Since posting the special seminar with the makers SwiftPage Snapshot two days ago I’ve been surprised with the response. There are still quite a few spots available for the call next week, no worries there, but it caused me to wonder…
You see, I have some experience with ACT email, as have those I work with. More important is understanding the experience those of you reading this blog have had (good and not so good) with email integration.
Given past responses, I recognize the potential problems by opening this up (possible can of worms?). So, before asking for your feedback, there are a few guidelines…actually just two:
1.) Be kind. The majority of you are very passionate about what you do, and that translates into other areas (like your choice of software 
, if you are troubled by a particular aspect of the program, say so. However, please avoid ranting and non-constructive language in your comment, it scares people from responding, and offering some constructive feedback (someone might give you a good suggestion here, who knows!)
2.) Be professional. It amazes me the response people have when I call them on the phone after placing an order for a product. People believe in the what I call “the myth of anonymity” on the internet. We are all real people, trying to serve our customers, and make a living. In a word, professionals… be one when you post.
Ok, with those two points in mind, in the boxes below, please share your experience (if any at all) with ACT email integration. What is your number one issue (if any)? Please include your ACT software version as well. You can check back for any responses, or check the box to subscribe to comments, and you’ll be notified with any replies.
Warm Regards,
Travis
Hi, my name is Travis Campbell, I operate this site. A key to success in any business is to effectively manage your relationships. ACT! is a software product helping millions when it comes to doing just that. This Website is designed to assist both those considering ACT! software for their business, as well as to provide insight to ACT! users who want to effectively use it in their day to day operations. So login, post, browse and enjoy.
I use XP, Office 2003 and Act 11 (One user on a Laptop). When replying to or forwarding emails as soon as I press send I get the error messages:-
“ACT! The operation cannot be performed because the message has been changed.”
I click ok on this then get the follow error message:-
“Act! Value cannot be null. Parameter name:pUnk”
I lick on ok and then the email is sent but it doesn’t attach itself to the contact in Act.
I contacted Act Support and they advised me to run Detect and Repair on both Word and Outlook. They also advised me to delete Normal.dot but this has made no difference.
Can you offer any help please?
Kind regards
Adam-
You might try connecting Outlook to the ACT11demo database instead, create a new contact and then send the message to that contact. If you find it gives the same error, you can suspect the computing environment. If it goes without a hitch, you need to investigate your production database further for issues.
If it is environmental, it could be a host of things…
Hope that helps.
Hello Travis
Thank you for the prompt response. I tried connecting to the ACT11demo and got the same errors. I also de-installed Act, Office 2003 and also deleted all relevant folders that might have had any other files stored within them.
I’m still getting the same error!
I run Company Maker Pro (Act Add On – Creates Company from Contacts), ESet, Nod32 (Anti Virus), Cloudmark (Outlook Spam Filter – Very Good!), Sperry Attachment Save (Outlook Attachment Software – takes email attachments and puts them in to a separate folder in My Documents to reduce .pst file size). Could it be anything to do with these?
I was also considering formatting my Laptop and re-installing all applications and maybe leaving off all the above and testing out the problem with just Act11 and Outlook2003 then adding them on one by to see if the problem then arises.
What do you think?
I have ACT 8.0 installed on Dell laptop running XP Pro. Employer uses outlook for emails and all. About twice a year I loose my entire email address book. Usually get the blue screen of death about this time too. Microsoft message is a driver issue? Our IT people tell me that is because ACT is taking over my laptop. So they completely removed it and I am beside myself without that information.
I have 2 older desktops running ACT 3.0 and have never had a hiccup with either, this covers like the last 15 years. These are running Windows 98 2nd ed. Both of these were in my own business. Only difference besides Windows 98 is AOL is email provider on these units.
Can you provide some insight here. Are my IT people in touch with reality? They supposedly migrated my ACT into Outlook. Lets not go there as that is a total cluster.
woops. I cant get the email front end of act to sync via IMAP on my Gmail account. Can anyone PLEASE help with this. I have seen other people on the web with the same issue.
Rob
I’ve got Act 2009, and I can’t figure out why some emails attach to the right contact, others attach to my record, and some don’t attach to anything. It’s a real pain. I just spent several minutes looking for an email I know I sent. I had to go to the Sent Messages folder to find it.
I use Outlook Express. Any thoughts?
Thanks.
Terry
Terry-
Glad to hear you have the latest version. If it is setup correctly, the way it works is it matches on the email address. If you send to someone not in your DB, and CC yourself it will attach to your my record (supposing it contains the email address you are CCing).
If it is failing to attach to a record that exists (email), then consider trying again with all the security software disabled… and see the results. If that makes no difference, then you may have an install or database issue.
Hope that helps.
Rob, the only way I’ve had success with IMAP is setting it up through Outlook or Outlook Express (to your Gmail), then pointing the ACT! email configuration to Outlook or Outlook Express.
