Use Outlook COM objects from shared profile/Install MAPI

System: Windows 2000, Exchange 2000, Outlook XP (2002)

I have made a program that accesses an Outlook public appointments folder by creating an Outlook.Application OLE object.  It allows the user only to add appointments at certain times and 1 hour blocks.  It works just fine under my profile.

My problem now is that there is a group of about 50 users that have a shared mandatory Windows profile and do not have an Outlook profile (using a group policy, Outlook.exe is blocked).  I somehow need to be able to access the public folder anyway.

Possible solution #1:
Create a "dummy" Exchange 2000 account (by creating a new user in Active Directory) that everyone uses.  Set it up for the shared profile.

Problem:
olFolder := olNameSpace.Folders('Public Folders').Folders('All Public Folders').Folders('Appts');
gives a "You do not have permission to log on" error, even though I gave the "dummy" user "Owner" permissions.


Possible solution #2:
Use MAPI.Session instead of Outlook.Application.  This will provide the ProfileInfo parameter in the olNameSpace.Logon method (look at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q195662).

Problem:
During runtime, olApp := CreateOleObject('MAPI.Session'); gives the error "Invalid class string".  I have installed Outlook 2002 and set up an Exchange account, which should have installed MAPI, but apparently it hasn't.  I've searched all over the web and can't find any other way to install it (or make sure it is).

Possible solution #3:
Do you have any? :)

So in summary, I need to somehow install MAPI so "MAPI.Session" will work, or fix "You do not have permission to log on".

Any help is appreciated.  I am out of ideas right now.View the Solution FREE for 30 Days