Outlook - pst on a usb stick

Asked By exciter

25-Feb-08 04:23 AM

hello,

I keep my .pst on my usb stick so that I am always synchronized between my
work and home computers.
That is, I dont need a syn program, nor I need to keep my pst file on a
server...

Yet, the prcossecing on the pst file takes time...
For ex, when i delete a file, it takes a bit of time to delete it.
Like 5-10 seconds. I see my usb stcik lits during the process.

Is there a way to speed up the this processing?
Although my usb stick and computer are the fastest of today?

25-Feb-08 05:06 AM

Hi exciter,

if you still use USB 2.0 it is the fastest "connection" and you can not
speedup Outloo to save the information "faster".

How long it takes to save the settings is a part of the USB stick, not a
part of Outlook.

--
Oliver Vukovics
Share your Outlook PST files without Exchange: Public ShareFolder
Extended reminder function for Outlook / Exchange: Public Reminder Addin
http://www.publicshareware.com

25-Feb-08 05:33 AM

In addition notice that connecting to a pst-file other than the local hard
disk is not recommended or supported by Microsoft.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

http://www.msoutlook.info/
Real World Questions, Real World Answers

-----

25-Feb-08 05:52 AM

Well I use it by now over 3 years.
Dont care if it is not supported.
And I dont see any other way to sync outlook between computers,
without placing the pst on a server.

25-Feb-08 07:36 AM

Dear Roady,

I think you mean this article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297019/en-us

USB stick are not a LAN orWAN connection. I have a USB stick with a real
Harddisk with 16GB space. This is a "real" harddisk and in the article is no
comment about "do not store your PST file on a USB stick or an USB connected
Harddisk". Microsoft recommended it not to use a "shared" harddisk. A USB
stick is not a shareable harddisk it is only  connected localy.

If you read the article, the reasons why it is not recommended are only
network related reasons:

network-access-driven methods, commands the operating system provides to
send data to or receive from another networked computer. If there is a
remote .pst (over a network link), Microsoft Outlook tries to use the file
commands to read from the file or write to the file, but the operating
system then has to send those commands over the network because the file is
not on the local computer."

A USB stick do not have any relation to the network, is not a network drive
and I think, this article does not say: Store your PST file on on your local
harddisk. They write: do not use it on a network drive, but a USB stick is
not a network drive..

This is how I understand the article.

--
Oliver Vukovics
Share your Outlook PST files without Exchange: Public ShareFolder
Extended reminder function for Outlook / Exchange: Public Reminder Addin
http://www.publicshareware.com

25-Feb-08 07:37 AM

Hi exciter,

you coudl use synchronization tools:

Outlook synchronisation solutions:
http://www.publicshareware.com/outlook-synchronisation-description.php
http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/sync.htm

Office Marketplace Outlook messaging tools:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/marketplace/CE010719621033.aspx

--
Oliver Vukovics
Share your Outlook PST files without Exchange: Public ShareFolder
Synchronisation for Outlook and Exchange: Public SyncTool
http://www.publicshareware.com

25-Feb-08 08:12 AM

I've used a usb stick for a pst and the only real problem is not closing
outlook and waiting for the pst to be released - that has the potential to
cause corruption. Otherwise it seems to be ok.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook 2007: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/

Outlook Tips by email:
dailytips-subscribe-request@lists.outlooktips.net

Outlook Tips: http://www.outlook-tips.net/
Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com
Subscribe to Exchange Messaging Outlook newsletter:
EMO-NEWSLETTER-SUBSCRIBE-REQUEST@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM

25-Feb-08 11:03 AM

In addition to Diane's remark and the performance issues, there is also the
risk of disconnecting the device while Outlook still has an active
connection to it. In those terms it is exactly the same as a network link
that suddenly goes down, which I believe is also covered in that article. In
either case you can end up with a corrupt pst-file. That risk will not exist
when storing the pst-file on an internal hard disk.

In that sense, I believe it falls within the spirit of the article.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

http://www.msoutlook.info/
Real World Questions, Real World Answers

-----

25-Feb-08 11:31 AM

Then it appears that ms would work on:

process two pst files at the same time:
1. prcoess one on the internal hard drive (as a backup)
2. process the one on the usb stick

Then we can use more safely.

25-Feb-08 05:08 PM

Why would it "appear" that?

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

http://www.msoutlook.info/
Real World Questions, Real World Answers

-----

26-Feb-08 04:24 AM

As i explained. what do you mean?

To prevent a corrupt pst file...

26-Feb-08 05:32 AM

Aha, you meant it as a suggestion? You now wrote it down an assumption ;-)

Well, actually in most cases a 2-way sync tool would be more welcome or some
other way to make incremental updates to data stored on a second computer.

Your scenario would be feasible with SyncToy or the Pst Backup Addin to
automate copying the pst-file from the local location to the USB-drive.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

http://www.msoutlook.info/
Real World Questions, Real World Answers

-----

11-May-08 02:46 AM

For a long while I've been doing the same thing (PSTs on USB thumb drive) but for different reasons: I always take my data with me; I back up off site daily; and I use a thumb drive with hardware encryption to ensure my data is [relatively] secure.  I generally work with 5 PSTs (total of 2.5~3.0 GB) open at once.



