Outlook PST files store in users profile

[cjelec]

Little background:
I'm running an charity internet cafe using sbs to manage the user accounts and profiles. Each user regularly uses the computers but use different ones each time.

The problem:
The users are using Outlook to connect to there own pop3 email servers, but the PST files are being kept on the machine that they set up outlook and are not being copied to the profile stored on the server.

In this case exchange wouldn't be a practical solution.

Is there a way to store the PST files on their profile stored on the server?

I have googled but couldn't find any solutions.

I did think about creating a login/off script that would copy the PST file to and from the users profile, would this work?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Chris

 

[cmartin75]

You can create the users with a network profile (profile section on the "active directory users and computers"). The outlook save the pst on this network profile and you will be the user data on the network.

You will be to copy the local profiles of the users already created anyway, and change the configuration of the users' outlook.

 

[cjelec]

Each user does have a network profile as in that their Docs & Settings reside on the server, which works fine, users can login to any machine on the domain and the user profile is applied (like a normal domain). But the PST files still reside on the machine that they created the Outlook profile on.

All the user accounts where created on the domain so I didn't need to copy their old profiles thankfully...

Its just strange that outlook profiles won't upload to the users profile on the domain automatically.

Thanks,

 

[cmartin75]

I thought the network profile copies all the document and setting of each user.

Then the only case is to make a script, who can change this psts

You can use a vbscript, and the FileSystemObject object, to make the copy at the user logon.

Something like this

Dim oFso

set oFSo = Wscript.CreateObject("Scripting.fileSystemObject")

oFso.CopyFile source, destination.

set oFso = Nothing

You'll have a copy of the pst with this script. If you want that the outlook loads the psts from network, you will be change the registry entries of Outlook's pst (with the WScript.Shell and the regread and regwrite methods you can do this), but change the registry values can be a dangerous thing.

 

[mofusjtf]

Change the location of the PST file from the default "C:\documents and settings\<user>\local settings\application data\MS\Outlook" to My Documents (or somewhere else in the profile). It will then move the PST file with the profile. Not everything from the profile is moved to the network b/c of storage space, network performance issues, etc. But be aware that PST files over a network can be problematic and Offline files will error out when trying to sync a database file like a PST.

 

[cjelec]

Thanks both,

cmartin75,
That is something like what I was thinking. I was also thinking about reversing the source/destination for when the user logs on, so the PST file would copy back from the server profile. Could see it taking a long time if the user has a few emails in their PST file (like I do). I don't know if syncing would be a problem if the connection to the server went down before they logoff...

mofusjtf,
I have just found a reg key change for forcing outlook to save the PST file in another location:

http://www.411-registry-repair.com/change-the-location-of-outlooks-pst-and-ost-folders

Is this what you are suggesting, or is there a better way? I take it that the regkey change would be added to the GP?

As this is quite a small network, is it possible to include all the local profile folders (which would include the App Data folder) to the users network profile and save all this hassle?

Thanks again

Chris

 

[mofusjtf]

The registry entry change would infact be deployed via GP. But you could just move the file and when Outlook errors saying it can't find the file you will be given the option to browse for it.

I think you can specify what gets redirected and what doesn't but I'm not sure. For example you can exclude my pictures. But you can't exclude My Music. It is done via GP for roaming profiles and folder redirection. You might be able to find the default folder exclusions and change them.

 

[cmartin75]

You can create a domain policy to execute a script when a user logoff. If you can read the registry to find the pst file, and copy it to the network....

About the "change of location of pst..." article. I don't know. If you can test it on a single computer and check there's not network problems, maybe it works for you.

I don't think there's a policy to change the configuration of any software, but internet explorer. Maybe Office too...