Synchronize Desktop Outlook to Outlook Web Access?

[MS]

Using Outlook 2003 with Win XP SP1, latest updates to both.

I just got a new e-mail address from work, which uses Outlook Web Access
(Exchange server) for its web mail.

Since the folders look similar to the Outlook folders in my desktop Outlook,
I wonder if there is a way to synchronize the data between my desktop
Outlook, and that on the web. In other words, to import the contacts,
calendar, tasks, notes, etc. from my desktop Outlook into the folders on the
web. My Inbox as well. (I have several e-mail accounts, all going into one
Inbox in my desktop Outlook. Of course, I think I can only access the e-mail
in the web Outlook, from the one work e-mail account it is set up for.
However, I still might like to copy all the mail already in my Inbox, from
different accounts, to the web Outlook.)

The folders on my desktop Outlook are not Exchange folders, as it is my
personal computer, not an office one. Is there a way, however to import them
into the web Outlook?

I think it would be convenient, when away from home without my laptop, to
have all my data there to look at on the web.

If additionally, I could add contact, calendar items, etc. on the web
interface, and later sync that to my home computer, that would be great!

 

[Vince Averello [MVP-Outlook]]

Only if you can get access directly to your mailbox from Outlook on your
home computer or elsewhere.

 

[Brian Tillman]

Using Outlook 2003 with Win XP SP1, latest updates to both.

I just got a new e-mail address from work, which uses Outlook Web
Access (Exchange server) for its web mail.

Since the folders look similar to the Outlook folders in my desktop
Outlook, I wonder if there is a way to synchronize the data between
my desktop Outlook, and that on the web.

Did you create an Exchange account in Outlook on the desktop machine? If
not, do so. Make this your delivery location in the "Delivery new e-mail to
the following location" drop-down at the bottom left of Tools>E-mail
Accounts>Next. Stop and restart Outlook. Now, for any NON-default folders
in "Personal Folders", right-click the folder and choose "Copy foldername".
Select your Exchange Mailbox (now your Outlook Today) as the destination.
When you're done with all the non-default folders, you can copy the contents
of each default folder by opening the folder, choosing all the items in it
(CTRL-A usually works, but you may have to click on one item first), then
clicking Edit>Copy to Folder and specifying the corresponding Exchange-based
default folder. For the Calendar, you'll have to switch to a list view like
By Category before CTRL-A will select all items.

When you've copied everything, you can either close the Personal Folders
file (right-click>Close) or leave it there for reference. Everything will
then be available both from Outlook and from OWA.

 

[MS]

Only if you can get access directly to your mailbox from Outlook on your
home computer or elsewhere.

I don't understand this statement. Of course I have access to all of my
e-mailboxes from Outlook on my home computer.

 

[MS]

Did you create an Exchange account in Outlook on the desktop machine? If
not, do so. Make this your delivery location in the "Delivery new e-mail to
the following location" drop-down at the bottom left of Tools>E-mail
Accounts>Next. Stop and restart Outlook. Now, for any NON-default folders
in "Personal Folders", right-click the folder and choose "Copy foldername".
Select your Exchange Mailbox (now your Outlook Today) as the destination.
When you're done with all the non-default folders, you can copy the contents
of each default folder by opening the folder, choosing all the items in it
(CTRL-A usually works, but you may have to click on one item first), then
clicking Edit>Copy to Folder and specifying the corresponding Exchange-based
default folder. For the Calendar, you'll have to switch to a list view like
By Category before CTRL-A will select all items.

When you've copied everything, you can either close the Personal Folders
file (right-click>Close) or leave it there for reference. Everything will
then be available both from Outlook and from OWA.

I asked the tech support guy from work about this, and he said that Exchange
folders can only be set up on actual work computers, not on my personal
computer. ((Perhaps there has to be a direct connection with the work
network in order for Exchange folders to work?)

I am able to access that e-mail account with desktop Outlook on my personal
computer, using POP3. And of course, via web mail, using OWA.

Or, could it be that he just didn't want to bother telling me how to set up
the Exchange folders in Outlook? If so, perhaps you could help me here, how
to set it up. I actually tried it a little already, closing Outlook, going
to Mail in Control Panel, new e-mail account, Exchange. I didn't know what
to put in for the settings, however. I put in the same server address as for
POP3. It didn't work though.

