Free Busy Feature of Outlook Shows Hash Marks Instead of Calendar Information

Greetings, barb007.

Did you each fill in the free/busy address path in the contact record for the other staff?

Cheers!

Yes, I did.  

I styled the address path \\tulsrv\shared\schedules\%username%.vfb
If I select start-run and put that in, it brings up the folder - I can see the vfb file of the person I am trying to schedule in that folder

Sorry, I'm a little confused.  Are you saying that on the Details tab of user #2's contact record you entered "\\tulsrv\shared\schedules\User2.vfb" in the Address field under the Internet Free-Busy section?  

yes, that is the location of the file on our shared network server

I understand that's the location of the vfb files, but is the name entered as I showed or is it entered as %username% like you showed?  If it's the latter, then that doesn't work.  The name needs to be spelled out.

the name is spelled out, ie, %twilkinson%

sorry for the time delay,but I am watching the Olympics.   Luciana Pavoratti was incredible.

No problem on the delay.  Are the percent signs actually there in the path, or are you putting them there in your post?  If they are actually in the path, then they need to be removed.

they are actually there in the path.  I will remove them and give it a try.

That got rid of the hash marks, but doesn't show the schedule

Check the .vfb file and make sure it has something in it.

The file has something in it.  When I click on scheduling it shows the sender and the receiver, and it looks like the information in blue is the same for both people.  For example, when I am a Bruce's computer I see his appointments in blue and I see George's appointments directly below him in blue at the same time, but I don't see blue on George's calendar for times when he actually has appointments.  When I go to George's computer and try to schedule Bruce, I see George's appointments and directly below him I see the same appointments as if they belonged to Bruce.  I do not see appointments that Bruce has scheduled on his calendar.

It sounds as if the FB information is being published to the wrong file, or that the contact records aren't set correctly.  Here's the way they should be.

1.  Bruce's computer.
    a.  Free/Busy Setting: \\tulsrv\shared\schedules\%name%.vfb
    b.  George's Contact Record: \\tulsrv\shared\schedules\george.vfb (change george as needed to match his .vfb file)
    c.  Barb's Contact Record: \\tulsrv\shared\schedules\barb.vfb (change barb as needed to match her .vfb file)

2.  George's computer.
    a.  Free/Busy Setting: \\tulsrv\shared\schedules\%name%.vfb
    b.  Bruce's Contact Record: \\tulsrv\shared\schedules\bruce.vfb (change george as needed to match his .vfb file)
    c.  Barb's Contact Record: \\tulsrv\shared\schedules\barb.vfb (change barb as needed to match her .vfb file)

3.  Barb's computer.
    a.  Free/Busy Setting: \\tulsrv\shared\schedules\%name%.vfb
    b.  George's Contact Record: \\tulsrv\shared\schedules\george.vfb (change george as needed to match his .vfb file)
    c.  Bruce's Contact Record: \\tulsrv\shared\schedules\bruce.vfb (change bruce as needed to match his .vfb file)

If these settings are in place already, then open each .vfb file and verify that it's got the correct information in it.

Unbelievable.  You were right on.  I can't thank you enough for your patience and ability to analyze my problem.  It is working perfectly.  I hope you end up at the top of the list.