Custom OWA Theme

[AlexPilot]

Have been looking into customizing our OWA theme for exchange 2007. Have found many how to articles such as Customizing the Look of Outlook Web Access

Wondering if anyone has successfully done so, and really what enviroment did they first create it in so that they wouldnt break anything.

[Domino]

I'm currently doing it at the minute.

As long as you create a new theme to play with, rather than change a current one - you shouldn't break anything.

Copy an existing theme to give you a starting point

[spc-rocket]

I'm currently doing it at the minute.

As long as you create a new theme to play with, rather than change a current one - you shouldn't break anything.

Copy an existing theme to give you a starting point

Yep this is the way to do it. Copy the theme with directory marked 1 and then try to change the colours and other bits as you see fit.

Ash.

[AlexPilot]

Got it all working nicely, apart from in calendar on the highlighted the there is an orange to white gradient which I cant find. I wont to change it to purple to white.

[Edu-IT]

Did you get this done in the end? I'm looking at changing our login screen. How easy is this to achieve?

[AlexPilot]

I did get it working using the following article

How to Create a Theme for Outlook Web Access: Exchange 2007 Help

[chris--87]

I have followed one of few very informative guides found on technet etc for the creation of a custom OWA theme. However I am having trouble applying my theme. Moreover getting my theme to actually appear as an option (i.e. appear in the drop down menu under "Appearance" in the General Settings" tab within "Options" when you are a user logged in to OWA.

Guides will instruct you place the folder containing your theme files (.GIF's, .CSS's etc) on the Client Access server that is hosting Outlook Web Access in following location

\Client Access\OWA\version\themes\

I have definitely done this but I still do not see my theme as an available option. I have tried clearing temporary internet files, all browser history completely, stopping/starting IIS.

Has anyone successfully created a custom OWA theme that could give me some pointers?

[Steve21]

I have followed one of few very informative guides found on technet etc for the creation of a custom OWA theme. However I am having trouble applying my theme. Moreover getting my theme to actually appear as an option (i.e. appear in the drop down menu under "Appearance" in the General Settings" tab within "Options" when you are a user logged in to OWA.

Guides will instruct you place the folder containing your theme files (.GIF's, .CSS's etc) on the Client Access server that is hosting Outlook Web Access in following location

\Client Access\OWA\version\themes\

I have definitely done this but I still do not see my theme as an available option. I have tried clearing temporary internet files, all browser history completely, stopping/starting IIS.

Has anyone successfully created a custom OWA theme that could give me some pointers?

Any chance of expanding it a bit more.

You copied all 5 files? What's the full path you're using? Are you using OWA light or full? Did you remember to name the folder same as theme name etc?

Steve

[chris--87]

@Steve21
Thanks for quick response.

The files I have in my theme folder are logopt.gif, logopb.gif and nbbkg.gif I only included these three to give me a custom header after reading the following from one of the guides I am reading

"if you create a new theme by copying only the header graphics to a new theme and modifying them, when a user selects that theme, the header graphics will come from the new theme, and the rest of the theme properties will come from the base theme."

The guides I am using are:

Customizing the Look of Outlook Web Access

and

How to Create a Theme for Outlook Web Access: Exchange 2007 Help

The version I am using is 8.3.137.0. I am using the full version not light.

The full path for the location of my theme folder is:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\ClientAccess\Owa\8.3.137.0\themes

but I also have my theme folder in

C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\ClientAccess\Owa\Current\themes (didn't know which location was correct so did both)

My theme folder has the name I want. I have now also included themeinfo.xml (edited correctly with name matching the folder name) in my theme folder.
I am restarting IIS, clearing temporary internet files/all browser history after each change I make but still no luck.

[Steve21]

Just one quick question, Did you create those paths, or did you already have a folder there? Shouldn't "ClientAccess" have a space in it? Or did they change that recently?


*edit - Also have you put your RegKey in? Notice you didn't mention that.

Steve

[chris--87]

The paths are as they were I have not changed them, including no spaces in "ClientAccess" - I don't actually know which is correct, that is just how they are for me right now. My theme folder, in each case resides in the "themes" (at the end of those paths).

More importantly what is this RegKey you mention? This may be something I have overlooked in the guides, as I haven't touched anything registry related at all. Should I be?

[Steve21]

The paths are as they were I have not changed them, including no spaces in "ClientAccess" - I don't actually know which is correct, that is just how they are for me right now. My theme folder, in each case resides in the "themes" (at the end of those paths).

More importantly what is this RegKey you mention? This may be something I have overlooked in the guides, as I haven't touched anything registry related at all. Should I be?

Sorry for slow reply, nets been down arrgghh!

Unless it's been changed recently, You have to effectively "register" your theme with outlook.

Found a link to show example: The Lazy Admin : Custom Branding Outlook Web Access

Might have changed recently, but you had to do it before, else it doesn't know it's a theme as such.

Steve

[chris--87]

Sorry for slow reply, nets been down arrgghh!

Unless it's been changed recently, You have to effectively "register" your theme with outlook.

Found a link to show example: The Lazy Admin : Custom Branding Outlook Web Access

Might have changed recently, but you had to do it before, else it doesn't know it's a theme as such.

Steve

The link you have shown me there appears to be 2003, I'm using 2007. The registry location mentioned in that link does not exist with 2007.

However I have new developments. If I restart the server my changes within the ..\themes folder get updated - what I mean is my theme has become available in the drop down box to select and it has the correct name. BUT... selecting my theme > saving changed > and refreshing, still does not display my theme?! It appears that my .GIF's are being ignored and the base theme is being used entirely as if my theme folder it empty. Does this give you anything to work with.. Thanks

[Steve21]

The link you have shown me there appears to be 2003, I'm using 2007. The registry location mentioned in that link does not exist with 2007.

However I have new developments. If I restart the server my changes within the ..\themes folder get updated - what I mean is my theme has become available in the drop down box to select and it has the correct name. BUT... selecting my theme > saving changed > and refreshing, still does not display my theme?! It appears that my .GIF's are being ignored and the base theme is being used entirely as if my theme folder it empty. Does this give you anything to work with.. Thanks

Well, If you're using the original themes aren't all the links relative to the home folder? aka, The CSS file looks for images "within" that folder? Have you tried using a direct link to the folder, and/or copying the CSS files and editing them?

If you didn't copy the CSS file, I assume it default to it, Thus using images linked inside it?

Steve

[chris--87]

Problem solved.

All I needed to do was include premium.css in my folder. There was no need to edit it, simply placing it in there meant my .GIF's were then used. Previously I did not realise that premium.css actually referenced the header .GIF's. Not including it meant the one from the base folder was used which referenced the .GIF's in that folder therefore mine were not being used.

Thanks for all the help Steve21