Stupid Outlook sending read receipts without permission

beq · 3 Dec 2007, 07:50 AM

I think there's an Outlook 2007 read receipt bug with IMAP accounts (at least on my Win Vista workstation), where it will automatically send back read receipt notifications even if I set Outlook's Tracking Options to never send them, or to prompt me first. I'm not sure exactly what actions trigger it.

I think what's been happening with me most often is something like this:

- Outlook syncs to an IMAP folder and store a local copy of the messages
- I use webmail to move/delete the folder, or move/delete messages in the folder
- Outlook resyncs the account and purges its copy of msgs in the original location that are no longer there
- For any of these purged message copies that request an MDN or read receipt (per the RFC 3798 Disposition-Notification-To header), Outlook automatically sends a notification. Unsurprisingly rather than a standard MDN format, Outlook's notifications use a proprietary winmail.dat TNEF attachment.

Most of them are "Not read" notifications stating "message blah blah was deleted without being read on date/time" -- sent from the account's primary email address defined in Outlook

Strangely a few are "Read" notifications stating "message blah blah was read on date/time" -- but I think the date/time given was actually when Outlook purged the message...

The other day I was backing up IMAP folders not just for me but for my family members as well. Some folders had been reorganized and moved around on the server since the last Outlook sync. Outlook started a resynchronization of the IMAP folders, and before I could stop it Outlook sent 46 read/not read notifications in response to purging its copy of messages from folder locations that are no longer there. These include notifications for old messages and for messages to other family members.

To make matters worse, my family's IMAP folders were shared through my IMAP account for convenient access, so Outlook sent all notifications as coming from my account's primary email address even for messages sent to other family members!

I am so ****** off at Outlook right now

P.S. I don't know if Outlook may also have a bug with sending delivery receipts (in addition to read receipts) without permission in response to the Return-Receipt-To header in a message...

FMRocks · 5 Dec 2007, 01:30 PM

If you are not locked into Outlook at a business, why not bail on Outlook and give Thunderbird a try?

jdtaylor · 5 Dec 2007, 11:20 PM

I think you can change the setting for Outlook to choose whether it sends these receipts automatically in Outlook XP, it's under Options and then email and I think tracking if I am remembering correctly and as such there could be an option in 2007, although I don't use it, as I simply can't be bothered to pay for an upgraded version which may be harder to navigate when the older system just works fine.

beq · 6 Dec 2007, 02:53 AM

FMRocks, I also use Thunderbird, but
a) need Outlook for work
b) my family members use Outlook for work/personal, so I want their email backups in PST format for convenient access

jdtaylor, therein lies the bug I'm talking about:

Quote:

Originally Posted by beq

I think there's an Outlook 2007 read receipt bug with IMAP accounts (at least on my Win Vista workstation), where it will automatically send back read receipt notifications even if I set Outlook's Tracking Options to never send them, or to prompt me first.

Not sure if this only affects my computer though. I can't seem to Google other complaints about this problem. Maybe Outlook's half-hearted IMAP support chokes on my multi-gigabyte Tuffmail account having 100+ folders (most of them shared folders from other accounts via IMAP ACL sharing), and my FM account having more folders and even more data?

beq · 6 Dec 2007, 04:43 AM

Hmm I think the problem may have also happened to me when I used Outlook to move the messages, but I didn't pay enough attention at the time and I have a bad memory. I will have to test it again, but a lot more carefully this time since I don't want more read receipt notifications to be sent out

Two things made me stop moving a large number of IMAP messages in Outlook:

- I experienced (another) Outlook 2007 glitch where the messages were deleted from the original location, but never moved to the new location! It only happened one time but was enough to deter me.

- It's slower because I have to wait for Outlook to reupload the moved messages in the new folder location, during which time I can't use Outlook. I think with some other clients (and with Outlook when moving few messages) the server transfers happen in the background so I can continue using the client, but I forget exactly. In any case moving the messages via webmail is much faster because it happens locally on the provider's system.

beq · 7 Dec 2007, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FMRocks

If you are not locked into Outlook at a business, why not bail on Outlook and give Thunderbird a try?

