Hosting FAQ for Users

Open-Xchange FAQ for Users

Q: Which Browsers are recommended for the use with the Open-Xchange web front-end?
A: The Open-Xchange product will run on most web browsers, but performance is better on a browser that is optimized for AJAX. Overview is available at [OX_System_Requirements#Desktop_Browser_.28Minimum_display_resolution:_1024_x_768.29 | Desktop Browser]

Q: Which resolution is the Open-Xchange web front-end optimized for?
A: The Open-Xchange front-end utilises true font scaling and therefore supports a huge range of resolutions. It only runs into problems when it runs out of space. It is recommended not to go lower than 1024*768 with a small pitch font.

Q: Which Outlook versions are supported by the OXtender for Microsoft Outlook?
A: Currently the OXtender supports Microsoft Outlook 2003 and 2007 for full synchronisation of calendars, contacts etc.

Q: Are there connectors for other clients, like thunderbird or evolution?
A: Open-Xchange provides contacts and appointments through a WebDAv interface that offers iCal and vCard files. Thunderbird and Evolution can access mail through IMAP or POP3. Please ask your provider how to set this up.

Q: How can I access my InfoStore files with Windows (Vista)?
A: The InfoStore can be accessed in two ways: First by using the browser based user interface into Open-Xchange. The other is to use a protocol called WebDAV that allows to integrate the infoStore into your desktop environment. In windows this can be set up using the “My Network Places”. For details see the How To guides page on the Open-Xchange website.

Q: What happens to my folder tree when I select Preferences?
A: When preferences are selected the console changes to “Configuration” mode. This is the same as pressing the configuration short cut button at the top of the tree. Once in this mode you can change rights, subscriptions, names etc. To leave this mode right click on the folder you wish to return to and select “Switch to”.

Q: How can I create a company wide address book, calendar?
A: This is very simple to do, just create address book and the calendar in the PUBLIC FOLDERS section and grant all users access to it.

Q: Can I synchronize my SENT folder in Outlook an OX?
A: This is done very simply by creating an Outlook rule that will forward all items in the SENT folder to the IMAP Sent folder. See manual for details.

Q: How can I use the global address book?
A: The global address book, in Outlook, when linked with Open-Xchange with the OXtender contains only Open-Xchange system users (e.g. people in your company using Open-Xchange). Only the Admin can add users to the System that will automatically be added to the global address book by the OXtender.

Other options are to use contact lists in OX Public Folders, Contacts in your private area and private contacts that you share out.

Q: What is InfoStore, UserStore and other InfoStore folders?
A: The InfoStore is the name of the whole object repository where items can be placed for storage, sharing and automated version control. The UserStore is a part of the InfoStore where users can publish and share their own InfoStore section. The Other InfoStore Folders is the other part of the InfoStore where users can publish orphaned (stand alone) folders from their personal InfoStore section.

Q: What is the admin user for?
A: The Admin user is mainly used as a fallback account for deleted user info. The Admin account is where all data will go when a user is deleted (e.g. InfoStore data, Appointments etc.). Note this will not get personal data.

Q: What is the difference between shared, private and public folders?
A: Public folders are areas where users can contribute. Mike creates a public folder and grants everyone access to it. Anne creates an appointment in this folder and it will be Anne's appointment.

Private folders are folders that are visible for a single user only, unless shared.

A shared folder is a private folder that other users have access to. Mike shares his private calendar with Anne. When Anne creates an appointment in Mike's shared calendar it will be Mike's appointment. This is often used for Personal Assistants.

Q: What is "Weitere InfoStore-Ordner" (Other InfoStore folders) for?
A: Other InfoStore Folders is the second part of the InfoStore where users can publish orphaned (stand alone) folders from their personal InfoStore section. Orphans are where the whole hierarchy to the root (user name) is not visible (i.e. permissions not set).

Q: Where can I find my just created link?
A: In most modules if you go into the “Detail” view there is a tab called “Links” you will see your lined item in there.

Q: What are links for?
A: Links are used to logically connect collaboration items together. For example if an appointment is set up and there are a number of tasks associated to it and some other appointments that have impact on it, you can use “Linking” to connect all these together in a logical (i.e. not physical) way.

Q: Is it safe to view HTML emails in the Web GUI?
A: This is not a question of viewing in the OX web GUI; it is a question of viewing HTML content at all. In general no, it is not too safe to view HTML content in most email clients. HTML email can contain harmful scripts. To avoid this you should not open HTML emails from unknown senders.

With SP4 images will only be loaded on demand ("Load images" button).

Q: I get really strange error messages, what should I do?
A: Report these to your supplier and they will be able to help. The messages you receive will contain an error number that is important to support and development, so please note these numbers too.

Q: If I enter "https://URL/servlet/webdav.infostore" into my browser my InfoStore is not listed. Why?
A: This URL is for a WebDAV client. Unless your browser supports WebDAV directly then this will not work. For more details about how to implement WebDAV on your system please contact your network administrator. Also there is a How to guide on WebDAV that might help on the Open-Xchange website in the How To page.

Q: My login screen is always in English, how can I change that?
A: At this point you have not entered the Open-Xchange system and have not been identified so Open-Xchange will display the login screen in the language of your browser.

