Outlook 2003 & Roaming Profiles

[Bradley Walker]

I have a client who has a small local business in this region. They have 6
office employees and are about ready to hire their 7th office employee. The
problem is that their office is just large enough to hold the current 6
people they employ. Each office has it's own dell connected via active
directory to a Windows 2000 server. However one of the needs with the new
employee is that this person will need access to a computer for email, web,
and a network based app for customer information. Being that they have no
office space left, what they have decided to do is let this new employee use
someone elses computer during their days off. So this new employee could be
at Desk #1 for a day, then at Desk #4 the day after.

The first solution I thought of to solve this problem was to create a
roaming profile that the Windows 2000 server handled allowing the employee
to use different computers having the same wallpaper and desktop settings.
However the issue I ran into was that I was unable to get Outlook 2003 to
'roam', instead Outlook installed the PST file and settings to the local
computer that the roaming profile was initially setup on.

Is there anyway to accomplish the scenerio that my client is wanting? Or is
it impossible to have Outlook 2003 roam from PC to PC randomly without
having to setup Outlook each and everytime on each and every PC?

Brad

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

In

I have a client who has a small local business in this region. They
have 6 office employees and are about ready to hire their 7th office
employee. The problem is that their office is just large enough to
hold the current 6 people they employ. Each office has it's own dell
connected via active directory to a Windows 2000 server. However one
of the needs with the new employee is that this person will need
access to a computer for email, web, and a network based app for
customer information. Being that they have no office space left,
what they have decided to do is let this new employee use someone
elses computer during their days off. So this new employee could be
at Desk #1 for a day, then at Desk #4 the day after.
The first solution I thought of to solve this problem was to create a
roaming profile that the Windows 2000 server handled allowing the
employee to use different computers having the same wallpaper and
desktop settings.

That's what I'd do, too.

However the issue I ran into was that I was unable
to get Outlook 2003 to 'roam', instead Outlook installed the PST file
and settings to the local computer that the roaming profile was
initially setup on.

Sounds like the profile didn't roam, then. You aren't really using PST
files, are you? Don't.

Is there anyway to accomplish the scenerio that my client is wanting?
Or is it impossible to have Outlook 2003 roam from PC to PC randomly
without having to setup Outlook each and everytime on each and every
PC?
Brad

Roaming profile tips:

1. Set up a share on the server. For example - d:\profiles, shared as
profiles$ to make it hidden from browsing.
2. Make sure the share permissions on profiles$ indicate everyone=full
control. Set the NTFS security to administrators, system, and users=full
control.
3. In the users' ADUC properties, specify \\server\profiles$\%username% in
the profiles field
4. Have each user log into the domain once from their usual workstation
(where their existing profile lives) and log out. The profile is now
roaming.
5. If you want the administrators group to automatically have permissions to
the profiles folders, you'll need to make the appropriate change in group
policy. Look in computer configuration/administrative
templates/system/logon - there's an option to add administrators group to
the roaming profiles permissions.

Notes:

* Make sure users understand that they should never log into multiple
computers at the same time when they have roaming profiles (unless you make
the profiles mandatory by renaming ntuser.dat to ntuser.man so they can't
change them). Explain that the
last one out
wins, when it comes to uploading the final, changed copy of the profile.

* Keep your profiles TINY. Redirect My Documents
to a subfolder of each user's home directory on the server - either via
group policy (folder redirection) or manually (less advisable). If you
aren't going to also redirect the desktop using policies, tell people that
they are not to store any files on the desktop or you will beat them with a
stick. Big profile=slow login/logout, and possible profile corruption.

* Note that user profiles are not compatible between different OS versions,
even between W2k/XP. Keep all your computers. Keep your workstations as
identical as possible - meaning, OS version is the same, SP level is the
same, app load is (as much as possible) the same.

* Do not let people store any data locally - all data belongs on the server.

 

[Dave Mills]

I assume there is no Exchange present as you are using PST files. DO
NOT try to have the PST file in the roaming profile as it will cause
synchronisation issues (especially when it gets large). Create a
shared folder on the server and point Outlook to that folder when
setting the PST file to use. Also assuming that there is fast and
reliable network connection to the server.

 

[Bradley Walker]

Sounds like the profile didn't roam, then. You aren't really using PST

files, are you? Don't.

I have to, they are using email from the ISP which is pop3 based. They
don't want nor have the need to have an exchange server.

Roaming profile tips:

1. Set up a share on the server. For example - d:\profiles, shared as
profiles$ to make it hidden from browsing.
2. Make sure the share permissions on profiles$ indicate everyone=full
control. Set the NTFS security to administrators, system, and users=full
control.
3. In the users' ADUC properties, specify \\server\profiles$\%username% in
the profiles field
4. Have each user log into the domain once from their usual workstation
(where their existing profile lives) and log out. The profile is now
roaming.
5. If you want the administrators group to automatically have permissions
to the profiles folders, you'll need to make the appropriate change in
group policy. Look in computer configuration/administrative
templates/system/logon - there's an option to add administrators group to
the roaming profiles permissions.

This has already been taken care of, although the thing is, only employee #7
will be a roaming profile. Employee's #1-6 will remain at their desks
having their profiles stored on their local system with mapped drives taking
care of their data storage. They know not to use My Documents. Mainly what
I"m after is figuring out if it's possible at all for Outlook 2003 to be
used. I tried having the PST file stored on the server
\\server\users\username\email but when I tried logging onto another PC,
Outlook 2003 just said it needed to be configured for first use.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Note, though, that Microsoft does not support putting .pst files on a network drive.

I would see if the ISP's mail server supports a web browser interface and, if so, consider letting the new person use that instead of Outlook.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

In

I have to, they are using email from the ISP which is pop3 based. They
don't want nor have the need to have an exchange server.

PST files must be stored/accessed locally in order to ensure they work
right.