Outllok 2003, IMAP, and PST file

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bob Singer
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Bob Singer

I support 70+ users who are running Windows XP. I've been
working on an Office 2003 deployment and have run into a
big Outlook problem.

Here's the situation:

The users don't have access to their C: drive and can't
install software. They're configured as roaming users and
their 'My Documents' folder is redirected to their home
drive on the server. So, what I wanted to do was create
an install that would locate their PST file(s)in a folder
on their home drive. They would IMAP to our mail server.

The problem:

The IMAP PST is created by default in the users local
application data folder located at:

C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\Local
Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook.

So, it is not replicated with their roaming profile.
Relocating the IMAP PST file to the server drive doesn't
work. I've tried many experiments trying to get this to
work, without success, including a GPO redirecting PST
creation to the users home drive.

I've read a few places that there is a hack to fix this
and I've read that it can't be done. What's the truth?

If this is a real limitation, how are roaming users
supposed to use Outlook 2003?

The whole point of roaming is that it allows your users
to use any machine with their settings which follow them.
If this is a limitation of Outlook, why? I mean, the
other e-mail clients out their allow their data file to
exist where ever you want to put it. It doesn't make a
great deal of sense, technically or business-wise.
 
Bob said:
I support 70+ users who are running Windows XP. I've been
working on an Office 2003 deployment and have run into a
big Outlook problem.

Here's the situation:

The users don't have access to their C: drive and can't
install software. They're configured as roaming users and
their 'My Documents' folder is redirected to their home
drive on the server. So, what I wanted to do was create
an install that would locate their PST file(s)in a folder
on their home drive. They would IMAP to our mail server.

The problem:

The IMAP PST is created by default in the users local
application data folder located at:

C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\Local
Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook.

So, it is not replicated with their roaming profile.
Relocating the IMAP PST file to the server drive doesn't
work. I've tried many experiments trying to get this to
work, without success, including a GPO redirecting PST
creation to the users home drive.

I've read a few places that there is a hack to fix this
and I've read that it can't be done. What's the truth?

If this is a real limitation, how are roaming users
supposed to use Outlook 2003?

The whole point of roaming is that it allows your users
to use any machine with their settings which follow them.
If this is a limitation of Outlook, why? I mean, the
other e-mail clients out their allow their data file to
exist where ever you want to put it. It doesn't make a
great deal of sense, technically or business-wise.
Click to expand...

Why doesn't it work to put the IMAP PST file on the server drive? This
was discussed earlier this week in one of the Outlook forums. Search to
get the details. In a nutshell, create the file where Outlook wants to
create it, then move it to where you want it to go, then open it from
there. I have to admit I have not tried to put this file on a LAN
drive,but I do keep this PST file on my c:\data folder.

Originally I did this to keep it out of the roaming profile, then found
out later that in fact it is out of there by default. (logging in/out
of the domain was taking too much time on wireless network).

Since with IMAP the data is actually a copy of what's on the server,
other than for config, not really that important to keep it in the
roaming profile. If you want, put it in a folder that forms part of the
roaming profile (but at first glance I can't think why this necessary).
 
You really don't want the pst in a roaming profile - it leads to corruption
of the file and results in increased network traffic. Since the imap folder
is a copy of the folder you really don't need it in the profile. With
roaming users, the biggest problem is going to be disk space taken up by
unused pst's on the machines they log into, if they always use a different
ones. If a small group rotate between machines, the local pst will be
updated as needed.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Coauthor, OneNote 2003 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide)



Search for answers: http://groups.google.com
Most recent posts to the Outlook newsgroups:
http://groups.google.com/groups?as_ugroup=microsoft.public.outlook.*&num=30
 
Diane is correct here indeed with a small correction that disk space isn't a
problem either as there is a Group Policy for Windows to delete the cache of
the roaming folder after user logoff. Of course this will increase your
rebuild time at logon but the disk space issue is resolved.

Also note that Microsoft doesn't recommend storing pst-files on
networkshares because the reading/writing of a pst-file has never been
designed for that.

--
Roady
www.sparnaaij.net
Microsoft Office and Microsoft Office related News
Also Outlook FAQ, How To's, Downloads and more...

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www.sparnaaij.net

(I changed my reply address; remove all CAPS and _underscores_ from the
address when mailing)
-----
Diane Poremsky said:
You really don't want the pst in a roaming profile - it leads to corruption
of the file and results in increased network traffic. Since the imap folder
is a copy of the folder you really don't need it in the profile. With
roaming users, the biggest problem is going to be disk space taken up by
unused pst's on the machines they log into, if they always use a different
ones. If a small group rotate between machines, the local pst will be
updated as needed.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Coauthor, OneNote 2003 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide)



Search for answers: http://groups.google.com
Most recent posts to the Outlook newsgroups:
http://groups.google.com/groups?as_ugroup=microsoft.public.outlook.*&num=30

Rob Schneider said:
Why doesn't it work to put the IMAP PST file on the server drive? This was
discussed earlier this week in one of the Outlook forums. Search to get
the details. In a nutshell, create the file where Outlook wants to create
it, then move it to where you want it to go, then open it from there. I
have to admit I have not tried to put this file on a LAN drive,but I do
keep this PST file on my c:\data folder.

Originally I did this to keep it out of the roaming profile, then found
out later that in fact it is out of there by default. (logging in/out of
the domain was taking too much time on wireless network).

Since with IMAP the data is actually a copy of what's on the server, other
than for config, not really that important to keep it in the roaming
profile. If you want, put it in a folder that forms part of the roaming
profile (but at first glance I can't think why this necessary).
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
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