Working with Outlook Data Files

Introduction...................................................................................................1
Relocating the PST to a more Convenient Director.................................1
!DDR"SS #OO$.........................................................................................%
Initial Snchroni&ation O' Two PSTs.........................................................(
)O)"SS")TI!*.PST.................................................................................+
*eave ,ail on Server....................................................................................-
Pro.lems Co/ing Outlook..........................................................................0
Introduction
This document includes a number of tips for working with the main Outlook data file
O1T*OO$.PST. The purpose of writing this up is to enable people who wish to keep
multiple different copies of their Outlook e-mail, contacts, to-do lists, and calendar on
different computers they may use. One of the side benefits of going through this process
is it instills the habit of creating backups of this data; you are doing the backups for other
reasons (convenience to use on more than one machine) but along the way you start
having this single repository of all things OT!OO" in various places. #ou know this is
a good thing if you$ve ever had a hard-disk crash with your only copy of emails and
contacts on that disk.
%hile nothing described below is much of a &hack', ($ve never seen this information
e)plained in summary elsewhere so ( am writing it up here. ($ve been using this process
for over * years and have had no problems with corrupted +,Ts or the like. ($ve even
mi)ed between different versions of Outlook for some time without problems. The steps
described below work with Outlook versions -..., /+, -..* and -.0..
Relocating the PST to a more Convenient Directory
1icrosoft stores almost all data for Outlook in a single file called a +,T, it is typically
located deep in a folder structure underneath the documents and settings folder. On an /+
+ro machine it will be something like,
234documents and settings45user name647pplication 8ata41icrosoft4Outlook4outlook.pst
#ou can try to search for this file, but it is considered a &hidden' file and so depending
upon what options you have set for windows e)plorer, you may or may not retrieve this
via search (see below9) To ensure you see it, on %indows e)plorer3 choose Tools,
:older Options and under the ;(<% tab turn on the entry &,how hidden files and
folders'.
The first thing that ( do on any computer ( work with is to create an easily accessible
folder at the root level of one of the hard-disks where ( place most commonly used data
files. On my workstations, ( typically do this on the largest of the physical disks, and
name it &,#=2>' as in &83?,#=2>?. This is the folder where ( will put password files,
:T+ directory lists from :ile@illa, +A+ addresses, etc. Belocating it to a folder like this
makes the actual copying of the file so much easier day to day. (t allows you to more
easily monitor the siCe of the overall file as well (as you normally won$t navigate down
the tree where 1icrosoft stores the file.)
,tep by step3
0. 2reate a ,#=2> folder,
-. ,top Outlook,
*. 2T the Outlook.+,T from its original location and copy to the ,#=2> folder.
%hen you are done, you should have removed the +,T from its original location.
D. =ow start OT!OO" program again, and when you do E you will get the
message3
7fter you press O", it will give you a command dialogue to navigate to where you
placed your +,T (i.e., ?,ynch? folder or similar.) ,ee below3
2hoose the OT!OO".+,T displayed. %ith that, you$ve completed relocation of the
main data file, but one thing has not been updated yet E your address book. ,ee ne)t step
for resolving this.
ADDRESS BOOK
Fy moving the +,T E you have copied all your emails, contacts, tasks, notes, calendar
entries; however Outlook software is not Guite smart enough to realiCe that the address
list you intend to use got relocated also. #ou need to go thru a deliberate process to
correct this. This is probably the most complicated part of getting this whole Outlook
relocation issue resolved.
,tep by ,tep3
0. Aoto 2ontacts, Bight click and choose +BO+<BT(<,
-. On the screen that is displayed, choose the OT!OO" 788B<,, FOO" tab
(below)
*. 1ark &,how this folder as an email address book' as true, provide some uniGue
te)t in the )ame o' the !ddress .ook 'ield (like ($ve done above), then hit O"
to dismiss this form
D. On the Outlook main menu, choose TOO!,, and 788B<,, FOO" and you
should see something like3
H. 2hoose Tools and then Options to display this screen
I. 7nd then start hunting for your address book.
This is the only truly challenging part of relocating your Outlook. (t may take a bit of trial
and error to properly specify your contacts as your address book. ntil you do it
successfully, composing new emails will not come up with your address book entries
when you try to select the TO?22?F22 entries.
