Every single user that we have moved to Widows 7 has had one complaint. Communicator alerts are not being seen. Most do not have audio and unless you are constantly paying attention, it just does not grab you attention like it did in Vista or XP. Is there any way to tweak Communicator or Windows 7 to make notifications more prominent?

Short of changing the W7 interface back to the legacy task bar experience, no.  The glowing orange square is the only indication now for IM alerts.

At first I too had issues adjusting but I've noticed over time that I've adapted the change and I find myself checking the lower right corner often.  Not the best answer but I doubt anything will be updated on the 2007 OC client at this point.  This is something that will most likely be addressed in the next full version of the software.

One thing that we also noticed is that if you zoom your display settings (Control Panel - All Control Panel Items - Display) to Medium (125%) or Larger (150%) You do not get incoming IM notifications or phone notifications with the exception of the flashing status icon in your taskbar.   Once we set this back to Smaller - 100% (default) we no longer had that issue. 

It's a shame because this is the one universal complaint I have had about Windows 7. Both IM and Mail alerts, but mostly IM alerts due to the time sensitive nature of "instant" messages. I don't completely understand MS logic in regards to reducing the intrusiveness of alerts.

Sure, it is a pity thing, maybe the next OCS version has some change. As we known, there are usually some change from one version to a new version.
At present, it is by design.

Regards!
gavin 

Same here.  We just moved to Windows 7 and receive the same complaints.

MS really need to fix this. I miss over half of my IM's. They've got 80,000 employees and no one can come up with a solution??? I sure as hell get my oh so "useful" start up and shut down music on windows 7.

(yes I'm bitter - I'm sick of of the mentality that these types of things are acceptable)

 

 

 

Jeff/Gavin/Anyone:  How do we submit a RFE for Lync to pop up any and all IMs?  I do not want to suggest that my org find another solution since we like the integration with AD/Exchange, but we are forced to pursue other options because of this - this, believe it or not, is *the* "make or break" moment for Lync...how hard could it be to develop an add-on or something that enables this function?!  Otherwise, I like the client quite a bit and would be bummed to have to move away from it.  Cheers!

How difficult would it be to have a stupid checkbox that says... auto-display chat window on new chat initiation, followed by ... open new windows on top.  Come on... here we are listening to justifications for why we don't need to see this.  This is absolutely ridiculous and unprofessional.  It's not true that a desire to be "polite" in an application sense implies that business users do not require this behavior in a closed setting.

We need to communicate.  We need to communicate effectively.  Provide tools that allow us to do so.

Agreed! 

Maybe they could ask Netflix how they get their popups to appear. They are hard to ignore.

This issue is negatively impacting my job performance.  I work in a large enterprise.  A number of my coworkers haven't migrated to Windows 7 yet, and don't understand why I've become so intermittent in my OC responses to them since upgrading.

On my Windows 7 system, when a new message arrives, the Office Communicator taskbar icon  only changes in a very subtle way (it becomes a tiny bit bluer on the outside edges), which is easy to overlook, because you literally have to be staring at it to see it change.  If the mechanism to change the icon when a new message arrives already exists within Windows 7, then how about redesigning this feature to turn the OC icon BRIGHT RED, AND FLASH ON AND OFF?
 
I'm constantly missing incoming OC messages because multiple OC chat windows are often covered with other open windows, and the windows don't pop to the top like they did on XP (I don't necessarily want the OC windows popping up - a flashing icon on the taskbar would be sufficient).  And I'm not getting an audio alert.

This is an urgent issue!!!

• Proposed as answer by PeltosBHNJ Tuesday, August 14, 2012 1:56 PM
• Unproposed as answer by PeltosBHNJ Tuesday, August 14, 2012 1:56 PM

This issue is negatively impacting my job performance.  I work in a large enterprise.  A number of my coworkers haven't migrated to Windows 7 yet, and don't understand why I've become so intermittent in my OC responses to them since upgrading.

On my Windows 7 system, when a new message arrives, the Office Communicator taskbar icon  only changes in a very subtle way (it becomes a tiny bit bluer on the outside edges), which is easy to overlook, because you literally have to be staring at it to see it change.  If the mechanism to change the icon when a new message arrives already exists within Windows 7, then how about redesigning this feature to turn the OC icon BRIGHT RED, AND FLASH ON AND OFF?
 
I'm constantly missing incoming OC messages because multiple OC chat windows are often covered with other open windows, and the windows don't pop to the top like they did on XP (I don't necessarily want the OC windows popping up - a flashing icon on the taskbar would be sufficient).  And I'm not getting an audio alert.

This is an urgent issue!!!

• Proposed as answer by PeltosBHNJ Tuesday, August 14, 2012 1:56 PM
• Unproposed as answer by PeltosBHNJ Tuesday, August 14, 2012 1:56 PM

Adding to the sentiment with regard to these comments.

We are on Office 365 and Lync is all but useless to my entire staff since the "glowing L" does NOT provide enough notification.  And you cant count on sound since you may have stepped away or your speakers are off.

One good option that takes advantage of what's already built-into the client: reuse the same alert interface used for "tag for status change".  Shows up as a hard-to-miss colored bar slides up above the clock/taskbar).

