Outlook PST password protection ...

[Brahmam]

We are having a heck of a time going live with and enforcing a password change policy ... We run a mixed mode environment - NT 4.0 Domain with mix of Win2k and Win95/98 desktops ...

Have the 'out of sych' condition w/ the Win95/95 client passwords licked w/ setting a registry key - OK ... Main roadblock issue now is the local PST files that we have trained users to create in order to have offline access to Outlook for our large road warrior population ...

Question - is the local PST password protected by default and if so, is it the Windows PWD or the Domain PWD used for this? ..

If it's the latter - we'll be home free!

 

[joegz]

PST file does not get created with a password by default. You would have to manually turn the password on and set it. The password is neither from Windows or Domain but rather a unique password of it's own. joegz
"Sometimes you just need to find out what it's not first to figure out what it is."

 

[cdogg]

Exactly right! The PST password is actually encrypted within the PST file itself. It is completely separate from Windows Networking and Local passwords. Users would have to manually set the password as joegz mentioned. Be careful though! There isn't an easy way to change it once it's set unless you can remember the original password!

 

[RedTech]

but it is crackable

 

[Brahmam]

Does the same story hold true for OST files? - are they tied to the PWL file in any way? ..

 

[joegz]

There is no password protection for .OST files but they are tied to the clients Windows profile. So I guess in a way you can say the .ost file is tied to the .pwl because the client has to be able to logon to their windows profile with the correct password to be able to open Outlook offline.

Assuming that the Windows 95/98 is setup to use windows profiles. joegz
"Sometimes you just need to find out what it's not first to figure out what it is."

 

[printer]

Is there anyway we can bypass the pst password as my user says she never put a password on her personal folder, but now it is asking for one and we can't by pass it.

Jayne

 

[joegz]

The best thing you can do is get something like Outlook key from

http://www.lostpassword.com

and it will tell you what the password is set and allow you to enter this to open the file.

I haved used this before for some of my users who also said "they never setup a password" either. joegz
"Sometimes you just need to find out what it's not first to figure out what it is."

 

[joegz]

Forgot to mention the trial version is free but it only gives you the first two characters which may be enough to clue the user what the password could be. joegz
"Sometimes you just need to find out what it's not first to figure out what it is."

 

[dhelmick]

Just to validate what others have said...i have never set up a password for my .pst files and now the system is asking for one. i have tried every password i have ever used since i came to work here two years ago. none of them work.

 

[choat]

Go here download free pst password cracker
command line tool - works a treat though

http://planeta.clix.pt/rsnet/US/pstus.htm

 

[bobw]

There is an excellent program offered at

http://www.elcomsoft.com/

which will "crack" any lenght .pst password, it is well worth the cost of the program to recover those files. From my experiments with the program it seems to actually replace the original password with one that it displays -- so it doesn't literally "crack" the old password. No matter - it works!
Bob -------------------
"If the only tool you have is a hammer, you will see every problem as a nail." - Abraham Maslow



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