This is probably not the most appropriate place to ask this question, but I'm not having much luck on the Outlook Usenet forums, so I'll try here.

I mostly work from my home, and I use Outlook 2003 for e-mail, calendaring, contacts list, and tasks. Outlook syncs to my Treo 650, which uses Agendus Pro. The synchonization between Agendus Pro and Outlook on the PDA and desktop machines is usually seamless.

When I do go on a trip, I transfer the outlook.pst and archive.pst files to my laptop, so that I have the most current versions of the databases. I access and respond to e-mail, add and update contacts, etc. on the laptop. I am careful never to use the desktop machine for these tasks until I have copied the *.pst files back to the desktop machine. Therefore, it is always one or the other, never both at the same time.

If I synchronize the PDA with the laptop while on the trip, I usually wind up with a bunch of duplicated entries in contacts, calendar, and tasks. I have some PDA software that I can use to remove the duplicates, but the process is unwieldy. I have to first re-synchronize the PDA and laptop, setting the HotSync conduit to overwrite the data on the PDA. I then run the UnDupe software, then copy the data back to the laptop, reversing the overwrite procedure. Invariably, a few contacts or appointments get deleted or changed in the process.

Further, my e-mail "rules" won't work the first time I use the program after transferring the *.pst files to either machine. I get a "Rules in Error" alert message, and I have to manually reset those rules and run them on the Inbox messages. These problems apply only to rules that apply to messages that come in on that first e-mail download. After that, all the rules, reset and otherwise, work fine.

Does anyone have any suggestions to make this process work more smoothly?

The inability to sync Outlook (when not used on an Exchange server) between two computers is one of my biggest complaints about the program.

I hope someone has a great solution to this one. I just want to be able to sync back-and-forth between my laptop and desktop.

I bounce Outlook 2002 .PST files back and forth between three systems several times a day with nary a problem (well ALMOST nary a problem).

Not directly responsive to your inquiry, but...

Well, Always Flyin was onto something when he mentioned Exchange server. This doesn't just have to be the prestige of massive corporations - many (well, some) web hosting companies now also offer Exchange packages.

I'm in a similar postion, I use a Dell desktop and have also recently got a Mac PowerBook laptop. Getting data from Outlook on the PC to Entourage on the Mac isn't nearly as easy as it should be (Entourage can't read .pst files), so it dawned on me that getting an Exchange account was the way forward.

The cheapest I found, and a service I'm happy with, is with 1&1 Internet Ltd in the UK, which I understand is also in the US (it is originally a German firm). I'm paying �10 a year for a .net domain name, and about �85 a year for the Exchange hosting. I'll admit, it's not cheap, but it is very convenient. With that I get 1GB of storage, and all my Outlook data is synchronised (except, unfortunately, tasks). Things get a little complicated when I sync my Palm with both machines, but I get by.

I realised that I didn't really want the hassle of transferring stuff between machines, and so this is a really viable solution. You don't actually have to change your email address - I have the server set up so that I write email from my same old address, which is set up to forward all incoming mail to the Exchange server. I'm actually trialling this for many members of my family, so that we can all get new accounts on the same domain (additional accounts aren't so expensive); then we'll also be able to have things like shared calendars and shared contact information (oh, the joys!).

I guess this might not be so viable for the OP if he is tied to a work email system, but if anyone does want more information, feel free to PM me.

Richard

I already have my own domain, but I'm not on the road enough to justify the expense of hosting an Exchange server on it.

i have outlook 2003 on desktop and laptop and go back and forth as per the original thread. don't have too many problems, no rules problems so far. only problem has been with the bcm add-on, which hasn't synched up too well. when i talked with microsoft about synching early on, they said it wasn't really meant for it without exchange server. but it works good enough, and the functionality of outlook makes it worth it. before leaving for a trip, i also get my isp's web mail cleaned up, so that should i have any outlook problems, i can always use that. technology sure isn't perfect.

When your PST is 1.7GB, copying the file back and forth is not all that easy.

My outlook.pst runs around 600 MB, but the archive.pst is like yours.

>>> These problems apply only to rules that apply to messages that come in on
>>>that first e-mail download. After that, all the rules, reset and otherwise,
>>>work fine.

>>>Does anyone have any suggestions to make this process work more
>>> smoothly?

http://www.itsth.de/en/produkte/e2s4o.php
Software is called "EASY2SYNC FOR OUTLOOK"
I do not know if it is any good, but sounds like it'll do the trick for you as it is specifically designed to allow for sharing of a PST on multiple PC's.
About $50 w/ different options avail, including free trial avail.