To test, start composing a new email (2TB!-,>(:T-1), and start typing in the first
couple of letters of a contact into the TO field. (t should auto complete for you the rest of
the recipients name if you are properly pointed to the Outlook 7ddress book.
Initial Synchronization Of To PST!
#ouJll want to repeat the steps above on any additional computers you use. (f you happen
to have two computers which both have meaningful information you wish to preserve,
you will want to go thru an additional step of synchroniCing those two +,Ts. ( know of
no way to do this automatically, but the following process will assist you to do it
manually.
0. 8etermine which of the +,Ts you have the most information, use this as your
master +,T. This is the file you will be pulling additional information into to
become your single master +,T. The other +,Ts you may have will be used only
initially and then discarded. This file should be in your synch folder, registered as
($ve said above with the Outlook program on the computer you are working with.
-. Obtain the OT!OO".+,T from the -
nd
computer, renaming it as !7+TO+.+,T
or some other name and copying it to the ,#=2> folder or elsewhere on the
machine you are using.
*. :rom within Outlook, choose :(!<, O+<=, OT!OO" 87T7 :(!< and point to
this second +,T file.
D. #ou will then see an entirely new entry appear in your :O!8<B !(,T within
Outlook, your original or master will be at top, the newly added +,T will be
below it (see Jonathans and Archive Folders in screen below.)
H. =ow, you can e)pand any of the folders in those +,T files, and drag and drop
content from your secondary +,T to your master +,T. This applies to contacts,
emails, tasks, =otes, etc. #ou can pretty Guickly move content around this way E
though there is no automated method ( know of to detect duplicate data in the
destination master +,T.
I. %hen done pulling data over, right click your secondary +,T and choose
&2!O,< 5folder name6' (n the screen shot below, my secondary folder was
called &7rchive :olders'.
K. =ow, delete that secondary +,T using %indows <)plorer, and copy your master
+,T (i.e., ?,#=2>?Outlook.pst) to your other machines.
%ith that you are done E now simply stay up on copying the master +,T file to whatever
computer you are actively using.
"O"ESSE"TIA#$PST
sing steps similar to that outlined above, you can create your own historical or what (
call a =O=<,,<=T(7! +,T. This contains less time critical, historical information that
does not get changed. ( will for e)ample, copy all prior years ,<=T items content to this
=O=<,,<=T(7!.+,T, thereby reducing the siCe of the master OT!OO".+,T that (
am working with at any time.
#ou copy this =O=<,,<=T(7!.+,T to your ,#=2> folder, and O+<= it as done
above E but you only need to do this a couple of times a year (i.e., when you go to the
trouble of modifying its original content.)
1icrosoft has a feature for automatically archiving content, but ( disable the 1icrosoft$s
7uto7rchive feature as ( want to have more control of what gets archived when. This is
controlled via TOO!,, O+T(O=,, OT><B, 7TO7B2>(;< via the screen below.

#eave %ail on Server
There is one setting that ( find myself changing rather freGuently (couple times a month
as it works out); it governs whether or not emails are left on the email server you use. (t is
part of the 7dvanced tab of your individual email +O+ accounts (see below).
(f ( am actively using - machines, and ( am consistently moving the +,T around from
each machine (0 copy in the morning, 0 in the evening when ( am doing work at home for
e)ample) E ( will uncheck the &leave a copy of messages on the server.' This ensures that
( don$t get the same email multiple times when ( retrieve from different machines.
( will sometimes enable this feature, if ( know the +,T on the machine ($m working is not
the master +,T, but for whatever reason ( need to get access to email via Outlook.
!eaving this option checked means that the ne)t time ( am working with the master
Outlook +,T file E ( will still be able to retrieve those emails up on the server.
Pro&lem! Co'ying Outloo(
(nvariably, at some point you will encounter this error when attempting to copy a +,T.
This means one of some number of things3
Outlook is running on your screen (visible) E in which case you Lust shut it down.
Outlook is running in the background E in which case you start Task 1anager and
kill the OT!OO".</< process
,ome other program (like +alm +ilot synch or +ocket +2 ,ynch) is using Outlook
E in which case removing your +87 from its synch cradle should correct the
problem.