If anyone can clarify this, it would be helpful.

 

[Vince Averello [MVP-Outlook]]

By access I mean access via Outlook not OWA. Your office might not allow
access to the mailbox via Outlook outside of the office. My wife's company
is like that. She can use OWA at home but the ports for direct Outlook
access aren't open...

 

[Brian Tillman]

I asked the tech support guy from work about this, and he said that
Exchange folders can only be set up on actual work computers, not on
my personal computer. ((Perhaps there has to be a direct connection
with the work network in order for Exchange folders to work?)

This is true. You must be able to access the Exchange mailbox directly,
either through a VPN or by RPC over HTTP.

Or, could it be that he just didn't want to bother telling me how to
set up the Exchange folders in Outlook? If so, perhaps you could help
me here, how to set it up. I actually tried it a little already,
closing Outlook, going to Mail in Control Panel, new e-mail account,
Exchange. I didn't know what to put in for the settings, however. I
put in the same server address as for POP3. It didn't work though.

If the only access to Exchange you have is via POP, then the best you can do
is use some kind of sync tool. See
http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/sync.htm

 

[MS]

If the only access to Exchange you have is via POP, then the best you can do
is use some kind of sync tool. See
http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/sync.htm

Well, since you have confirmed that using Exchange folders in desktop
Outlook can only occur with a direct connection to the work network, the
only access to Exchange via desktop Outlook seems to be with POP. I can of
course access the Exchange folders on the web, with OWA.

I'll look at the page you mention regarding sync tools. Thank you.

 

[MS]

By access I mean access via Outlook not OWA. Your office might not allow
access to the mailbox via Outlook outside of the office. My wife's company
is like that. She can use OWA at home but the ports for direct Outlook
access aren't open...

OK, thanks for clarifying your statement. Actually I can access the mailbox
via desktop Outlook, but via POP3. And of course OWA.

 

[MS]

If the only access to Exchange you have is via POP, then the best you can do
is use some kind of sync tool. See
http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/sync.htm

It just occurred to me though--POP3 only deals with e-mail. That POP access
would not allow me to sync my calendar, contacts, to-do list, etc., from my
desktop computer to OWA, would it? That's what I would mostly be interested
in synchronizing. The e-mail from that particular account will come to both
places in any case, therefore will not need synchronizing/

 

[Vince Averello [MVP-Outlook]]

A POP3 conneciton isn't 'good enough' for syncing since POP3 doesn't allow
access to the whole mailbox

 

[Brian Tillman]

It just occurred to me though--POP3 only deals with e-mail. That POP
access would not allow me to sync my calendar, contacts, to-do list,
etc., from my desktop computer to OWA, would it?

No, POP access won't allow you to sync that way since POP deals only with
mail.

That's what I would
mostly be interested in synchronizing. The e-mail from that
particular account will come to both places in any case, therefore
will not need synchronizing/

Correct. Make sure that you configure your POP client to leave copies of
messages on the server or it will pull them from the server and delete them.

 

[Ken Cheney]

Do you have any kind of VPN access to the office? If you do you can add
your Exchange mail to outlook at home and it will sync up thru the VPN.

 

[ysamphy]

Hi all. I am looking for the same solution as MS. And the stuff i wish
most to synchronize is the calenda and contacts. Seems to me, as
someone not very computer literate, that Mr. Brian Tillman did not
respond to MS's question in this regard. If not, could you or anyone do
so? If you you did, can you simplify it so that someone like me could
understand it?

Thx.
Phy

 

[Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]]

You cannot synchronize OWA and your desktop Outlook as they are different
applications - OWA = Exchange, Outlook is the mail client. You would need
to access your OWA client (Outlook in the Exchange environment) and export
your data from Exchange to a .pst file and then copy that file to your home
Outlook.

OWA is simply a web view of your Exchange mailbox and has nothing to do with
Outlook.


--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. All
unsolicited mail sent to my personal account will be deleted without
reading.

After furious head scratching, (e-mail address removed) asked:

| Hi all. I am looking for the same solution as MS. And the stuff i wish
| most to synchronize is the calenda and contacts. Seems to me, as
| someone not very computer literate, that Mr. Brian Tillman did not
| respond to MS's question in this regard. If not, could you or anyone
| do so? If you you did, can you simplify it so that someone like me
| could understand it?
|
| Thx.
| Phy