News

Exchange Server 2010 SP1 RU5 Arrives, Sans Outlook Fix

• By Kurt Mackie
• 08/26/2011

Microsoft released Update Rollup 5 (RU5) for Exchange 2010 Service Pack 1 this week, but it deferred including a fix for an Outlook problem that stalled its earlier RU4 update.

The problem with RU4 was described by Microsoft in July after users applied the update. Some encountered a copy and move problem associated with public folders in Outlook using Exchange 2010 SP1. The files seemed to disappear after the copy and move operations were executed. Instead of moving properly, the files would end up in the recoverable items folder. Microsoft warned IT professionals not to apply RU4 because of this problem. Those who had applied RU4 were directed to contact Microsoft Customer Support to get an Interim Update.

Microsoft said it would include a fix for this public folder copy problem with RU5. However, although RU5 was released at the Microsoft Download Center on Tuesday, the copy and move problem is still being worked on, according to a Microsoft Exchange team blog post.

"With regard to the ability to recover a deleted public folder, this fix was not included in RU5 as further testing revealed a problem with the identified fix," stated Brent Alinger of Microsoft, in the comments section of the blog. "We are still working on a resolution to this issue and it will be included in a future Rollup or Service Pack when it resolves the issue satisfactorily and has been fully validated."

Apparently, the Interim Update solution provided by Microsoft Customer Support also did not fix the public folder recovery issue. Those who did install the Interim Update must uninstall it first before applying RU5, according to the Exchange team blog.

"Interim Updates are build specific," explained Ross Smith IV of Microsoft in the comments section of the blog. "You cannot install a newer rollup if you have an IU installed. You have to first uninstall the IU before installing a newer rollup."

The RU5 release contains a number of specific fixes, highlighted by Microsoft:

• RU5 fixes a problem with PDF attachments sent from a Mac Mail clients that don't appear when read with Outlook 2010 when using Exchange Server 2010.
• A ChangeKey synchronization problem with Outlook for Mac 2011 on Exchange Server 2010 is fixed.
• An Outlook problem on Exchange Server 2010 was fixed where users could not delete folders starting with special characters in the folder name.
• A problem with Outlook Web App Premium on Internet Explorer 7 and Exchange Server 2010 was fixed where e-mail attachments could not be saved if the subject line of the e-mail started with a special character.
• A bundle of other issues described in Knowledge Base article 2582113 got fixed too.

Microsoft is planning to make RU5 available via Microsoft Update in late September, although it's available at the Microsoft Download Center now. The next update, RU6 for Exchange Server 2010 SP1, is expected to arrive in October.