I love Thunderbird, but since v1.x up to the most recent version, I still get occasional minor configuration glitches.

For example when setting up multiple IMAP accounts, Thunderbird has a tendency from time to time to copy over the root folder path setting from one account to another (which would mess up the namespace of the other account), until I go to Server Settings -> Advanced and change the settings back on the other account. If I don't catch it, then I'll see the other account's folders mysteriously disappearing except Inbox.

Stuff like that...

markwolk · 8 Dec 2007, 10:41 AM

I have not experienced that bug myself, but I did occasionally send some read receipts (my mistake) in the past. To prevent myself from doing it in the future, I have now setup several accounts in my Outlook Express; the main (default) account can only receive mail; so when I want to send a read receipt (or any email), I have to manually select the account I want it sent from.

StillThinking · 14 Jan 2008, 01:31 PM

Yes, the same thing is happening to me.
Outlook 2007 on XP, IMAP on Gmail, sends "Not read" notifications even though notifications are disabled (Outlook's Tracking Options are set to never send them).
Has anyone found a bug fix or work aorund yet?

StillThinking · 14 Jan 2008, 02:15 PM

OK, I found this post from Microsoft - looks like they are working on it.
http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/Sho...31307&SiteID=1

minhtuantqvn · 5 Dec 2011, 02:35 AM

I'm having the same issue with Outlook: I'm receive a forward message, which notified me that my Outlook has sent an read notification to sender without my awareness. I opened Tracking Option to verify again, and the it is still "Never Send A Response", Outlook is stupid,

Decaste 03 · 4 Jun 2022, 07:28 PM

This is happening to me too. Thanks for the link.

SideshowBob · 4 Jun 2022, 10:35 PM

Unless the forum has been hacked, the GeraldRackers post, with its link promoting a quack weight loss pill, is a spam. Probably the "Decaste 03" post is the same spammer bumping the thread.

JeremyNicoll · 6 Jun 2022, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SideshowBob

Unless the forum has been hacked, the GeraldRackers post, with its link promoting a quack weight loss pill, is a spam. Probably the "Decaste 03" post is the same spammer bumping the thread.

The preceding post by Ryan88 has had a link inserted in it too.

SideshowBob · 6 Jun 2022, 08:33 AM

And the LucasAir post too. The posts with links have been edited, months or years after the original post, which makes it harder to spot.

Bamb0 · 7 Jun 2022, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeremyNicoll

The preceding post by Ryan88 has had a link inserted in it too.

I didnt see the one by Ryan88.....

Terrible they have to do this.........

3 Dec 2007, 07:50 AM	#1
beq Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: USA Posts: 895	Stupid Outlook sending read receipts without permission I think there's an Outlook 2007 read receipt bug with IMAP accounts (at least on my Win Vista workstation), where it will automatically send back read receipt notifications even if I set Outlook's Tracking Options to never send them, or to prompt me first. I'm not sure exactly what actions trigger it. I think what's been happening with me most often is something like this: - Outlook syncs to an IMAP folder and store a local copy of the messages - I use webmail to move/delete the folder, or move/delete messages in the folder - Outlook resyncs the account and purges its copy of msgs in the original location that are no longer there - For any of these purged message copies that request an MDN or read receipt (per the RFC 3798 Disposition-Notification-To header), Outlook automatically sends a notification. Unsurprisingly rather than a standard MDN format, Outlook's notifications use a proprietary winmail.dat TNEF attachment. Most of them are "Not read" notifications stating "message blah blah was deleted without being read on date/time" -- sent from the account's primary email address defined in Outlook Strangely a few are "Read" notifications stating "message blah blah was read on date/time" -- but I think the date/time given was actually when Outlook purged the message... The other day I was backing up IMAP folders not just for me but for my family members as well. Some folders had been reorganized and moved around on the server since the last Outlook sync. Outlook started a resynchronization of the IMAP folders, and before I could stop it Outlook sent 46 read/not read notifications in response to purging its copy of messages from folder locations that are no longer there. These include notifications for old messages and for messages to other family members. To make matters worse, my family's IMAP folders were shared through my IMAP account for convenient access, so Outlook sent all notifications as coming from my account's primary email address even for messages sent to other family members! I am so ****** off at Outlook right now P.S. I don't know if Outlook may also have a bug with sending delivery receipts (in addition to read receipts) without permission in response to the Return-Receipt-To header in a message... Last edited by beq : 3 Dec 2007 at 01:32 PM. Reason: Clarifications

