Unable to set my 'Busy Status' in outlook when replying to a meeting invite?

Thanks! This is the 'old' outlook client, macro code below.

Sub AutoAcceptMeetings(oRequest As MeetingItem)

If oRequest.MessageClass <> "IPM.Schedule.Meeting.Request" Then

Exit Sub

End If

Dim oAppt As AppointmentItem

Set oAppt = oRequest.GetAssociatedAppointment(True)

oAppt.ShowAs = olFree

oAppt.Save

Dim oResponse

Set oResponse = oAppt.Respond(olMeetingAccepted, True)

' creates response, saves to drafts without sending

oResponse.Close (olSave)

' deletes draft response

' if not deleted, may create tentative appt on calendar

oResponse.Delete

End Sub

Did this code use to work? Just a cursory glance, and knowing very little about Outlook meeting API, it doesn't seem correct to me. You get a MeetingItem object and then you create a standalone appointment and save it (blank) and then set the appointment as an accepted meeting. I don't see where you actually do anything with the original meeting request.

Taking a look at what is available on MeetingItem it appears you should take the MeetingItem you get and call the GetAssociatedAppointment method with the value of True. This adds the appointment to your calendar and returns the corresponding appointment. At that point you should be able to update the appointment properties and then call Save to persist them.

Just a guess at the code here because I cannot currently test this in Outlook.

Sub AutoAcceptMeetings(oRequest As MeetingItem)

   If oRequest.MessageClass <> "IPM.Schedule.Meeting.Request" Then
      Exit Sub
   End If

   Dim oAppt As AppointmentItem
   Set oAppt = oRequest.GetAssociatedAppointment(True)
 
   ' Adjust the appointment
   oAppt.BusyStatus = olBusyStatus.olFree

   ' Accept the invite
   oAppt.Respond(olResponseAccepted, True)
   oAppt.Send
End Sub

I'm not sure if the appointment if the Save method needs to be called directly but I assume that Respond handles that.

From the documentation <MeetingItem.GetAssociatedAppointment method (Outlook)>, the original code follows the same format when generating a response. The code I am using is silently adding this to calendar without sending a response which is what I wanted it to do - apologies I should have mentioned this!

The original code I use works in all aspects except changing the busy status. I can see the 'accepted on' time updating when I run the rule. The issue is just that it is adding as busy not free!

I've tried your implementation of the busy status above and setting the value to '0' from <OlBusyStatus enumeration (Outlook)> but no luck unfortunately