Can I pre-load form fields on OWA logon webpage?

[eezip]

My company uses MS Office Web Access to provide my co-workers and I access to our work email via a browser. Perhaps you're already all too familiar with this logon page:
.

None of the fields are filled out when I navigate to the page. I don't mind entering my password, but it would be nice to have my user name already filled in and the "This is a private computer" radio button checked instead of having to do it manually every time.

Is there a way to automatically set the checkbox for security and/or fill out the "Domain/user name" fields? I tried appending "?username=<my user name>" to the URL since viewing the page source shows the "Domain/user name" field to be called "username", but without success.

I don't have visibility of any IT dept. settings/software/configuration, so I'm feeling pretty alone on this one. I didn't get a favorable response when I asked the IT dept., so I'm thinking I might not be able to get much information if you need it. Or maybe this is an easy one?? Any help would be great! Thanks!

 

[PTNL]

What you're asking for would require that OWA know whether or not you're within a trusted network, would only function on a Windows machine (for Windows Authentication Identity polling), assume that you're logged in using a machine on the domain, pre-verify that the user identity already exists in the domain, etc.

Ultimately what you're asking for severely limits the user base that a web-based email system could service, and just does not seem practical to implement.

 

[Captain Colonoscopy]

what he said plus it would be a lot less secure, too
Posted via [H] Mobile Device

 

[eezip]

Hi guys, thanks for the reply but I'm still confused. I just want to be able to save time by not entering information on my local PC every time I want to check my work email. I just want to automate entering information or selecting radio buttons at home. Maybe I'm not understanding what you're saying, but it doesn't make sense to me. Can you clarify?

 

[PTNL]

Hi guys, thanks for the reply but I'm still confused. I just want to be able to save time by not entering information on my local PC every time I want to check my work email. I just want to automate entering information or selecting radio buttons at home. Maybe I'm not understanding what you're saying, but it doesn't make sense to me. Can you clarify?

Simple Answer: We know what you're saying and would like to see happen. What you're looking for is neither practical nor feasible to implement. Even doing so would have negative consequences.

Long Answer: Re-read the first paragraph in my first post. I doubt you can get a more plainly-worded answer that still provides some high-level supporting evidence.

 

[eezip]

PTNL, thanks for the additional information. I guess my lack of network knowledge just isn't letting me understand the limitations with my question that you realize.

I don't put my domain in when I log in - just my user name.

Only being able to use this feature with a Windows machine doesn't seem like a serious limitation to me - this limitation already exists. Even having to use IE isn't too bad - I already do that to avoid having to use the Web Access Light - according to Wikipedia this limitation is gone with newer versions of OWA.

It seems to me that OWA wouldn't have anything to do with it - that my browser could somehow fill in forms and set the radio button when it sees I've navigated the appropriate webpage. This already happens with most webpages thanks to a Firefox plugin. But I will assume, for reasons I don't understand, that OWA doesn't work with my form fill-in plugin because of the reasons you mention.

Maybe that's the confusion - I'm thinking about a client-side form fill in. Have I given you the impression I want OWA to query my machine and figure out who I am? If so, sorry.

Does that change anything?

 

[PTNL]

I guess my lack of network knowledge just isn't letting me understand the limitations with my question that you realize.

Once you start expanding these requests beyond the scope of your desktop, company size, and a household network environment, then you'll start seeing the flaws in what you're asking for.

Maybe that's the confusion - I'm thinking about a client-side form fill in. Have I given you the impression I want OWA to query my machine and figure out who I am? If so, sorry

That's the thing -- I've stated what is required for what you're requesting, but you still are doubting the requirements and (consequently) the fact that doing it from a big picture perspective is neither feasible or practical.


As for your other thoughts in your post...
- OWA is fine on Firefox. I've used OWA 2003 with Firefox; it's not as intuitive as with IE, but it works. OWA 2007 is much improved.
- For the "not typing your domain" part when logging in... well that's either a continuation of a Exchange 2003 workaround for OWA, or something that MS implemented fully in Exchange 2007.
- As a general rule, don't filter out accessibility of a website based solely on the user's operating system.

 

[k1pp3r]

If you want to pre fill forms look at roboform.

OWA will not do this automatically

 

[IntelOwnz]

Mine works fine.. IE7 on Windows XP. It auto fills my username after I select Private and log into for the first time, it will save it forever until I clear my cookies

OP: if yours is not saving, try making sure you have cookies enabled, perhaps try adding your OWA website to your allow list inside IE?

 

[IntelOwnz]

Also, it could be on your server side, that its set to not remember user names? I recall an option somewhere in OWA admin tool for that

You could try using the built-in IE 'remember password' tool, Unless you've told it not to ever ask again, it should prompt you to remember a username/password anytime you submit a form

 

[gimp]

Also, it could be on your server side, that its set to not remember user names? I recall an option somewhere in OWA admin tool for that

You could try using the built-in IE 'remember password' tool, Unless you've told it not to ever ask again, it should prompt you to remember a username/password anytime you submit a form

there must be an option in the OWA config.
mine has never asked if I want to save the username, whether I've used IE6, IE7, or IE8.

 

[IntelOwnz]

there must be an option in the OWA config.
mine has never asked if I want to save the username, whether I've used IE6, IE7, or IE8.

