Entourage 2008/Exchange 2007 and Broken Links in Plain Text Emails

[jwaataja]

We are having an issue with Links in Entourage 2008 SP1 emails. We
receive emails from third parties in plain text format with links. For
some reason Exchange 2007 is turning those plain text emails into html
and the links cannot be read by Entourage. This was not an issue with
Exchange 2003 and Entourage 2008. Emails received prior to Exchange
2007 are still formatted in plain text just the ones since Exchange
2007 come back as html.

Has anyone else experienced this and found a work around? From what I
understand. Entourage actually uses owa to connect to the Exchange
server. Has anyone found a setting that can be changed so Exchange
doesn't turn plain text emails into html?

 

[Carrie B.]

I have a similar problem I believe... We have an evoicemail system that emails voice messages, the email includes links that allow you to connect to the server to delete messages. Entourage appears to be ommitting parts of these links, basically anything that starts with a & ampersand.

Correct and working link: (from webmail client)
<https://evoicemail.XXX.edu/deletems...0000$0!1&MsgDT=5/22/2008 10:37:00 AM&CS=43489>

Incorrect or invalid link: (entourage 08 SP1)
<https://eVoicemail.XXX.edu/deletems...0010000000000$0!1=5/22/2008 10:37:00 AM=43489>

It is the same email message. Notice how it removes &Mailbox, &CCM, &MsgDT, and &CS.

I have tried toggling Preferences>Security>HTML Options, but do not see any other formatting or security options available to check.

It also seems that when sending a message with both correct and incorrect links through Entourage, it does not mangle to url.

 

[jwaataja]

I have a similar problem I believe... We have an evoicemail system that emails voice messages, the email includes links that allow you to connect to the server to delete messages. Entourage appears to be ommitting parts of these links, basically anything that starts with a & ampersand.

Correct and working link: (from webmail client)
 <https://evoicemail.XXX.edu/deletemsg.asp?SysID=3&Mailbox=45678&CCM=10...>

Incorrect or invalid link: (entourage 08 SP1)
 <https://eVoicemail.XXX.edu/deletemsg.asp?SysID=3=45678=10145678*44000...>

It is the same email message. Notice how it removes &Mailbox, &CCM, &MsgDT, and &CS.

I have tried toggling Preferences>Security>HTML Options, but do not see any other formatting or security options available to check.

It also seems that when sending a message with both correct and incorrect links through Entourage, it does not mangle to url.

Yes, this is the same problem we've been having. Links with & and
parameters don't display correctly.

 

[Mark N]

Having the same problem - this bug in Entourage 2008 SP1 has crippled our email signup services for every Entourage user who installed SP1, as links in plaintext emails (we use only plaintext) that contain sequences like &p have those sequences deleted by Entourage, rendering the links useless.

Major, major problem. Anybody have any ideas for a solution? I am amazed that Microsoft foists such a lame excuse for an HTML reader onto Mac users. As if the lame HTML capabilities weren't bad enough, now the lame HTML reader is destroying links in non-HTML emails!

 

[William Smith]

Correct and working link: (from webmail client)
<https://evoicemail.XXX.edu/deletems...0000$0!1&MsgDT=5/22/2008 10:37:00 AM&CS=43489>


Incorrect or invalid link: (entourage 08 SP1)
<https://eVoicemail.XXX.edu/deletems...0010000000000$0!1=5/22/2008 10:37:00 AM=43489>

Hi Carrie!

I've tried reproducing your problem using the examples above but I'm
unable to "break" the links.

Could you please send me one of your broken messages using Entourage's
"Forward as Attachment" feature (not just "Forward")?

I'd like to examine the full message for a potential idea for a
short-term fix.

You can send the message to mecklists att comcast dawt net.

I appreciate your help!

--

bill

William M. Smith, Microsoft Interop MVP - Mac/Windows
Entourage Help Page <http://entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>

 

[Carrie B.]

Hi Carrie!

I've tried reproducing your problem using the examples above but I'm
unable to "break" the links.

Could you please send me one of your broken messages using Entourage's
"Forward as Attachment" feature (not just "Forward")?

I'd like to examine the full message for a potential idea for a
short-term fix.

You can send the message to mecklists att comcast dawt net.

I appreciate your help!

--

bill

William M. Smith, Microsoft Interop MVP - Mac/Windows
Entourage Help Page
Entourage Help Blog

Bill, Diane Ross was looking into this from another post last month: <http://www.officeformac.com/ProductForums/Entourage/4086/3>

I have yet to hear a response. I went ahead and ran the most recent update for Office 2008 12.1.1 and it still does not address the issue.

Diane pointed out that the links appear fine when you read the source code for the email. Have yet to hear a solution. :eyeroll:

I will forward an attachment right now.

Carrie

 

[Carrie B.]

Wait, thinking about it I don't think I will because your "address" seems a little generic and un-microsoft associated. >:T

 

[Hui Nee Chin]

Hi,

Thanks for everyone's patience. We are currently looking into this issue.
If you're seeing this problem, please feel free to send sample emails
directly to huchin AT microsoft DOT com (please modify accordingly).






Regards,
Hui Nee Chin - huchinATmicrosoftDOTcom
Microsoft Entourage Test
Disclaimer: This mail is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
no rights.

 

[William Smith]

Wait, thinking about it I don't think I will because your "address"
seems a little generic and un-microsoft associated. >:T

I would hope it seems un-microsoft associated. I don't work for
Microsoft. MVPs are simply volunteers in the newsgroups who have been
awarded by Microsoft for their participation. ;-)

As for "generic", not sure what you mean by that. It's my home E-mail
account (obfuscated to stop robot spammers).

--

bill

William M. Smith, Microsoft Interop MVP - Mac/Windows
Entourage Help Page <http://entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>

 

[dikeman]

I would hope it seems un-microsoft associated. I don't work for
Microsoft. MVPs are simply volunteers in the newsgroups who have been
awarded by Microsoft for their participation. ;-)

As for "generic", not sure what you mean by that. It's my home E-mail
account (obfuscated to stop robot spammers).

--

bill

William M. Smith, Microsoft Interop MVP - Mac/Windows
Entourage Help Page <http://entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>

If you html-encode your URLs, links will look work in entourage (and
all other mail clients in our testing).

Example:

<a href="http://www.example.com?a=1&amp;b=1">http://www.example.com?
a=1&b=1</a>

 

[William Smith [MVP]]

If you html-encode your URLs, links will look work in entourage (and
all other mail clients in our testing).

Example:

<a href="http://www.example.com?a=1&amp;b=1">http://www.example.com?
a=1&b=1</a>

That may work in other E-mail clients but, unfortunately, it's not a
supported feature of any version of Entourage.

--

bill

Entourage Help Page <http://entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>
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