Can I share .pst files on a network?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

I use both a laptop and a desktop pc that are connected via a wireless
network. They both run on Windows XP.
Is it possible to access the personal files in Outlook on the pc through the
network on the laptop.
Basically, I want to be able to not have to enter my calendar and contacts,
etc and recieve my e-mails to both computers.
Can i do this?
Any help is much appreciatted.

Gemma
 
Yes and no;

Technically it works in most cases. However the pst-file has never been
designed to be accessed from a networkshare and therefore isn't supported by
Microsoft. Also keep in mind that when you loose the connection to the
networkshare you could damage the pst-file. In most cases you can then
repair it with scanpst.exe but you can also damage it beyond repair and you
need to restore it from backup. Also keep in mind that you cannot access the
pst-file on both machines simultaniously as Outlook places a lock on the
file.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
www.howto-outlook.com

Tips of the month:
-Properly back-up and restore your Outlook data
-Creating a Permanent New Mail Desktop Alert in Outlook 2003
 
Gemma said:
I use both a laptop and a desktop pc that are connected via a wireless
network. They both run on Windows XP.
Is it possible to access the personal files in Outlook on the pc through the
network on the laptop.
Basically, I want to be able to not have to enter my calendar and contacts,
etc and recieve my e-mails to both computers.
Can i do this?
Any help is much appreciatted.

Gemma
Click to expand...

You can, but BE WARNED. This is *NOT* supported by Microsoft. Move the
pst file on the desktop to a shared folder and then just point Outlook
on the laptop to that location.

Take FREQUENT backups of your pst file - if you lose the network
connection while reading/writing to the pst file on the laptop, you may
corrupt the file.
Another (more laborious but much safer) method is to use the free MS
Outlook backup tool and transfer the pst file between the machines using
that.
 
Gemma said:
I use both a laptop and a desktop pc that are connected via a wireless
network. They both run on Windows XP.
Is it possible to access the personal files in Outlook on the pc
through the network on the laptop.
Basically, I want to be able to not have to enter my calendar and
contacts, etc and recieve my e-mails to both computers.
Can i do this?
Click to expand...

As Robert and Gordon warn, it's NOT supported and you run some risks.
Neither explained the exact method you should use, though.

With Outlook closed on BOTH machines, create a network share on the desktop
and MOVE your PST to that share. Start Outlook. WHen it complains that it
can't find your folders, browse to the PST in the shared folder, select it
and click OK. Your desktop Outlook should find your folders and look just
like it did. Close Outlook.

On the laptop, rename your existing PST. Start Outlook. When it complains,
browse to the network-shared PST, select it, and click OK. That Outlook
should now look just like the desktop. You can incorporate what is in the
renamed PST on the laptop by opening it and moving data to the shared PST or
you can leave it as a second PST local to the laptop only.
 
Back
Top