5 Dec 2007, 01:30 PM	#2
FMRocks The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: FM does NOT refer to Fastmail (anymore). Posts: 4,034	If you are not locked into Outlook at a business, why not bail on Outlook and give Thunderbird a try?

5 Dec 2007, 11:20 PM	#3
jdtaylor Master of the @ Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 1,673	I think you can change the setting for Outlook to choose whether it sends these receipts automatically in Outlook XP, it's under Options and then email and I think tracking if I am remembering correctly and as such there could be an option in 2007, although I don't use it, as I simply can't be bothered to pay for an upgraded version which may be harder to navigate when the older system just works fine.

6 Dec 2007, 04:43 AM	#5
beq Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: USA Posts: 895	Hmm I think the problem may have also happened to me when I used Outlook to move the messages, but I didn't pay enough attention at the time and I have a bad memory. I will have to test it again, but a lot more carefully this time since I don't want more read receipt notifications to be sent out Two things made me stop moving a large number of IMAP messages in Outlook: - I experienced (another) Outlook 2007 glitch where the messages were deleted from the original location, but never moved to the new location! It only happened one time but was enough to deter me. - It's slower because I have to wait for Outlook to reupload the moved messages in the new folder location, during which time I can't use Outlook. I think with some other clients (and with Outlook when moving few messages) the server transfers happen in the background so I can continue using the client, but I forget exactly. In any case moving the messages via webmail is much faster because it happens locally on the provider's system.

8 Dec 2007, 10:41 AM	#7
markwolk Essential Contributor Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Posts: 341	I have not experienced that bug myself, but I did occasionally send some read receipts (my mistake) in the past. To prevent myself from doing it in the future, I have now setup several accounts in my Outlook Express; the main (default) account can only receive mail; so when I want to send a read receipt (or any email), I have to manually select the account I want it sent from.

14 Jan 2008, 01:31 PM	#8
StillThinking Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 2	Yes, the same thing is happening to me. Outlook 2007 on XP, IMAP on Gmail, sends "Not read" notifications even though notifications are disabled (Outlook's Tracking Options are set to never send them). Has anyone found a bug fix or work aorund yet?

14 Jan 2008, 02:15 PM	#9
StillThinking Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 2	OK, I found this post from Microsoft - looks like they are working on it. http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/Sho...31307&SiteID=1

5 Dec 2011, 02:35 AM	#10
minhtuantqvn Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 1	I'm having the same issue with Outlook: I'm receive a forward message, which notified me that my Outlook has sent an read notification to sender without my awareness. I opened Tracking Option to verify again, and the it is still "Never Send A Response", Outlook is stupid,

4 Jun 2022, 07:28 PM	#11
Decaste 03 = Permanently banned = Join Date: May 2022 Posts: 1	This is happening to me too. Thanks for the link.

4 Jun 2022, 10:35 PM	#12
SideshowBob Essential Contributor Join Date: Jan 2017 Posts: 249	Unless the forum has been hacked, the GeraldRackers post, with its link promoting a quack weight loss pill, is a spam. Probably the "Decaste 03" post is the same spammer bumping the thread.

6 Jun 2022, 08:33 AM	#14
SideshowBob Essential Contributor Join Date: Jan 2017 Posts: 249	And the LucasAir post too. The posts with links have been edited, months or years after the original post, which makes it harder to spot.