Moving Outlook & BCM Data between desktop and laptop

I have two computers - a desktop and a laptop - and would like to be able to
make my Outlook info (contacts, email, calendar, notes, etc.) and my Business
Contact Manager info from my desktop available on my laptop when I travel.

I currently synch the "My Documents" folder on my desktop using the
Briefcase functionality and that works perfectly.

Questions:

1. Can I simply add the Outlook.pst file from my desktop into a briefcase
in order to automatically synchronize Outlook data between the two computers
or do I have to manually export and import the .pst file between computers
each time? I'm looking for the quickest and easiest way to transfer my
Outlook data between the two machines.

2. Same question for Business Contact Manager. I want to be able to move
my BCM data back and forth between the two machines as quickly and easily as
possible. Even if putting the .pst file in a Briefcase will work for the
Outlook data, I'm not sure that it will for BCM data, since it doesn't appear
to me that BCM creates a .pst file. Also, even if it did, I can't see how I
could set up Outlook on my laptop so that it looks in the Briefcase for the
BCM data when I open Outlook.

Any suggestions or insight you may have would be appreciated. I should note
that mine is not a situation where true synchronization is really necessary
-- that is, nothing will be changed on my desktop while I'm working with
Outlook/BCM on my laptop. I'm guessing that I can probably export and import
my Outlook.pst file manually every time I want to tranfer data between my
machines, but I'm really looking for something more automated.

Also, do you have any thoughts on third party applications which are
supposed to help with this (example: http://www.synchpst.com/)?

Import is bad. Use briefcase for the pst.
http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/olshare2.htm and
http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/sync.htm#briefcase

BCM data is stored in a database. I think import/exporting it to transfer
using briefcase will be the best. To understand a bit more about the files
it uses, see http://www.slipstick.com/emo/2004/up040708.htm#bcm.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Coauthor, OneNote 2003 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Author, Google and Other Search Engines (Visual QuickStart Guide)

Outlook Tips: http://www.outlook-tips.net/
Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com
Join OneNote Tips mailing list: http://www.onenote-tips.net/

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"BizGuy" <BizGuy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:E131B2FF-5066-454A-8FE0-CC3157F7536E@microsoft.com...
>I have two computers - a desktop and a laptop - and would like to be able
>to
> make my Outlook info (contacts, email, calendar, notes, etc.) and my
> Business
> Contact Manager info from my desktop available on my laptop when I travel.
>
> I currently synch the "My Documents" folder on my desktop using the
> Briefcase functionality and that works perfectly.
>
> Questions:
>
> 1. Can I simply add the Outlook.pst file from my desktop into a briefcase
> in order to automatically synchronize Outlook data between the two
> computers
> or do I have to manually export and import the .pst file between computers
> each time? I'm looking for the quickest and easiest way to transfer my
> Outlook data between the two machines.
>
> 2. Same question for Business Contact Manager. I want to be able to move
> my BCM data back and forth between the two machines as quickly and easily
> as
> possible. Even if putting the .pst file in a Briefcase will work for the
> Outlook data, I'm not sure that it will for BCM data, since it doesn't
> appear
> to me that BCM creates a .pst file. Also, even if it did, I can't see how
> I
> could set up Outlook on my laptop so that it looks in the Briefcase for
> the
> BCM data when I open Outlook.
>
> Any suggestions or insight you may have would be appreciated. I should
> note
> that mine is not a situation where true synchronization is really
> necessary
> -- that is, nothing will be changed on my desktop while I'm working with
> Outlook/BCM on my laptop. I'm guessing that I can probably export and
> import
> my Outlook.pst file manually every time I want to tranfer data between my
> machines, but I'm really looking for something more automated.
>
> Also, do you have any thoughts on third party applications which are
> supposed to help with this (example: http://www.synchpst.com/)?
>