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Digital Certificates: Outlook Offline Address Book (OAB)

The Outlook Offline Address Book (OAB) is an integral part of Outlook when it's using Cached Exchange Mode (the default setting in Outlook 2007). Its use creates problems such as users being unable to send encrypted email to someone who has just renewed their certs. The issue is one of timing. It can be permanently resolved by moving to the online AddressBook without having to take the client out of Cached Exchange Mode. These are the instructions for converting to the online AddressBook. They are also included in the above hyperlink.

1. Verify where the Outlook client is getting its Addressbook
1. Open the AddressBook
2. Right Click on Global Address List
3. Click on Properties
4. If the location is a campus domain controller, the client is connecting to the online AddressBook
5. If the location is the local hard drive, the client is connection to the OAB
2. Convert to the online AddressBook
1. Close Outlook and Messenger (both use the OAB)
2. Run the appropriate registry script
3. Located in Allshare\Depts\Info Security\OutlookOABFix
4. Select the correct registry script for the client version (2003 or 2007)
5. Run the script
6. Delete the OAB
7. (XP) Located in C:\Documents and Settings{user}\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook
8. (Vista) Located in C:\Users{user}\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook
9. Delete all six files with the extension .oab
10. Restart Outlook and Messenger
11. Verify that the AddressBook is now online (check Properties of the Global Address List - see step 1.1-3 above