VBScript - Logon to a MAPI Session - Run an app - Logoff a MAPI session

Question

Hi All,
I've never scripted and I'm after a method/script to do the following:
1. Logon to a MAPI session using the default MAPI profile or even another profile (Without launching Outlook)
2. Run an application (10 year old application that requires a MAPI session open).
3. Logoff the MAPI session.
Using Outlook 2010 with Exchange 2003/2010 mailboxes.
Many thanks,
Rob

Answer 1

Few months ago we upgraded everyone from Window XP and Office 2003 to Windows 7 and Office 2010.
We have an old 10 year plus CASE manager system, it has a feature that allows emails (from Exchange) to be viewed and attached to CASE plans alongside Word documents. With the old XP environment there was no need to launch
Outlook before launching CASE, it seemed to open a MAPI connection fine.
With the new Windows 7/Office 2010 environment we initially found that CASE would open in native mode, even established a MAPI connection without needing Outlook open, but sods law not everything worked within CASE, some
functionality broke. After some testing we found that CASE had to be launched in Windows XP Compatibility mode, this pretty much fixed everything except the issue with having to launch Outlook before the CASE application. With workstations this isn't a big
deal, by habit Outlook is launched before CASE so not a problem.
Alongside our workstation environment I also have to upgrade our Citrix environment, we use Citrix for remote sites where certain applications run dog slow (Including CASE). Current setup is Citrix PS 4.5 on Windows Server
2003, with Office 2003 and a range of applications. I've now setup a test lab with Citrix XenApp 6.5 installed on top of Windows Server 2008 R2. Also installed is Office
2010 and all necessary applications.
The issue we have on the workstations is now causing me a headache in Citrix. Generally email is accessed locally for remote offices, we do not present Outlook as a published application so we don't need/want two instances
of Outlook running on a user's desktop, I just want CASE to work as before and just establish a MAPI connection independently to Outlook.
I first thought I'd see if Outlook could be launched hidden, but it seems this can't be done so I dumped this idea. I then thought about running it minimised and have it hide, a feature in Outlook, but this seemed very
messy.
I then downloaded a simple tool from Microsoft called Simple MAPI console, it does about 10 simple MAPI functions and doesn't need Outlook open, thought it could help me work out what MAPI functions didn't work in Windows
XP Compatibility mode compared to native mode. During my testing it seemed that just simply using the logon option which I assume just establishes a MAPI connection was all I needed to get this CASE application to work properly as before, no full Outlook application.
So I thought to myself if this little tool can establish a MAPI connection I could potentially just find a script to establish a MAPI connection then fire off the CASE manager system from the click of one button via a published application.
I don't script, I'm terrible with languages period, I searched the web and couldn't find anything fruitful so thought I'd post about to find out if anyone had a script or some advice.
This afternoon I was given a lead to use something called Redemption dimastr.com/redemption/home.htm (sorry cant post links properly, not verified user)
We already had the redemption.dll registered from another application. Using the samples and information for the site above we managed to muddle up the following:
Dim Session
set Session = CreateObject("Redemption.RDOSession")
Session.Logon
Dim objShell
Set objShell = WScript.CreateObject( "WScript.Shell" )
objShell.Run("""C:\Program Files (x86)\Axxia\Desktop\Desktop.exe""")
WScript.sleep(20000)
Set objShell = Nothing
Session.Logoff
Set Session = Nothing
Office 2010 is 32bit, so as long as I run the above using the cscript.exe from C:\Windows\SysWOW64 it does the trick on my workstation. Tomorrow I'll create a published application to run the VBS script via a published application and see how things go.
What is still stuck in my head is:
If the Simple MAPI console can do simple MAPI functions then maybe there is a way to script it.
What does Windows XP Compatibility mode do differently in regards to MAPI functions? I thought it would be the other way round, broke in native mode and work in Windows XP Compatibility mode.
The vendor have promised to look in to getting this application working, it's still supported but they of course do have newer versions at a cost, but some businesses, ours included don't have the money at the moment so have to make do with what we got.
Really sorry for the vague question, apologises in advance if this is too much information or irrelevant in any way.
Kind regards,
Robert