Also maybe of interest:
http://www.mailnavigator.com/reading...pst_files.html
PST Reader a.k.a MailReader
"Dumps out" PST and other e-mail databases. Helps make it easy to for example, go from full blown outlook to outlook express.

You can outsource the need for an exhange server just for one mail box if you like! http://www.enomia.com/pricing.html is one of the companies that do this, that can you can be in sync everywhere without having to move your pst file...

-Vincent

Better watch out. Outlook doesn't like PST files bigger than 2 GB. I think the new versions just stop increasing file size. With MS Office 2000, the file corrupts and you lose data when the size is exceeded.

Outlook 2002 handles the 2GB file limitation very gracefully, and fully recovers.

Outlook 2003 doesn't have any arbitrary file size limitation, so long as you started with a new file, and did not upgrade from an earlier pst file version.

I used to use this application, it worked well for just this type of thing.

but then, I just setup a small exchange for friends and family, and that has been really easy. There are companie which will do this for 10$ a month, I would certainly pay that much for a hosted exchange, with backup and OWA access. Think about the TIME that you would save.

http://www.spursuits.com/suresync/suresync.htm

After experimenting with a lot of approaches to using Outlook on my home and travel computers (My Briefcase, syncing programs, copying *.pst back and forth, etc.), and soliciting ideas here on FlyerTalk, I finally found the solution that works for me:

I keep my outlook.pst and archive.pst files on a 5-gig PCMCIA card instead of on my hard drive. Each of my .pst files (outlook and archive) is a bit over 1 gig. When I am headed out on a trip, or even if I just want to take the little laptop out to the coffee shop for a while, I pop the card out of the home computer and pop it into the travel computer and go. (Obviously this solution only works if both computers have PCMCIA cards. I suppose alternatives would be (depending on the size of your .pst files), an SD card or one of those pocket-sized external hard drives.

The main reason that I went to this approach is that it was taking so long to copy over my work files and .pst files from one computer to the other every time I had to leave on a trip. Someone who was going to drive me to the airport would be hovering, warning, "we'd really better leave very soon..." and I, a nervous wreck, would be barking back, "give me a minute, I'm still copying the files!" Too much stress; not the way to start a trip.

Mindful of the risk inherent in keeping my Outlook files on a removable drive rather than an internal hard drive, I use the free Outlook Backup utility (downloaded from the MS site), to remind me to back up the files to an external hard drive (which always stays at home) every couple of days.

Similarly, I do regular backups of my work files to the external hard drive, and during the day before a trip (not at 3 am or when the cab's already outside) I copy those files to the travel computer.

As for syncing computer files, PDA, and phone, I hate winding up with duplicates, and I hate being confronted with those "Are you sure you want to overwrite ...?" messages, especially when I'm too rushed and stressed to remember which location has the latest version of the files. So here are my rules for syncing contact info:

Home computer --> PDA, never the other way
Home computer -->phone, never the other way

(I don't sync either the phone or the PDA to the travel computer. If I collect new contact info while on a trip I save it as a note on the PDA or a paper note, or email it to myself, and enter it in the home computer later.)

For syncing work files, I use the sync function in PowerDesk, and I take these steps to make sure I have the latest files on both computers and don't accidentally overwrite something newer with something older:

1. Backup home computer work files to external hard drive.
2. After a trip or day out with the travel computer, back up work files to external hard drive.
3. Copy work files back to home computer.
4. Copy work files back to travel computer.

So, the tools that I rely on for all this are:

• a 5-gig PCMCIA card for my Outlook files
• a 40-gig external hard drive for backups
• the MS Outlook Backup utlity
• PowerDesk

And if by chance something slips through the cracks (but not only for this reason), I also use GoToMyPC. I know someone's going to say, why go to all this card-swapping and backing-up trouble then? Why not just use GoToMyPC to access Outlook and work files on the home computer when travelling? The reason that won't work for me is that I frequently have to travel to places where I won't have internet access.

Hope this is some help, OP.

cubbie

That is actually the most workable solution I have heard. I would have to get a PCMCIA reader for my desktop machine, but that's do-able. Thanks for the suggestion.

Of course, about the time I invest in the PCMCIA hardware, there will be a 5 GB flash drive available.

An additional comment: yesterday, I saw a 4GB flash drive advertised. And it's only $900! I think I'll wait a while. In a year, it'll be down to $100 or so.