outlook PST via network?

Zuntar

My wife uses outlook 2002 (XP) for her e-mail. She has a PC down stairs, which is more of a family PC, that her outlook PST file resides on and to which she normally emails with.

I am going to install a new PC upstairs on her desk for her to use. Can I use the same exact PST file via network and have her email fully functional on both PCs?

Or do I have to setup some exchange server thing?

Kwitko

It's advisable not to use a PST on a network share. See this article:
http://blogs.technet.com/askperf/archive/2007/01/21/network-stored-pst-files-don-t-do-it.aspx

kryyst

Yes definitely don't do it. I've seen this happen first hand when some IT guy thought it was an acceptable version of a poor man's Exchange server. BAD BAD idea.

Best option in this case is I'd suggest she setup up a gmail account and then has her gmail pull in the data through pop. Then she can access her gmail account from anywhere. Now granted this will only help with her emails and if she's using it for the calendar or other features she's out of luck. But there are other gmail options to handle that.

primesuspect

I concur with both. In my professional experience, this can best be summed up by a simple sentence:

This is a very bad idea.

You will experience corrupted PSTs and subsequent loss of all email and contact info. You will break the PST beyond all repair. You will scream and curse in frustration.

Kryyst's gmail idea is the best solution.

Zuntar

I figured as much, I just wanted to get some opinions, Thanks guys!!

primesuspect wrote:

I concur with both. In my professional experience, this can best be summed up by a simple sentence:

This is a very bad idea.
I figured as much , just wanted to get opinions.

You will experience corrupted PSTs and subsequent loss of all email and contact info. You will break the PST beyond all repair. You will scream and curse in frustration.

Kryyst's gmail idea is the best solution.

I've already had plenty of screaming and cursing in frustration with her outlook.
Damn thing locked up the pc hard, several times over the past year and since windows didn't like my power off solution it crapped on her C:/window/system32/config/system file. Corrupt PST every time. She has alot of email and contacts too.

So, g-mail accepts input for a separate pop3 account? Cause she likes her g-mail setup.

primesuspect

Yep. I use gmail to manage four different pop accounts, it works perfect. I love it

kryyst

Just to echo what prime said. I have several email accounts, home, work, side projects that I manage. I have my Gmail poll them all through pop, which removes the emails from them and sucks them into gmail. I then just access my gmail account through pop onto a couple machines.

So that way if I access gmail through the web interface every email is there. Or it's a copy on whatever machines I pull it in through pop. But now that gmail is adding IMAP into the mix every machine will just have a direct tie to gmail and see the same things. Very slick.

stoopid

I've been using Office XP and 2003 with a networked PST for a few years now. This is on my home/private network of 3 PCs and not in an office environment. In a home network I doubt it will be an issue. The only rub is that only one PC can use the PST at a time.

The Outlook lockups could be a result of some issues that have since been resolved by M$ and released as updates. Be sure you have the latest Office service pack installed (believe it's SP3 for Office 2002/XP). Microsoft Update will provide this for you, and it's also available for download as a redistributable through Office Online.