MAPIEx partially lost connection to Outlook

[LassiEskola]

We have been developing a few processes on a virtual machine (with the installed application set for the machine based on company policies and IT procedures) and things proceeding as expected. We ran into some conflict between Outlook 2016 and Skype for Business ("Your Outlook data file cannot be configured", which is apparently a well known and now aknowledged error) and decided to remove Skype from the machine as per the oft recommended solution to the issue. However, we ran into a different problem immediately afterwards: any of our processes running MAPIEx fails upon trying to send emails, unless Outlook is opened on the machine. We have tried reimporting the VBO to Blue Prism with no effect. Does anyone happen to know of an easy solution to the issue?

[Denis__Dennehy]

Hello, I have Office 2016 installed and I have just tested Mapiex sending an email when Outlook was closed. I am running Windows 10 64bit, and Office 365 or 16 32bit Obviously, that is no help to you!!! But at least it prooves that it should work and the likely cause of your issue is a local environment one rather than a product or interface issue. I would recommend uninstalling and reinstalling Outlook 32bit. It could be that unstalling Skype may have done something. It is also worth running through all the Outlook and Mapiex help on the knowledgebase. Also, maybe there is some kind of security software or setting locally on your PC preventing the interface? I guess the final option for you would be to start Outlook UI using the Start Process option before you send any emails. There is a /profile command line switch when starting outlook to select the Profile to use: https://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/commandlineswitches.htm

[LassiEskola]

Thank you for the reply! I notice I mispoke in my OP as we did indeed reinstall the entire Office package as well - not just removing Skype. I'm not so much doubting that the interface doesn't work, just confused as to why it would stop doing so after having already worked perfectly fine. I'm guessing we broke some connection, perhaps a .dll file connecting MAPIEx to an Outlook installation or the like? As to the final option, we're leaning towards it unless we find a solution, but it does feel like a bit of a kludge; we would also like to preserve memory wherever possible as it seems like a bottleneck in some of our processes.

[Denis__Dennehy]

Even though Office 2016 works for me (maybe I am lucky) the Blue Prism product is not yet certified for use with Office 2016. Support is only provided for Office versions up to 2013. Certified Office 2016 Support is planned for BP Version 6.2 which is due at the end of November 2017.

[JamesBarrett]

Office 2016 seems to work fine for me on version 5.0.24 and I use Skype for Business 2016. I haven't done anything with emails using Blue Prism for a few weeks, but I don't recall any problems.