conditions your users are likely to encounter. Microsoft Exchange Server Introduction to Exchange Server 2003 has a good chart comparing the feature sets.

For Exchange 2000, you create applications using web forms. No conversion tool is available to turn Outlook forms into Exchange 2000 OWA forms. For resources and tools, see Microsoft Exchange Server Development Technologies. With Outlook 2002 and Exchange 2000, you can connect using OWA and Outlook 2002's support for HTTP mail servers (at least those that use WebDAV). The correct URL would be http://servername.domain.com/exchange/mailboxname.

There are issues using OWA on Vista because the dhtml text editor control used by OWA is not supported in Vista. The Exchange administrator should have installed the security patch for this on the Exchange server months ago, but many have not. The patch will fix this and a similar issue that affects Windows XP users who've installed the security patch described in MS06-013. The hotfix installs a new editor for Internet Explorer which uses an iframe instead of an ActiveX control.

If you are an end-user, contact your administrator. If you are an administrator, see the following links for more information and the hotfix. 

You receive an error message when you try to perform any editing tasks, or you must click to enable the compose frame in Outlook Web Access http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/911829.

MS06-013: Cumulative security update for Internet Explorer (July 2006)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/912812 

OWA Problems on Vista (Exchange Messaging Outlook Jan 4 2007)

OWA 5.5 specific content is now at  Outlook Web Access 5.5

OWA 2000 specific content is now at Outlook Web Access 2000

 

 

 Exchange 2003 | Troubleshooting | Tools | Samples | Discussion | More Information

Exchange 2003

OWA is built into Exchange 2003 and allows access to mail, contacts, calendar, and task folders, plus distribution lists. Still no support for journal items yet. See:
  • Exchange 2003 OWA first impressions
  • Outlook Web Access Does Not Use the Default Exchange Server 2003 User Interface When You View Public Folders
  • Forms-based Authentication -- Explanation, with screen shots, of this new logon security feature for OWA
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    Troubleshooting

    General

  • Search Folders Are Missing in Outlook Web Access
  • Exchange 20003

  • HOW TO Troubleshoot the 503 Service Unavailable Error Message in Outlook Web Access 2003
  • "Outlook Web Access Was Unable to Check the Spelling on This Item Due to an Error" Error Message When You Use the Spelling Checker
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    Tools

