Exchange/Outlook 2003 - group policy & local PST files
 

In an effort to make sure we never reach the 16GB threshold for the SBS
2003 Exchange Info Store, I'm looking to setup a GPO to give everyone
consistent AutoArchive settings as well as a common location for the
PST file.

I have already downloaded the Office Administrative Templates for
Outlook 2003, so I already have found the settings I want to modify and
have made the changes, I just haven't made them live on the domain yet.

My thoughts to date:
* create two GPOs, one for the PST location, one for the autoarchive
settings themselves
* set PST location to local drive, or common network share

My concerns:
* can I use environment variables in defining a filename? e.g.,
"C:\outlook archive\%USERNAME%'s Archive.pst"
* what will happen to an already created PST file in a location
different from the newly defined? will it move the existing to the new
location and continue, or will it start a new, second PST and the
contents of the first will have to be moved manually?

Anything else I should be concerned about? Aside from having the new
PST files backed up...

I'd appreciate any help you can provide - thanks!

Exchange/Outlook 2003 - group policy & local PST files
 

You can't set the archive location with a GPO. It takes a .prf. See http://support.microsoft.com/?id=836755

Storing a PST file on a network share is unsupported, although plenty of people do it. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297019/

* what will happen to an already created PST file in a location

Nothing at all will happen. It will still be there containing the same data.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.turtleflock.com/olconfig/index.htm
and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx

"Szkrad" wrote in message ups.com...
In an effort to make sure we never reach the 16GB threshold for the SBS
2003 Exchange Info Store, I'm looking to setup a GPO to give everyone
consistent AutoArchive settings as well as a common location for the
PST file.

I have already downloaded the Office Administrative Templates for
Outlook 2003, so I already have found the settings I want to modify and
have made the changes, I just haven't made them live on the domain yet.

My thoughts to date:
* create two GPOs, one for the PST location, one for the autoarchive
settings themselves
* set PST location to local drive, or common network share

My concerns:
* can I use environment variables in defining a filename? e.g.,
"C:\outlook archive\%USERNAME%'s Archive.pst"
* what will happen to an already created PST file in a location
different from the newly defined? will it move the existing to the new
location and continue, or will it start a new, second PST and the
contents of the first will have to be moved manually?

Anything else I should be concerned about? Aside from having the new
PST files backed up...

I'd appreciate any help you can provide - thanks!

Exchange/Outlook 2003 - group policy & local PST files
 

Sue-

First, thanks for the feedback and links.

In the Office Administrative Templates, there is an entry for the
default PST location:
"User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Office Outlook
2003\Miscellaneous\PST Settings\"
There, i was able to define a default location for the PST file - is
that not correct?

I can see that my initial description of the suggested path may not
work with the env variable as written, but I should be able to direct
the PST file to a directory other than the default rather than trying
to force the file name into the location variable.

So if nothing happens to the existing PST file, and I create a new
default location, does Outlook create a new "Archive Folders" location?

Thanks again,
Brian


Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook] wrote:
You can't set the archive location with a GPO. It takes a .prf. See http://support.microsoft.com/?id=836755

Storing a PST file on a network share is unsupported, although plenty of people do it. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297019/

* what will happen to an already created PST file in a location

Nothing at all will happen. It will still be there containing the same data.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.turtleflock.com/olconfig/index.htm
and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx

"Szkrad" wrote in message ups.com...
In an effort to make sure we never reach the 16GB threshold for the SBS
2003 Exchange Info Store, I'm looking to setup a GPO to give everyone
consistent AutoArchive settings as well as a common location for the
PST file.

I have already downloaded the Office Administrative Templates for
Outlook 2003, so I already have found the settings I want to modify and
have made the changes, I just haven't made them live on the domain yet.

My thoughts to date:
* create two GPOs, one for the PST location, one for the autoarchive
settings themselves
* set PST location to local drive, or common network share

My concerns:
* can I use environment variables in defining a filename? e.g.,
"C:\outlook archive\%USERNAME%'s Archive.pst"
* what will happen to an already created PST file in a location
different from the newly defined? will it move the existing to the new
location and continue, or will it start a new, second PST and the
contents of the first will have to be moved manually?

Anything else I should be concerned about? Aside from having the new
PST files backed up...

I'd appreciate any help you can provide - thanks!

Exchange/Outlook 2003 - group policy & local PST files
 

So if nothing happens to the existing PST file, and I create a new
default location, does Outlook create a new "Archive Folders" location?

No, the adm setting you cited determines the default folder for any new ..pst files that Outlook creates automatically as a result of the user creating a new profile. It doesn't set the archive location. Read the article I suggested.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.turtleflock.com/olconfig/index.htm
and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx

"Szkrad" wrote in message oups.com...
Sue-

First, thanks for the feedback and links.

In the Office Administrative Templates, there is an entry for the
default PST location:
"User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Office Outlook
2003\Miscellaneous\PST Settings\"
There, i was able to define a default location for the PST file - is
that not correct?

I can see that my initial description of the suggested path may not
work with the env variable as written, but I should be able to direct
the PST file to a directory other than the default rather than trying
to force the file name into the location variable.

So if nothing happens to the existing PST file, and I create a new
default location, does Outlook create a new "Archive Folders" location?

Thanks again,
Brian


Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook] wrote:
You can't set the archive location with a GPO. It takes a .prf. See http://support.microsoft.com/?id=836755

Storing a PST file on a network share is unsupported, although plenty of people do it. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297019/

* what will happen to an already created PST file in a location

Nothing at all will happen. It will still be there containing the same data.


"Szkrad" wrote in message ups.com...
In an effort to make sure we never reach the 16GB threshold for the SBS
2003 Exchange Info Store, I'm looking to setup a GPO to give everyone
consistent AutoArchive settings as well as a common location for the
PST file.

I have already downloaded the Office Administrative Templates for
Outlook 2003, so I already have found the settings I want to modify and
have made the changes, I just haven't made them live on the domain yet.

My thoughts to date:
* create two GPOs, one for the PST location, one for the autoarchive
settings themselves
* set PST location to local drive, or common network share

My concerns:
* can I use environment variables in defining a filename? e.g.,
"C:\outlook archive\%USERNAME%'s Archive.pst"
* what will happen to an already created PST file in a location
different from the newly defined? will it move the existing to the new
location and continue, or will it start a new, second PST and the
contents of the first will have to be moved manually?

Anything else I should be concerned about? Aside from having the new
PST files backed up...

I'd appreciate any help you can provide - thanks!