Knowledge Base

OL98: URL Link to Folder Doesn't Work Outside of Outlook

Article ID: 198275

Article Last Modified on 5/20/2003

Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 Service Pack 1
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 128-Bit Edition
Microsoft Outlook 98 Standard Edition

This article was previously published under Q198275

SYMPTOMS

You use the Outlook protocol to create a link to a Microsoft Outlook folder or Outlook item, and the link does not work in Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.x. Instead, you receive the following two error messages:

Cannot find the file "'outlook://<path>'" (or one of its components), Make sure the path and filename are correct and that all required libraries are available.

Internet Explorer cannot open this helper application for "outlook://<path>". The protocol specified in this address is not valid. Make sure the address is correct, and try again.

CAUSE

The Uniform Resource Locator (URL) contains spaces, and Internet Explorer does not process the protocol correctly.

RESOLUTION

When creating the URL, use %2520 to represent a space instead of %20. For example, use this Outlook protocol

Outlook://Public%2520Folders/All%2520Public%2520Folders/TestFolder

Outlook://Public%20Folders/All%20Public%20Folders/TestFolder

where TestFolder is the name of a folder located in the All Public Folders folder.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Internet Explorer.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about this issue and to check the status of this bug, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

176347 BUG: IE Can't Open Registered Helper App for URL with Spaces

Additional query words: 98

Keywords: kbbug kbnofix KB198275