    ActiveNet OWA Companion   Tool to help OWA users manage attachments in their Inbox, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, and public folders more efficiently. Can display many attachments as text or HTML, show portions of attachments, perform remote faxing. Exchange 5.5 only.
    ActiveSend   ActiveSend completely integrates Outlook Web Access with the computer desktop to provide increased Outlook-like convenience and productivity. On its own, OWA doesn’t allow users to email files from within applications. The file must first be saved and then attached to a separate email message. With ActiveSend, Outlook Web Access users can easily send documents at any time while working within any application. ActiveSend also activates hyperlinks in email, documents and web sites to provide convenient single-click emailing capability
    ActiveSend 2007   Messageware ActiveSend 2007 enables Microsoft Office & other desktop applications to use OWA like Outlook. Send files with one-click File SendTo/MailTo commands. Toggle between OWA, Outlook and Outlook Express. Attach multiple files to an OWA email in seconds. Free evaluation software available.
    ActiveSend Personal   ActiveSend Personal is an individual-user license version of ActiveSend, which integrates OWA with Microsoft Office and other desktop applications. Features include the ability to email Microsoft Office files with a single click using OWA, email multiple files in a single click, and activate hyperlinks within documents and Internet Explorer. Users can try ActiveSend Personal free for 15 days.
    Airlock   Application security gateway designed to secure Outlook Web Access from application-level attacks.
    AttachView for OWA   AttachView allows OWA users to view documents as a secure web page without losing the ability to view Microsoft Word Track Changes revisions. Features include the ability to view revisions in Microsoft Word documents, view the revision date and author, color-coding differentiating revisions by author, at-a-glance, printable summary of revisions, hyperlinked index, Final and Markup document views. AttachView 8.5. Free trial is available.
    CalendarShare   Using CalendarShare 3.0, users can now set delegate access to calendars from within Outlook Web Access--acting as a delegate, requesting and accepting meetings and scheduling appointments for someone else. In addition, the CalendarShare retains current, popular features, including the ability to view up to five calendars side-by-side, viewing multiple calendars in day, week and month formats, tracking meeting attendee requests and convenient resource booking.
    Compoze Exchange Connector   Provides Java applications with an interface for real-time access to Exchange mailbox (but not public folder) data, for use in building custom portals and other collaboration applications. Includes Compoze Web Access, a sample web application with most of the functionality of Outlook Web Access.
    Digipass   Provides strong authentication security to Outlook Web Access on Exchange 2000. The VASCO RS Server can handle thousands of concurrent sessions. Users authenticate with a handheld Digipass device or smart card.
    FileWay Enterprise   Remotely access & view files on Network Folders/Shares from anywhere using a browser or PDA. Deploys standalone or with OWA, Sharepoint, and J2E Portlet connectors. Used globally from small to large enterprises. Access all corporate shares including users own PCs on LAN. Move, rename, upload, download, and view files located in shares and folders. Includes SecureView for viewing over 320 file types without the need for SW clients. Leaves no trace of views when session ends and meets corporate security requirements.
    HiPerExchange   Alternative browser-based client for Exchange that claims to provide 90% of Outlook client functionality with greater efficiency. Includes a data cache for offline use.
    Hot Lingo   Spell check add-in for Internet Explorer 5.0 or later supports rich-text format Exchange 2000 OWA messages.
    i405.com LiteMail   Stripped down version of Outlook Web Access for Exchange 5.5, for use by WAP and PDA devices.
    ISA Server Feature Pack 1   This update for Microsoft ISA Server adds support for two-factor RSA SecurID authentication for OWA and enforces 128-bit encrypted RPC for MAPI clients without a VPN.
    MasterKey.net   MasterKey.net extends the standard Outlook Web Access address book. It extends it by including support for LDAP. This means users can now search the LDAP or X.500 directory as well as the standard Global Address List and Contacts that are included out of the box. There is no change to the Outlook Web Access User Interface, nor is there any change in the user experience except when they open the address book, and click the 'Find names in:' drop down list.
    MaX Compression   Automatic Transparent Compression. MaX Compression Enterprise automatically zips or unzips all email attachments traveling within the enterprise, wherever they come from or go to. Seamless integration with Outlook and support of common actions such as drag & drop, forward; the native attachment icon is maintained throughout.
    MessageOne Custom OWA Wizard   Free service that builds custom Exchange 5.5 Outlook Web Access logon and logoff screens with your choice of color scheme and company logo.
    Messageware OWA Beta for Exchange 2010   Messageware is conducting a free public beta for their most popular OWA enhancements--OWA Print, ActiveSend and AttachView--which are now compatible with Exchange 2010. Messageware OWA Print is the first and only quality printing solution for OWA and OWA Light, Messageware ActiveSend allows users to easily send files using OWA and Messageware AttachView significantly extends the functionality of OWA’s WebReady Document Viewing feature.
    NowSpeed Mobile Office   Alternative to Outlook Web Access that speeds up access to Exchange folders via browser, and also provides mobile access via WAP, telephone, or PDA. Free 10-user license available.
    Outlook Web Access Address Book Enhancement   Free sample ASP code to make it possible to browse the Global Address List in Outlook Web Access. From CDOLive.
    OWA for WAP and PDA   Separate OWA versions for WAP and PDA devices, plus a mailbox size utility for OWA, for Exchange 2007, 2003, 2000, or 5.5. Version 8.80
    OWA Mail for Microsoft Office   Sets OWA as the default mail client so that Microsoft Office applications can send the current document via OWA by choosing File | Send To. mailto: links create an OWA message, as do Simple MAPI applications. For Exchange 2000 and 2003.