I've found performance depends on many things, and is quite variable.  For one thing, almost all storage devices have a "sweet spot" as far as transfers go.  Some are faster at reading, some faster at writing.  Some are better with many small files while others do better with large files.  Combined with the variables on your computer (background tasks, memory available, etc.) my performance varies noticeably.



I have been very pleased with the setup, and have never lost data.  I feel better going home at night, not trusting my important data on the PC in the office will always be there in the morning.  Things happen.  (Our Exchange mailboxes are extremely limited.  And although they backup daily, they've never been able to restore my data after an 'incident'...)  I continue to be amazed at Outlook PST robustness.



The only annoyance I've yet to work around:  Outlook will try to re-open the same PSTs [that were open when you last shut down] the next time you start Outlook.  So I have to 'click thru' all the error messages if I choose not to insert the USB thumb drive.  I would love it if Outlook could be configured to ignore PSTs that are no longer present on the next startup.  Roady?  Sue?  Anyone??



/SamCal/

12-May-08 07:52 AM

The only way you could do that is if you closed the pst's in outlook before
removing the drive. Right click on the top level folder of the pst in the
folder list and choose Close.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook 2007: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/

Outlook Tips by email:
dailytips-subscribe-request@lists.outlooktips.net

Outlook Tips: http://www.outlook-tips.net/
Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com
Subscribe to Exchange Messaging Outlook newsletter:
EMO-NEWSLETTER-SUBSCRIBE-REQUEST@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM

05-Jun-08 11:07 PM

Sam Calabrese wrote...


This could be a handy way of sync'ing various installations of Outlook. I have
it set up on my PC and on a laptop. I currently export from the PC as it's the
most used machine and then copy the PST file to a directory that the laptop's
copy of Outlook can access and then import the data. Seems to work OK, but it's
a manual process.

I tried IMAP using Gmail but it failed miserably.

12-Jun-08 09:20 AM

You should never use export/import when transferring data between Outlook
instances.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

12-Jun-08 09:40 PM

Brian Tillman wrote...


Why is this? Currently it is the only way that I can sync the data between
Outlook on my desktop and Outlook on my laptop.

13-Jun-08 02:55 AM

No it's not........
look here:
http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/sync.asp

Export to a pst file is done with the pst file open - there may be a risk of
corruption when that is done. The Export function is designed to be used to
either transfer data from Exchange to a pst or, to a third-party app like
Excel or Access.

Why not import?

(Courtesy of Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook])

Importing an entire PST may well corrupt your profile and may create a ghost
PST that you can't close. Importing PST's will lose:
1.  Custom Forms
2.  Custom Views
3.  Connections between contacts and activities
4.  Received dates on mail
5.  Birthdays and anniversaries in calendar
6.  Journal connections
7.  Distribution Lists

Opening a PST file will preserve all of these. That is why we do not advise
people to import a native file into Outlook.

13-Jun-08 03:14 AM

Gordon wrote...


Which one should I use? There seem to be a few here. some of which I don't
understand what they really do.

I just have OL on two home computers, nothing like MS Exchange or whatever.

The only reason that I'm using Outlook is that my PDA sync's with it. If I was
able to get another Palm PDA that had the features that I require I would still
be using Eudora Pro as my email client and Palm Desktop for contacts, calendar
functions, etc..



It did stuff up some appointments that occur on a regular basis when I did this.
I don't know about any email glitches as I didn't look.

13-Jun-08 03:19 AM

Then there is instructions on that site on how to use a PDA to do the
job.....
http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/sync.asp#pda

14-Jun-08 06:08 AM

Gordon wrote...


I've considered doing that. But ActiveSync is a bit flaky and I dread the idea
of losing or corrupting data on the two PCs as well as the PDA.

Easier to use that sync utility, which is a free one now.

So far it seems to be working fine. I installed it on the desktop and the
laptop. I ran it on each to install and initialise it. I then ran the sync
command on each. I then copied the database file from the desktop to the laptop
then run the laptop's sync tool again.

When I opened the laptop's Outlook the calendar, and contacts were the same as
what's on the PC.

I'll probably just sync it the one way PC to Laptop. I have the laptop
configured to leave email on the server, so all incoming mail will be saved
permanently on the desktop.

This sync util doesn't full sync email, anyway.

I wish that there was a poor man's "MS Exchange Home" that guys like me could
set up and run on a central PC. It would save SO much hassles...

16-Jun-08 03:38 PM

Close Outlook and copy the ORIGINAL PST.  Don't make an exported copy of it
first, since the export process will guarantee it is not a faithful copy.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

16-Jun-08 03:40 PM

I've been using ActiveSync to keep two PCs in sync for YEARS now.  While
there have been some accidents in that time, because I always have proper
backups, there has never been one bit of data lost
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

23-Mar-10 08:40 AM

Hi Friends



for Outlook through Pen Drive or Portability / Mobility tool for Outlook



Visit : www.portableoutlook.com



Enjoy



Vicky