Can I merge or synch two different Outlooks?

  • Thread starter Thread starter miscellaneousmedia
  • Start date Start date
M

miscellaneousmedia

I use two accounts in XP and Outlook 2003 for both. Can I merge them
with a click of a button or something?
 
Do you mean that you've got two PST files setup on the machine (one for each
OS level account).
 
I guess so. I mean I have two accounts; I can have up to five, I think.
And ech one has a different set of contacts, notes, appointments. How
can I synch one with the other when I am working and modifying one of
them?
 
I guess so. I mean I have two accounts; I can have up to five, I think.
And ech one has a different set of contacts, notes, appointments. How
can I synch one with the other when I am working and modifying one of
them?
 
Hmmm, I think the best bet would be to use the same PST file when you're
using each account. Place the most updated one in a spot where every account
can get to it, rename the others and start Outlook under each profile. When
Outlook complains that it can't find its data point it to new location of
the shared PST file.
 
OK, based on that response I'm guessing that I went a little fast & low on
details :-)

First question for you: Do you have multiple PST files on your machine? I'm
guessing you do based on previous responses (if this is the same person that
started this thread - different email addresses though).
 
I'm not sure what you man by multiple PST files. I have an Outlook with
stuff in the various components under my name and another Windows XP
account under my wife's name with various stuff in it, like contacts,
appointments etc. With a click or two I'd like to be able to mereg the
two Outlooks so that both of them contain the same information instead
of doing entries seperately. Make sense?
 
OK, a PST file is a file with the extension PST. Outlook uses them to store
your local data. Most likely you've got more than one of them on the
machine. Do a search for files with a 'name' of *.PST (that should find all
PST files). I'm guessing they will be in each of your user directories.
 
nickravo said:
I'm not sure what you man by multiple PST files.
Click to expand...

Assuming each of the accounts you describe are POP accounts, there should be
a file in the (hidden) folder "C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local
Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook" (where "username" is the
Windows username for each person) called something.PST (with "something"
often being "Outlook" or "Personal Folders". This is the file Outlook uses
to store the mail, contacts, calendar, and so on for each person.
With a click or two I'd like to be
able to mereg the two Outlooks so that both of them contain the same
information instead of doing entries seperately. Make sense?
Click to expand...

It will take more than a click or two. First, Outlook should be closed for
all accounts. Next, create a folder called, say, Outlook under "Shared
Documents". Double click that folder sho Explorer is open in it. Now,
enable viewing hidden files and folders with Start>Control Panel>Appearance
and Themes>Folder Options>View. Select "Show hidden files and folders" and
uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types". Click OK and close Control
Panel. Next, click Start>Run and, in the Open field, enter (exactly as
shown):

%UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

and click Go. (%UserProfile% is an environment variable whose value is
"C:\Documents and Settings\username".) You'll get an Explorer windows in
which you should see a file ending in ".pst" as I described above. Move
this file to the other Explorer window (the one showing Shared
Documents\Outlook). Now, start Outlook. It will complain that it can't
locate its folders and give you a browser window. Browse to the PST you
just moved to Shared Documents\Outlook, select it, and click OK. Outlook
should finish opening and should look exactly like it did before. Close
Outlook and log out.

Log in as the other user. You may have to enable viewing hidden files and
folders for that account as well (I don't know if the settings are per-user
or system-wide). Rename the PST that is in the second user's Windows
profile by changing the file name, but not the file extension. Start
Outlook. When it complains about not finding the folder file, browse to the
PST in Shared Documents\Outlook, select it, and click OK. Now the second
Outlook will be referencing the exact same folders the first one did. You
can repeat this process for as many users as you have defined on the Windows
system.

Keep in mind that only one user can reference the PST at any one time but
Fast User Switching should work even if Outlook is left open in the user's
workspace.
 
It's a bit of work to setup but once done it should be pretty low
maintenance afterwards
 
nickravo said:
Thanks Brian. But that level of work is not what I was looking for.
Click to expand...

Then you don't really want what you're asking for. Doing what I suggested
will take about 15 or 20 minutes and once over will not need redoing. On
top of that, you'll have a much better understanding of how Outlook works.
Certaily that's worh the price of admission.
 
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