Note this is the installed language of the browser and not the browser character set.

Q: When I print an email, only the header gets printed. Why? (SP3 related)
A: The header is printed when in a “List” or “H-Split” modes. To print the content of the email you have to be in the email, therefore either open the email or view it in “Detail” mode.

Q: When I create a new appointment with participants, in "Availability" no one is show as free (green) even if nobody has an appointment at the requested time, why?
A: The green status indicates an appointment that can not conflict with other appointments. It is a “Free State” for an appointment. If a participant does not have any appointment in their calendar then this is represented with nothing filled in.

Q: When I add participants to a task or appointment I can add them as user and resource. Why?
A: Participants can be invited although they have another appointment at the same time. This is possible by ignoring the conflict message that appears when saving. Resources like a car or a projector cannot be shared between two appointments. Therefore, no conflicts are allowed for them. In case you have a participant who is required in an appointment, you can invite this person as resource too.

Q: Why can't I see email folders shared from others?
A: This is often because ‘You’ have not subscribed to that shared folder. To share a folder it is a two phase process: First the owner shared the folder; second the subscriber has to subscribe to the folder. The shared folder then appears in the “user” section of the subscribers interface.

Q: There are cryptic codes behind all error messages, what are they for?
A: These codes are usually used for logging purposes and for support. They do actually mean something to support and development. If you receive an error please make a note of the error and the code before reporting it to your support.

Q: No email is sent to participants when I create a new appointment in outlook, why? (SP3 related)
A: For outlook this is currently unsupported, but if this happens to other users too this may be because you have not checked the “Notify all participants by E-Mail” check box in the appointment.

Q: There is an icon for new "Distribution List", what is this for?
A: This is so that you can create your own mailing lists consisting of internal users and external email addresses.

Q: Some of the OX modules are greyed out, why?
A: This is usually because the package purchased does not entitle the user to access these modules. Please contact your provider for details.

Q: My Infobox, Minicalendar, Quickinfo is not shown any more, how can I change that?
A: If these items are hidden then they can be turned on again by clicking on the top right hand down arrow in the console under the “Logout” button. If they disappear again when you login next time then your configurations options need changing. This is done by going to the “options” settings in configurations and setting your default look on entry.

Q: I deleted the folders Drafts, Spam, Sent and Trash, but why will they be always recreated when I open the webmail part of OX?
A: These folders are standard mail folders and software like OX relies on them as for example sent emails are automatically placed in the folder “Sent”. Therefore, such folders cannot be deleted.

Q: Can I set the version # of a document in my WebDAV client?
A: No, version numbers are automatically set and incremented whenever the object is changed in the InfoStore (Via WebDAV or directly in the interface). What can be done is setting the current version of the object in the web interface.

Q: How can my Outlook data be migrated to OX?
A: There are two methods: The simplest way is to get the OXtender for Microsoft Outlook and on initial start-up it will synchronise your data onto Open-Xchange. The other way is to export the data in CSV, vCard, iCal etc formats and import them into the product (see manual for details)

Q: I have created notes in outlook, where can I see them in the web GUI?
A: Notes are not synchronised by the OXtender.

Q: How can I import my contacts?
A: Contacts can be imported using either vCard or CSV files. See the manual for details.

Q: What happens to my Files when I downgrade my ox account?
A: This is dependant on the implementation. Please ask your provider for details.

Q: Why can't I create a private task in a shared calendar?
A: This is because you are not the owner of the calendar. Only the owner can create private tasks not the delegated person.

Q: After I set a older version in a document as current, my WebDAV client still shows the content of the newer version, and not the version I have chosen.
A: This usually works with no issues. It may be dependant on your WebDAV client that is caching the view on the InfoStore. Try refreshing the view or at worst case restarting your WebDAV client.

Q: What is the difference between tags and flags?
A: Flags are visual marks that can be added to items such as emails, while tags are textual labels that can be added to most items. Flags are limited in number and are only colour coded, while tags are virtually unlimited and contextual.

Q: When I create contacts, what is the display name for?
A: The display name is a field that is currently automatically filled in when a contact is created, but is currently not used in the web interface, although it is used when linking to Outlook. This feature is reserved for future use.

Q: When I delete a user, what happens to their data?
A: By default the data will be transferred to the Admin user. Note that the users personal data is not transferred but deleted.

Q: When i set flags for emails in the GUI, why are they not shown in Outlook?
A: The Open-Xchange server does set this flags as user-defined flags on the imap server. Outlook does save flags internal. This means that Flags in the groupware can differ to flags set in Outlook.

Q: Is there a limit for the number of folders that i can create?
A: basically there only is a theoretical limit of 2^31 for groupware folders, the number of IMAP folders depends on what the used IMAP server does support.

Q: Is there a limit for the number of contacts that i can create?
A: basically there only is a theoretical limit of 2^31 contacts

Q: Is there a limit for the number of tasks that i can create?
A: basically there only is a theoretical limit of 2^31 tasks

Q: Is there a limit for the number of recipients in a distribution list?
A: basically there only is a theoretical limit of 2^31 recipients