Mine does not ask either, it auto saves the username

What I was referring to, is anytime IE sees a username/password entered, it will ask you if you want to save it, I always click the "Don't ask again" and press "No" so I'm not sure on how to bring that feature back, but you can probably find it

 

[keenan]

You could try using the built-in IE 'remember password' tool, Unless you've told it not to ever ask again, it should prompt you to remember a username/password anytime you submit a form

I think this feature is either automatically disabled when accessing via HTTPS or can be 'hinted' by the site to be turned off. It seems from my informal experiences that you're not prompted on sites where security matters. For example I've never been prompted to save a password at a bank website, and even my usual on-by-default autofill for the login box doesn't function on all sites. Might be able to circumvent that...

What you're asking for would require that OWA know whether or not you're within a trusted network, would only function on a Windows machine (for Windows Authentication Identity polling), assume that you're logged in using a machine on the domain, pre-verify that the user identity already exists in the domain, etc.

Ultimately what you're asking for severely limits the user base that a web-based email system could service, and just does not seem practical to implement.

Huh? Why not just use cookies like everyone else has for decades? Though I strongly suspect that OWA already does, and that it's simply disabled on this deployment.

 

[RiDDLeRThC]

A lot of this is controlled on the Exchange/ISA/TMG server

 

[PTNL]

Huh? Why not just use cookies like everyone else has for decades?

Agree, cookies are fine and common . However, the OP was referring to the system just *knowing* it was him and never typing anything except a password.

 

[eezip]

Agree, cookies are fine and common . However, the OP was referring to the system just *knowing* it was him and never typing anything except a password.

Not exactly. I was simply asking for the fields to be filled in and radio buttons to be set so all I had to do was type in a password. But I don't care if the system knows it's me or not - and I really didn't expect that. I was assuming this would happen on the client end.

I use AutoFill Forms and Secure Login Add-Ons for Firefox, but those don't work with the OWA page. And IE never offered so save my OWA login or password.

And I had no idea about how the security radio button might be set.

I was thinking I could manually edit the URL to make this all happen, but I guess not.

 

[PTNL]

Not exactly. I was simply asking for the fields to be filled in and radio buttons to be set so all I had to do was type in a password. But I don't care if the system knows it's me or not - and I really didn't expect that. I was assuming this would happen on the client end.

Quite the contrary -- What you're asking for is what I detailed. And even your description contradicts itself: the "system" and the "client" as you described it are one and the same, and not separate locations/deveices/etc.

Manual changes to the URL's querystring depend more on what the system does with the querystring value; ideally, the application's usage of querystring params/values is not implemented a sandbox for dumping whatever the user decides.




Taking a step back....

This thread is degrading from the original concept of "Can pre-filling be done within OWA 2007's logon page to the way that I want?". Reasons have been provided from an implementation perspective on why this isn't feasible; security points have been made on why this isn't practical.

If you really want to see what can be done, then do some light reading on features and configuration options for Exchange 2007 for OWA. Google is your friend. If you still want to argue the point, then realize your arguments are starting to head off-topic. Point is, there is no "Easy" button for every imagined scenario.

 

[k1pp3r]

Not exactly. I was simply asking for the fields to be filled in and radio buttons to be set so all I had to do was type in a password. But I don't care if the system knows it's me or not - and I really didn't expect that. I was assuming this would happen on the client end.

I use AutoFill Forms and Secure Login Add-Ons for Firefox, but those don't work with the OWA page. And IE never offered so save my OWA login or password.

And I had no idea about how the security radio button might be set.

I was thinking I could manually edit the URL to make this all happen, but I guess not.

Use roboforms, it will do all this for you

 

[gimp]

Mine does not ask either, it auto saves the username

What I was referring to, is anytime IE sees a username/password entered, it will ask you if you want to save it, I always click the "Don't ask again" and press "No" so I'm not sure on how to bring that feature back, but you can probably find it

guess I should have worded it better... it's never asked me if I want to save the username/pass, and it never has saved it.
and I do let IE save login info, and still prompts me at times.

but my OWA is one where it does not ask me, and does not save anything.

There is also 1 or 2 bank sites that I access, that do not ask, nor do they save my login info.
So there must be some page coding, or something, that can prevent it on that particular page.

 

[IntelOwnz]

This thread is degrading from the original concept of "Can pre-filling be done within OWA 2007's logon page to the way that I want?". Reasons have been provided from an implementation perspective on why this isn't feasible; security points have been made on why this isn't practical.

If you really want to see what can be done, then do some light reading on features and configuration options for Exchange 2007 for OWA. Google is your friend. If you still want to argue the point, then realize your arguments are starting to head off-topic. Point is, there is no "Easy" button for every imagined scenario.

You guys are way over exaggerating the "Security" issue... That's the whole reason behind the "public" and "private" radio buttons, if you're at a public location it should remember your username, and if you're at your personal computer and choose private it should store the username. If it is NOT, it's either one of two things:

1. you don't have cookies enabled or you have it set super high so it won't accept the OWA cookie
2. there is a setting in OWA that you have to enable for it to remember your username, it is on by default but someone may have disabled it.

If you're the Admin, why not fix it. If you're not, why not talk to your IT department??
Or just use Roboforms, as suggested 100000 times in this post...