Tips for using the Outlook 2007 Security Hash Generator Tool

The Outlook 2007 Security Hash Generator Tool is used to generate a hash value to identify your Outlook COM add-in for Group Policy. If you are customizing security settings by using Group Policy, you’d need to enter the add-in name and hash value to identify that add-in as trusted by Outlook. The ORK article Manage trusted add-ins for Outlook 2007 covers how to get the tool, run the Hash Tool and how to specify the trusted add-in in Group Policy.

I’ve seen some feedback that people were having problems getting the Hash Tool to run. There is an update to the article coming to address the feedback…but in the meantime here are some tips to help if you’re having issues:

· Make sure you register the Hash Tool after installing (which is step 5 in the Manage trusted add-ins for Outlook 2007 article).

· The Hash Tool doesn’t like spaces in file paths or names!

· Say for example your add-in DLL is under Programs Files, make a copy of it and put it in a folder with no spaces in the name. Something like C:tempAddInDll.dll would work. The hash is based on the registered DLL and not the location of the DLL.

· If you’re a techie smarty pants, you could also determine the short file path/name of the file (8.3 path) and use that. That isn’t hard but my eyes glaze over when I read instructions for that - so I’ll spare you.

· If all else fails and CreateHash.bat isn’t working for you, try using the AddinHash.vbs with three sets of double quotes for your file path:

C:ToolsOutlookHashGenerator> cscript addinhash.vbs """c:Program FilesMy Folder With Spaces AddInDll.dll """

 

The output should look something like this:

Microsoft (R) Windows Script Host Version 5.8

Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

 

Generating trusted add-in settings...

Please copy and paste the following information into the group policy editor:

 

Value Name: c:Program FilesMy Folder With SpacesAddInDll.dll

Value : JKKEPIFOMMBLLJGKMBMEIADHDNBJJOHIIJPCLLDN

Hope this helps!

- Cat