How to change where outlook files are stored?

[Guest]

On my desktop computer I have my pst file on a portable hard drive. I have a
laptop now and I want to be able to plug in the portable hard drive into the
laptop and receive emails into the drive. How do I change where my pst file
is when I start up outlook on my laptop so that I can flip back and forth
between the two computers?

 

[Brian Tillman]

On my desktop computer I have my pst file on a portable hard drive.
I have a laptop now and I want to be able to plug in the portable
hard drive into the laptop and receive emails into the drive. How do
I change where my pst file is when I start up outlook on my laptop so
that I can flip back and forth between the two computers?

With Outlook closed, move your existing PST to the portable drive. Start
Outlook and it will complain that your folders are gone and give you a
browse window where you can browse to the new location of the PST. Outlook
will open and be happy again. Now you can take the PST with you. On the
other PC, attach the drive, rename the PST outlook on that machine is using
so that Outlook can't find it, and start Outlook. When it complains, point
it at the PST on the portable drive.

Some cautions: Outlook must ALWAYS be COMPLETELY shutdown prior to
disconnecting the drive. It might help if mail profiles on the two machines
are identically named. If you expect to rely on rules, you may be
disappointed. Moving the PST between systems can disrupt the pointers in
the rules that locate the folders in the PST. Make sure you back that PST
up (even on the same drive) frequently.

 

[Guest]

Brian,

If I move the pst on my laptop to the portable drive, won't it override the
pst on the portable drive and then I will lose all of my mail, contacts, etc
from using it on the desktop unit?

 

[Brian Tillman]

If I move the pst on my laptop to the portable drive, won't it
override the pst on the portable drive and then I will lose all of my
mail, contacts, etc from using it on the desktop unit?

Well, of course, if you give the same name and store it in the same folder.
It's no different that any other hard drive.