As part of bulletproofing Windows Vista, in the development process, Microsoft has extracted the DHTML Editing Control. But while narrowing the surface area for attacks and increasing the overall security of the operating system, Microsoft has also impacted users running Internet Explorer 7 integrated into Windows Vista. The DHTML Editing Control shipped previously in Windows XP and Windows 2003 Server. The file dhtmled.ocx contained DHTML Editing Control Safe for Scripting and DHTML Editing Control for Applications. They have both been cut from Windows Vista.

This issue directly concerns users of Outlook Web Access (OWA) from IE7+ on Windows Vista, that are accessing Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003 servers without the latest updates. Microsoft has already released an update for Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003 designed to counter the behavior changes introduced to Internet Explorer 7. In fact, the Redmond Company has also refreshed this update in late February 2007.

“If your server does not have this update applied, you may experience the inability to compose and edit e-mail messages on OWA when running IE7 in Windows Vista. When this happens, you will see a red ‘x’ in place of your e-mail message body,” explained B. Ashok, the Product Unit Manager for Web Development Tools.

All you have to do in order to regain the Outlook Web Access on IE7 and Windows Vista functionality is to deploy the Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003 refresh. “The update does not require a reboot of the Exchange server and will fully enable OWA to work for clients using IE7 in Windows Vista. If you run into this problem, we highly recommend that you contact your Exchange 2000/2003 administrator to make sure they have installed this update,” Ashok added.

The February edition also delivers fixes that will enable users to edit replies to messages composed in Entourage Exchange client and replies to meeting requests.