Applies to: Exchange Server 2010 SP3, Exchange Server 2010 SP2

Topic Last Modified: 2012-07-23

Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 requires a local file (Classifications.xml) that contains definitions of the message classifications that Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 supports before Outlook users can apply message classifications to their messages. You must also create a registry key that enables message classification and references the Classifications.xml file on the Outlook user's computer.

Looking for other management tasks related to message classifications? Check out Managing Message Classifications.

Use Registry Editor to create a registry key for message classifications on Outlook 2007 clients

The following registry key and related registry settings must be created on all Outlook 2007 computers from which users who have mailboxes hosted on Exchange 2010 send message classifications.

Copy Code 
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Common\Policy]
"AdminClassificationPath"="c:\\Classifications.xml"
"EnableClassifications"=dword:00000001
"TrustClassifications"=dword:00000001
Note:
The Policy key isn't present by default and therefore must be created.
Caution:
Incorrectly editing the registry can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Problems resulting from editing the registry incorrectly may not be able to be resolved. Before editing the registry, back up any valuable data.

The following table provides details about each registry value you need to use.

Registry values

Registry value Description

AdminClassificationPath

You must change the path to refer to the location where you will copy the Classifications.xml file. Although you can use a network share, we recommend that the path is a location on the local computer for any computer running Outlook in cached mode so that Outlook can read the instructions and enable message composition even when offline.

EnableClassifications

You can enable and disable message classification functionality for the specified user. To enable message classification functionality, set this DWORD value to 00000001. To disable message classification functionality, set this DWORD value to 00000000.

TrustClassifications

You can qualify the assertions made on classified messages when the messages are sent to users who have mailboxes on Exchange Server 2003.

You should enable TrustClassifications only for users who have mailboxes on Exchange 2010. To enable TrustClassifications, set this DWORD value to 00000001.

Outlook also supports message classifications between users on Exchange 2003. Because Exchange 2003 doesn't support or recognize message classifications, the content and validity of the message classifications can't be guaranteed. Therefore, disabling TrustClassifications prepends the text The sender claims: to the message classification to protect users from incorrectly assuming that their organization has processed the classification. To disable TrustClassifications, set this DWORD value to 00000000.

The message classifications in the Classifications.xml file are the only message classifications that will be available to Outlook users when they send messages. However, the message classifications in the Classifications.xml file don't restrict the set of classifications that a user can receive.

For example, a user can receive an e-mail message with a message classification that isn't present in his or her version of the Classifications.xml file. If the user forwards the message classification, the message retains its classification, assuming that the RetainClassificationEnabled parameter on the originating message classification instance was set to $True, even though the recipient who forwards the message doesn't have the specific message classification in the local Classifications.xml file.

Use a script to create a Classifications.xml file for Outlook 2007 clients

You need to be assigned permissions before you can perform this procedure. To see what permissions you need, see the "Message classifications" entry in the Transport Permissions topic.

  1. Open the Shell and run the following script from the Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V14\Scripts directory:

    ./Export-OutlookClassification.ps1 > c:\exports\Classifications.xml

    Note:
    This script will export all message classifications into the Classifications.xml file. If you don't want all classifications in the XML file, you must manually remove them by removing the specific <Classification> element from Classification.xml.
  2. After you export the appropriate message classifications, you must copy the resulting Classifications.xml file onto the end-users' computers to the AdminClassificationPath path that you specified in the registry setting discussed earlier in this topic. You must restart Outlook so that the Classifications.xml file is picked up by Outlook.

Other Tasks

After deploying message classifications to Outlook 2007 clients, you may also want to create a message classification. For detailed steps, see Create a Message Classification.