MS, help out here and fix this FATAL FLAW in the software that makes it all but USELESS to my organization.  I was hoping IM would save email traffic of "thanks" and other small messages but since no one gets their Lyncs, email is the defacto platform. 

Ryan

if you're on Lync, try free 3rd party app SuperToast

• Proposed as answer by THanby_BHDP Monday, April 30, 2012 7:46 PM

if you're on Lync, try free 3rd party app SuperToast

• Proposed as answer by THanby_BHDP Monday, April 30, 2012 7:46 PM

There very much needs to be a setting where users can control what type of notification that they need for communicator. I just don't notice it until a while after I receive a notification.  Would you notice this:

I've got two large monitors and I need something to appear in the middle of my desktop so I don't miss it.

My colleague had the same problem, but it worked for me. Difference is that in my taskbar properties, "auto-hide the taskbar" was on. This seems to solve the problem

This little app is the perfect solution for MS Lync (Communicator), our Admin Assistants were having this exact issue and SuperToast was the most beautifully simple answer to the problem. You need .NET 4 Extended (Windows Update does NOT install this, you have to get it manually, it's part of ".NET Full" on MS's downloads page) and you have to email the company directly to get the download link for SuperToast, but there's no spam or advertising or registration what-so-ever and it's free.

This works well for me: 1) Right click the Taskbar and select Properties, 2) from the "Taskbar buttons:" dropdown on the Taskbar menu and 3) choose "Combine when taskbar is full" or "Never combine".

This will remove the overlapping behavior of your active Communicator sessions tabs and allow you to see new pings as flashing orange tabs.

It is not ideal in every case.  If a communicator sessions is active, the alert will change the tab to a light gray.

Hope this helps.

I'm having this same issue too with Communicator 2007 and Windows 7.  What did you guys end up doing to "solve" it so people actually notice the new IMs?

• Proposed as answer by Blurfl Thursday, January 10, 2013 8:45 PM
• Unproposed as answer by Blurfl Thursday, January 10, 2013 8:45 PM

I'm having this same issue too with Communicator 2007 and Windows 7.  What did you guys end up doing to "solve" it so people actually notice the new IMs?

• Proposed as answer by Blurfl Thursday, January 10, 2013 8:45 PM
• Unproposed as answer by Blurfl Thursday, January 10, 2013 8:45 PM

Well it ain't pretty but it work!  If in doubt, whip autohotkey(.com) out!  You may have to tweak it, but it works for me!

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;
; Setup
; Make sure this stuff is toward the top of your 'AutoHotkey.ahk' file

CoordMode, Pixel, Screen


;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;
; Detect new OCS message by monitoring taskbar icon color
;	OCS must be open and the icon must be positioned first on 
;	Win7 the task bar. When a new OCS arrives it's expected that this
;	icon will flash yellow.
;
; 
#Persistent
  SetTimer, CheckOCS, 3000 ; (every 3 secs)
return

CheckOCS:
  DetectColor = 0x49AFD8; Blue(ish)=0xC76B4D, yellow(ish)=0x49AFD8
  xPos = 64
  yPos = 1166
  ; Check if OCS taskbar icon turns yellow
  PixelSearch, Px, Py, xPos, yPos, xPos+50, yPos+25, DetectColor, 50

  if !ErrorLevel {
    SetTimer, CheckOCS, Off
    MsgBox, 1, OCS Checker, NEW OCS Detected! `n(Cancel quits checking)
    IfMsgBox Ok
      SetTimer, CheckOCS, On   
  }

return

Is there any Win problem that AHK can't fix? (nevermind!)

Bob

• Proposed as answer by Blurfl Thursday, January 10, 2013 8:51 PM

Well it ain't pretty but it work!  If in doubt, whip autohotkey(.com) out!  You may have to tweak it, but it works for me!

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;
; Setup
; Make sure this stuff is toward the top of your 'AutoHotkey.ahk' file

CoordMode, Pixel, Screen


;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;
; Detect new OCS message by monitoring taskbar icon color
;	OCS must be open and the icon must be positioned first on 
;	Win7 the task bar. When a new OCS arrives it's expected that this
;	icon will flash yellow.
;
; 
#Persistent
  SetTimer, CheckOCS, 3000 ; (every 3 secs)
return

CheckOCS:
  DetectColor = 0x49AFD8; Blue(ish)=0xC76B4D, yellow(ish)=0x49AFD8
  xPos = 64
  yPos = 1166
  ; Check if OCS taskbar icon turns yellow
  PixelSearch, Px, Py, xPos, yPos, xPos+50, yPos+25, DetectColor, 50

  if !ErrorLevel {
    SetTimer, CheckOCS, Off
    MsgBox, 1, OCS Checker, NEW OCS Detected! `n(Cancel quits checking)
    IfMsgBox Ok
      SetTimer, CheckOCS, On   
  }

return

Is there any Win problem that AHK can't fix? (nevermind!)

Bob

• Proposed as answer by Blurfl Thursday, January 10, 2013 8:51 PM

Can you include some code to make the active Lync window (the one that just had activity) come to the top (present itself)? Thanks! :D