Synchronizing .pst files

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formerprof

I have a batch file which I use to synchronize between my home and office
machines via a zip disk. The general form of instruction is "xcopy /d/i/y
file1 file2" This works fine with my .pst file unless I have forgotten to
close Outlook 2003 before running the batch file. In that case I get an
error message and the target version of the .pst on the zip disk is erased.
Can any kind soul suggest a way in which I can close Outlook from inside a
batch file or, alternatively, copy the .pst successfully while Outlook is
still open?

Many thanks for your help.


formerprof
(e-mail address removed)
 
formerprof said:
I have a batch file which I use to synchronize between my home and
office machines via a zip disk. The general form of instruction is
"xcopy /d/i/y file1 file2" This works fine with my .pst file unless
I have forgotten to close Outlook 2003 before running the batch file.
In that case I get an error message and the target version of the
.pst on the zip disk is erased. Can any kind soul suggest a way in
which I can close Outlook from inside a batch file

Not sure how easy this would be to script. Any reason you can't just
manually close Outlook on the 'host'/source computer?
or, alternatively,
copy the .pst successfully while Outlook is still open?

No, if the file is open you can't copy it.
 
Not sure how easy this would be to script. Any reason you can't just
manually close Outlook on the 'host'/source computer?

No, it's perfectly easy to do it. The problem is that I sometimes forget,
and the older I get the more often I forget :-}

If I do forget then I have to manually reestablish the target file on the
zip drive which is an additional slight annoyance.

If the batch file could test whether the file to be copied is open before it
attempts the copy then I could divert it to a reminder.

formerprof
 
formerprof said:
No, it's perfectly easy to do it. The problem is that I sometimes
forget, and the older I get the more often I forget :-}

If I do forget then I have to manually reestablish the target file on
the zip drive which is an additional slight annoyance.

If the batch file could test whether the file to be copied is open
before it attempts the copy then I could divert it to a reminder.

Have you tried just using the PST Backup utility in Outlook on the 'host' PC
and pointing it at the ZIP drive?
 
"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
Have you tried just using the PST Backup utility in Outlook on the 'host'
PC
and pointing it at the ZIP drive?


Thanks so much for the suggestion. Can it be done from inside a batch file
while Outlook is open? I'm also considering using NTBackup & Restore if the
backup function will work with an open file.

I really appreciate your help -- all good wishes.

formerprof
 
formerprof said:
"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
formerprof said:
"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
message

Not sure how easy this would be to script. Any reason you can't
just manually close Outlook on the 'host'/source computer?


No, it's perfectly easy to do it. The problem is that I sometimes
forget, and the older I get the more often I forget :-}

If I do forget then I have to manually reestablish the target file
on the zip drive which is an additional slight annoyance.

If the batch file could test whether the file to be copied is open
before it attempts the copy then I could divert it to a reminder.

Have you tried just using the PST Backup utility in Outlook on the
'host' PC
and pointing it at the ZIP drive?


Thanks so much for the suggestion. Can it be done from inside a
batch file while Outlook is open?

Nope - it adds a menu option to the file menu in Outlook, and when you
select it, it runs the backup next time you close Outlook. You can't do
anything with a PST file while Outlook has it open/in use.

I'm also considering using NTBackup
& Restore if the backup function will work with an open file.

No - you can't back up an open file with NTBackup anyway.
 
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