Hi, I have Exchange 2007 and Outlook 2003 Clients. We use shared mailboxes configured as additional mailbox in Outlook Clients. Lot of users are complaining that when Same shared mailbox is configured in multiple Machines in outlook, there is random delay in receiving mails and updation of read/unread status of mails. For example a Shared Mailbox "HelpDesk" is configured in 5 -6 Helpdesk Users Machine. The users are saying that they receive a mail in Helpdesk mailbox, set its status to read, and start working on the mail. after a random delay same mail is recieved at another User's Outlook as new/unread mail and that user also starts working on the same mail which creates confusion and duplication. Need help....Thanks

Looks for me as being related to the cached mode in Outlook. Can you connect to the shared mailbox via OWA and keep an eye how quick the items being updated and to watch simultaneously the behavior in Outlook? Try to disable cached mode and check the behavior again. Regards Eduard Filimonov

Hi Eduard, Thanks for the suggestion, but users dont have OWA Acces, Any Ideas how to disabel cached mode ? we are using outlook 2003 ...Thanks...

On the Tools menu, click E-mail Accounts.In the E-mail Accounts dialog box, click View or change existing e-mail accounts, and then click Next.Make sure that Microsoft Exchange Server is selected, and then click Change.In the E-Mail Accounts dialog box, click to clear the Use Cached Exchange Mode check box, and then click Next.Click OK, and then restart Outlook 2003. Whole description can be found here By the way, you don't need to give OWA access to your users, but enable this particular shared mailbox temporary for testing.

Hi Eduard The "Use Cached Exchange Mode" is already disabled . Regarding the OWA access, since the mailbox in question is shared mailbox whose account is disabled in AD, how to give users OWA access for the shared Mailbox ? Thanks

In this case you can try the following, activate OWA feature for shared mailbox and let a user having access to it to connect to your OWA server using http(s)://YourOWAServer/exchange/sharedmailboxname

Don't cache the shared MB's, in outlook go to account settings, more settings, advanced tab, make sure cached exchange mode settings the download shared folders is not checked. James Chong MCITP | EA | EMA; MCSE | M+, S+ Security+, Project+, ITIL msexchangetips.blogspot.com

Hello James...The Shared Mailbox is not cached...I have already checked that...the above setting that you mentioned is not checked, also the Cache Mode is also disabled in accounts settings.

How long for the delay? If that users directly open inbox folder (for shared mailbox) in Outlook, will this issue occur? Thanks, Evan Evan Liu TechNet Community Support

The Delay is random from 10 - 15 seconds to 1 minute or so...If a user opens outlook he will get updated mailbox contents, but when 4 -5 users are working on the same shared mailbox opened in their outlook, then they face this issue quite regularly...

Hi, Since this not long, it may delay Outook synchronize with Exchange Server. Thanks, EvanEvan Liu TechNet Community Support