    OWA Permissions Control   Web application for viewing and modifying folder permissions. For Exchange 2000. Free.
    OWA Prevent   Allows users to classify and label OWA messages to prevent leakage of sensitive information. Administrators can also block viewing of certain messages over OWA depending on message sensitivity, or if attachments are present. For Exchange 2003.
    OWA Print for Exchange 2007   OWA Print provides users with a print capability that is simple to use and familiar to Outlook users, within OWA. This is a highly requested function as OWA 2007 has no Calendar printing capability other than Windows Screen Print, which results in poorly formatted print outs littered with extraneous information. OWA Print provides users of OWA and OWA Light the capability to see and print their daily, weekly and monthly calendars and schedules in multiple layouts.
    OWA Suite 2003   Messageware’s OWA Suite provides critical security and productivity features to Outlook Web Access. The Messageware OWA Suite brings together all seven Messageware Outlook Web Access enhancements in one bundle, including AttachView, Plus pack, an Calendar Share. For Exchange 2000/2003.
    OWA Suite 2009   OWA Suite 2009 brings together all of Messageware's Outlook Web Access enhancements in one bundle, adding capabilities not found in OWA 2007, such as the following calendar enhancements. Print any and all OWA screens with OWA Print. Import selected holidays or events into the calendar, enjoy enhanced new mail notification and for OWA Light users, view calendars by work week, by week and by month. For Exchange 2007. Free evaluation available.
    OWA Task Control   ASP page that allows you to work with tasks in Exchange 2000 Outlook Web Access. Does not support front-end/back-end configurations. Free, but unsupported.
    OWA themes for Exchange 2007 SP1   Xbox and Zune themes for OWA 2007.
    OWANotify   OWA Notify is a system tray Outlook mail icon for Outlook Web Access users. It checks your Exchange account for new mail via the WebDAV protocol. With OWANotify, you can monitor Exchange mail for multiple mailboxes, even residing on different servers. Works with NTLM or Forms Based Authentication.
    PipeBoost   HTTP protocol compression software for Microsoft Internet Information Server that claims to be able to speed up Outlook Web Access by a factor of 2 or 3.
    Plus Pack 2000 for Outlook Web Access   For Exchange 2000 OWA, provides server-side and client-side spell check, attachment compression, custom dictionaries (12 languages, plus legal and medical), addressing from personal contacts, personal signatures, logoff support, and an option to hide or customize the Change Password button. Blocks user attempts to create items with .exe or other file attachments from a list that administrators can manage. Clicking a mailto: link creates a new OWA message.
    Plus Pack 5.5 for Outlook Web Access   Adds spell checking, Outlook-like address book, signatures, and personal distribution lists to Outlook Web Access running on Exchange 5.5.
    Plus Pack for Exchange 2003   Plus Pack integrates key features such as Outlook-like addressing, global address list contacts, roaming personal dictionaries, and much more, transforming OWA into an intuitive, Outlook-like web mail application.
    Plus Pack for Exchange 2007   Plus Pack 2.0 for Exchange 2007 provides desktop Outlook functionality not previously available to the OWA user, including enhanced new mail notification, editable personal dictionaries, advanced calendar search, addressing enhancements and the ability to import special events and holidays. In addition, for OWA Light users, Plus Pack provides weekly and monthly calendar views, first-ever new mail notification and many other features.
    Public WEB PST for Outlook   Web access for Outlook without Exchange Server. With Public WEB PST for Outlook you will get a web access to Outlook, live without any time difference. Any updates made automatically in real time in the Outlook installation, from deleting messages or adding a new contact to scheduling a meeting or creating a new task. All items that you create mobile over Public WEB PST for Outlook are updated immediately in your Outlook installation in your office.
    SAFEmail.net   Boldon James have extended the Microsoft OWA client to support military message handling. The extensions encompass a number of military attributes embedded in the user interface and a security labeller that appears as a separate 'pop-up' dialogue when the user sends the message. These extensions, when applied to the Microsoft OWA client, mean it can be used as part of a military message handling system (MMHS).
    SessionGuard 2000   SessionGuard is Exchange security software that protects Outlook Web Access users from fraudulent use of their login credentials. SessionGuard ensures that an OWA user’s cached credentials cannot be reused to gain access to Exchange. In addition SessionGuard provides administrators the ability to set session timeouts to protect against forgetful users. Available for OWA 5.5, 2000 and 2003. (Was SecureLogoff)
    Web Mail S/MIME Agent   Allows Outlook Web Access users to send and receive digitally signed and encrypted messages. Webmail S/MIME now supports Exchange/OWA 2000 and is available in read-only mode
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    Samples

  • Outlook Web Access Public Folder Contacts Enhancement -- Allows you to display a Contacts folder from Public Folders with OWA for Exchange 5.5. 
  • Exchange Phone List Web Application -- A sample showing how to display the Exchange Server 5.5 GAL via CDO anonymous access.
  • Customer Contact Web Application -- Using an Exchange Server 5.5 public Contacts folder. 
  • SAMPLE Cdoasp.exe Creates Simple Mail Client Using CDO and ASP
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    More Information

  • Exchange 2000 and 2003 - All Technical Articles and Books / Updated -- contains all Exchange 200/2003 technical articles and books published through Oct 2003. (57 MB)
  • Server Tools for Mobile Access to Microsoft Exchange Server Data -- some offer additional alternatives to OWA for browser users beyond those in the Tools section above
  • How to Use Outlook Table Views with Microsoft Exchange Client and OWA
  • Microsoft Outlook Web Access Performance and Extensibility (Microsoft)
  • Using Outlook Web Access to check your mail when you're away from the office
  • Logging on to OWA with Only a Username
  • Windows XP SP2 breaks Outlook Web Access Technical Brief
  • Microsoft Online Seminars - Exchange Server
  • This page is printer friendly
    Updated Apr 13 2009

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