Hope that helps.
Travis, I don’t think it’s a security software issue, because sometimes it works the way it’s supposed to. Often, though, it doesn’t work properly: I just now sent an email to a prospective client, and it doesn’t show up in my record or the prospect’s record. I’ve done db maintenance (check and repair), and that doesn’t help.
I bought a download version, so I don’t have installation disks. How do I reinstall?
Terry
Terry-
It *can* be flaky with some security software. If you haven’t done so, test with everything disabled.
Then test it with the ACT11Demo database.
Observe results. If it is flaky in one and not the other. I’d pursue database issues, flaky in both, installation/environment issues. Install from your download, or call ACT! for the download. You might also give them a call for support, or contact an ACT! Certified Consultant.
Doug-
Let’s be honest here. Most IT people have WAAAY too much on their plate, and oftentimes management puts CRM implementations on their plate with all the network upgrades, anti-virus, email, etc, responsibilities.
Therefore, it sometimes happens, that when they install the newer, SQL version of ACT! they find the learning curve to be too much, and the resolution (understandably) is to eliminate it from the equation, and then have a smooth running system.
This is one reason why I created the my best practices Installation Secrets (from the trenches) video, and give it away for free to each customer through the webstore. Installing the newer version is a different experience, and there are competing interests (anti-virus, SQL, .Net, MS Installer, etc.).
What I’m not a big fan of, is running business applications that are unsupported. It is simply too risky for business owners, and their customers. If you are running an unsupported version, make it a priority to move to a supported product (whether it is ACT! or something else). Your customers deserve it. I would say the same with windows 98 (not supported anymore)…
Hope that helps (in some small way).
Adam (Nov 12th)-
My apologies for the delay in this reply… Hopefully you’ve come to a resolution by now.
If not, I would disable every addon product (Security, Outlook, and ACT!), and see if that corrects the issue, if not, then you might be up for a reinstall. If it does work with all of them disables, slowly add them back, until it fails and you identify the offending item.
From there you can call the vendor, and see if they have a solution.
All the best.
I have 3 PC’s using ACT! 2005 (5 user license) with Windows XP. On one of the PC’s, ACT! will periodicly freeze up, which requires me to kill the process and re-open ACT!. However, when I re-open ACT!, all of the email in my INBOX is missing. I’ve checked the deleted folder and tried to recover them, no luck. It’s only the INBOX, all of the other folders are fine. I have full backups of the PC, but I haven’t figured out how to recover email from the backups. Times are tough and I cannot afford to upgrade ACT! or pay for support. Can you point me to some instructions on recovering eamil from a backup? Is there a way to bring previous emails into the active ACT! folder? Any help you can give me is greatly appreciated. Thanks, Tom M.
Tom-
Sorry to hear of your woes with ACT! 2005, you are not alone that version of ACT! was challenging, email notwithstanding. I would check their free support site, at one time there was a utility for download to help with email DB issues. You might also consider going to Outlook instead of ACT! email, since ACT! 2005 is no longer supported, and you are less likely to have issues with Outlook. Hope that helps.
I have Act 6.0 which I installed on virtual XP when I purchased Windows 7 and Office 2007. Can no longer send emails from ACT via Outlook. Any suggestions? Do not want yo upgrade to ACT 2010 as comments indicate a similar isue.
ACT 6 doesn't work with Office 2007 products (Outlook 2007). If I might be so bold, are you aware ACT 6 isn't supported? Are you sure you want to operate your contact database on unsupported software? I'm not saying you can't but sometimes users aren't aware of the risk. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Googled "This operation cannot be performed because the message has been changed – Value cannot be null. Parameter name pUnk" and this site came up #1. I then searched on the same phrase within the site, but got nothing.
Anyone have any experience with this?
Craig, v11 running on Windows Vista Home
hmmmm Craig, not sure what to tell you. What is it that you are dealing with?
I occasionally get this message when sending an e-mail from ACT.
The e-mail always gets sent, but it's a bit annoying to see this pop up, seemingly randomly.
Thanks, Travis
Esophageal Cancer…
This is my blog about Esophageal Cancer…
I have ACT 2009 running on XP professional. I have had many problems as I view it such as delayed sync of email and other issues. My biggest problem is I am having problems that appear to change each time I try to use certain features such as Contact Layout design. It no longer opens and I continue to get error messages when I try to exit. I am having hang problems and the time I am wasting has me very frustrated. I am seriously looking for an alternative and will consider most anything at this point. I don't like the attitude from sage that you should simply upgrade. If that is the case it I don't expect my upgrade will be ACT. To bad, I have used ACT for many years.
Emanuel-
You sound frustrated indeed, who wouldn't be? Try this, kill anti-virus and any other security software on your system, and test the functions you are having issues with. See if that helps.
-Travis