Problem

On August 11th, 2009 Microsoft included in its regular monthly security updates a patch that which causes problems for the LetterMark preview window. This problem generally appears to the user in the form of the dialog message shown below:

There was an error displaying the LetterMark preview window. Do you want to send the e-mail without LetterMark?

If you click Yes, your message will be sent without LetterMark being applied. If you click No, you will be returned to the message composer window and the message will not be sent.

Resolution

The suggested resolution to this problem is to upgrade to LetterMark 5.4 or newer which is not effected by this problem. If upgrading is not an option, you may try one of the workarounds suggested below.

Solution - Upgrade to LetterMark 5.4 or newer

The current revision of the LetterMark software is not effected by this problem and the simplest solution to this error is to update to the latest revision of the LetterMark software. The latest version of the LetterMark software can be found by logging in to the LetterMark control panel website here: http://www.lettermark.net/personal/ then click on Software Downloads. If you do not see LetterMark 5.4 or newer than your company may have requirements to use older version of LetterMark for compatibility with other software used internally. Please contact your IT support personal if you are not sure which version to use.

A Note for users of SFA (Sales Force Automation)

Older versions of SFA are incompatible with LetterMark 5.4, because of this it is recommended that you do not upgrade to LetterMark 5.4. Please follow the instructions below and use the update that is appropriate for your configuration.

Determining which version of LetterMark you are using

To determine if you are using LetterMark 5.0.x or 5.1.x:

1. Click on your Start Menu
2. Click All Programs
3. Locate the LetterMark or FullSeven menu item
   • If you are using LetterMark 5.0.x, you will have a start menu item named FullSeven, use the 5.0 upgrade from the software downloads page in the LetterMark Control Center only if you can not upgrade to LetterMark 5.4
   • If you are using LetterMark 5.1.x, you will have a start menu item named LetterMark Software for Outlook, use the 5.1 upgrade from the software downloads page in the LetterMark Control Center only if you can not upgrade to LetterMark 5.4
   • If you are using a updated version of LetterMark, you will have a start menu item named LetterMark, no update is required for this version, please contact technical support if are still experiencing this error message.
   • All other users should upgrade to LetterMark 5.4 by downloading it from the Software Downloads section of the LetterMark Control Center

Workaround - Disabiling the preview window

1. Start Microsoft Outlook
2. Select Options from the Tools menu in Outlook, this will display the Outlook options dialog.
3. Click on the LetterMark tab in the Options dialog.
4. Click the Configure LetterMark Software button
5. Select the template you would like to use for messages from the template drop down list labeled: Use this template by default.
6. Uncheck the checkbox labeled: Display the LetterMark E-Mail previewer when sending e-mail

Workaround - Use system restore to restore to an earlier configuration

Using Windows System Restore you can revert to an earlier configuration of your computer from before this patch was applied, please see the following Microsoft web page: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/systemrestore.mspx

Through Help and Support:

1. Click Start, and then click Help and Support.
2. Under Pick a Task, click Undo changes to your computer with System Restore.
3. Follow the instructions on the wizard to restore to a date before the LetterMark preview window stopped working.

Through the All Programs menu:

1. Click Start.
2. Point to All Programs.
3. Point to Accessories.
4. Point to System Tools.
5. Click System Restore.
6. Follow the instructions on the wizard to restore to a date before the LetterMark preview window stopped working.

IMPORTANT: After you have restored to an older date you MUST turn off automatic updates if they are enabled or block the MS09-037 update, or the system will apply the update again causing the problem to occur again.

Turning off Automatic Updates

• For information on configuring automatic updates please see: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/306525
  • Specifically See the section labeled - Turn off Automatic Updates

If you choose to use this workaround, please upgrade to the LetterMark 5.4 or new client as soon as possible and re-enable automatic updates to keep our computer up to date and protected.

Workaround - Uninstall Microsoft KB973869 update

It is possible to uninstall the update which causes this problem, however it is not recommended. To uninstall the update, please follow these steps:

NOTE: Due to the way Microsoft updates are applied, uninstalling this update may not resolve the issue if other patches have been installed afterwords. Using the System Restore feature to restore to a date before KB973869 was installed is the preferred method.

1. Open the Windows Control Panel
2. Start the Add/Remove Programs Control panel
3. Check the checkbox labeled 'Show Updates'
4. Find the update for KB973869 and select it
5. Click Uninstall

More Information

More information about this security update from the Microsoft Knowledge Base entry KB973869, which can be found at the following URL.

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=973869