Users in the law firm where I work are having an issue with tasks in shared folders. Our users are using Outlook 2010 primarily over a domain exchange server. Server is running 2008.  

We follow our files by updating a task that all the employees have access to (with full edit and delete permissions), and send status reports between each other to update on the status of files or of things to be done. However, lately,  tasks have stopped operating for the majority of our users on a number of tasks.  In a specific shared folder with hundreds of tasks about 10% of the tasks will be broken and give error messages (I cannot find a pattern among those that give the error).

Here's what happens:

If I open the task, and do not edit anything, then I can send a status report as normal or save and close the task without issue. Providing I change absolutely nothing in the body of the task.

However, if I edit the task or add to it and then try to send a Status Report or Save and Close the task I get a generic "Operation Failed" error (no additional information in the error message is given). 

I have tried to fix the issue with resetting profiles and by changing between cached/uncached mode - neither have worked. I have also tried the "Update Folder" button, none of these solutions have worked. Additionally I have checked the syncing, and it seems has if the syncing is fine. The OWA does not display shared tasks for us, I do not know why. 

I should also note that we are all connected over a domain server running Server 2008. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

UPDATE: I have posted this question three times and gotten lukewarm answers to my problem. None of them have worked and they are detailed above. When I first posted this problem only a handful of users and tasks were affected - since then the problem has become more widespread where some tasks are giving the errors to all users except for One or Two. I cannot find any pattern as to why these users do not display the error while everyone else does. PLEASE HELP - It seems as if this problem is spreading and our task system is vitally important to our business.

If you've posted three times and nobody has the answer, how about you open an incident with Microsoft Support?

Hi, JHackett

See you again.

According to your special circumstance (hundreds of tasks in a specific shared folder, too many tasks will affect the performance), if I were you, I will contact Microsoft Support for help because the problem has become more widespread and task system is vitally important to business.

For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Support Services telephone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft website:
http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

Best Regards.

Fair comments.

I posted one more time hoping the change in circumstances might trigger a different response.

I'll take this up with Microsoft support as per the suggestions. 

Thanks again. 

Good luck.  We'd appreciate hearing about any resolution.

SOLVED.

Turns out it was quite embarrassing. Staff in my office had been saving attachments inside the tasks in our office, causing them to be stuffed full of hugely old files (2009-2011).

All I had to do was delete all of the attachments in the body of the task, save it, reopen the task, and then I could edit it just fine. My assumption is that either the tasks were too large or some of the attachments were corrupt.

Reason it appeared the problem was "Spreading" is because tasks continued to get bloated as more staff saved attachments directly to the task. I have sent out a new protocol to start hyperlinking to files instead of saving them directly in the task to avoid the issue in the future.  

Thanks for reporting back.  Glad you got it sorted out.