Failed to export the report - Autosoft Windows 7/Server 2008 and Outlook 2007 e-mail problems

Problem:

Unable to generate e-mails from Autosoft, comes up with an error  - ‘Failed to export report’

Cause:

Microsoft made some changes to email programming interface (MAPI) for Windows 7 and Windows server 2008 from XP and Vista. The reporting engine that Autosoft uses is Crystal Reports. Crystal Reports generates the invoices and reports from Autosoft that can be emailed.

The interface between Crystal Reports and the updated Microsoft MAPI interface is where the problem is occurring. Computers running Office Outlook 2007 are affected. Outlook 2003 or earlier seems to be unaffected.

Resolution:

While the developers of Crystal Reports and Microsoft work come up with a permanent resolution, there is a workaround that can be implemented:

Windows 7/Server 2008 32bit versions

The workaround is to replace the affected windows 7 system file with a copy of the same file from a Vista operating system. The Vista version contains the correct compatibility to allow the e-mail functionality to work. It does not seem to affect the operation of other programs.

To implement:
• From a 32 bit Vista machine, locate the mapi32.dll file in the c:\windows\system32 folder and save it to a USB stick or network folder.
• On the Windows 7 PC, do the following:
• Save a copy of the Vista 32 bit version of mapi32.dll to the c:\temp folder, or note the folder that you save it in.
• Close Outlook 2007
• Close Autosoft
• Click on the start icon
Type in the letters 'cmd' and then hold down the ctrl key, the shift key and press the enter key. This will start up a command prompt in administrator mode
• At the command prompt type the following command:
C:\windows\system32>takeown /f c:\windows\system32\mapi32.dll

Press enter and you will see the following output:

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]

Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>takeown /f c:\windows\system32\mapi32.dll

SUCCESS: The file (or folder): "c:\windows\system32\mapi32.dll" now owned by user "USERNAME".

C:\windows\system32>

In the above example, you can see the words “USERNAME”, on your screen, the USERNAME will be replaced with a different name, note what it is and write it down.

• Now type the following command, where the word USERNAME is used, substitute this for the username you wrote down in the previous step:

C:\Windows\system32>cacls c:\windows\system32\mapi32.dll /G USERNAME:F

Press enter and you will be prompted to confirm the command

Are you sure (Y/N)?Y

Type in ‘Y’ and press enter and you will see the following output:

processed file: c:\windows\system32\mapi32.dll

• Now type the following command:

C:\Windows\system32>rename c:\windows\system32\mapi32.dll mapi32.dll.orig

Press enter

• Now we need to copy the Vista mapi32.dll to the c:\windows\system32 folder. If the Vista mapi32.dll file is in the c:\temp folder type the following command:

C:\Windows\system32>copy c:\temp\mapi32.dll c:\windows\system32\mapi32.dll

                Press enter.

Testing:

Open Autosoft and try sending an e-mail report, the mail should send now with no errors.

Windows 7/Server 2008 64-bit versions

The fix is the same as above except replace the system32 folder with sysWOW64

So in the case of the initial line of text:

C:\Windows\sysWOW64>takeown /f c:\windows\sysWOW64\mapi32.dll