Configuring Outlook for Roaming Users


Roaming users move between different computers on a network. With Microsoft Office 2003, these users can move between computers without changing the way that they work. Their documents and their application settings for Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 and other Office applications travel with them, along with any system preferences.

You can help ensure a smooth roaming experience for Outlook users in your organization by following several recommended strategies and configuration options.

Note

To use Outlook with roaming users, you must set up roaming user profiles on your Microsoft Windows network. For more information about configuring Windows servers to support roaming users, see the Windows documentation.

Recommended strategies for Outlook roaming

Roaming with Outlook 2003 works only between computers that are set up with the same operating system and the same versions of the software. The following recommendations will help ensure a smooth roaming experience for users:

  • Roam between platforms on the same version of the same operating system.

    For example, Microsoft Windows 2000 to Microsoft Windows 2000. Supported platforms are Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 and later, and Windows XP and later.

  • Ensure that the same operating system language version is installed on all computers that users roam between.

  • Ensure that the same language version and release version of Outlook are installed on all computers that users roam between.

  • Install Outlook on all computers for roaming users as per-computer.

    Installing as per-user is also possible but is not recommended.

  • Install Outlook in the same location on all computers that will be used for roaming users.

Upgrading roaming users to Outlook 2003

If your organization already has roaming configured for Outlook users, you can help ensure a smooth transition when you upgrade to Outlook 2003 by making sure that users only roam between computers running the same version of Outlook. If you have roaming users on an older version of Outlook, be sure to upgrade all users and computers in a single area (such as a domain) at the same time.

If users roam between computers that have different versions of Outlook installed, compatibility issues may arise. For example, new features in Outlook 2003 are not available to users with Outlook 2002 profiles, which can create confusion for users roaming in an environment with a mix of Outlook versions.

Setting up roaming users with Outlook 2003

To set up roaming for users in Outlook 2003, you first decide how to manage users’ data so the information they need is available to them as they roam. Then you configure user profiles for roaming by using the network Primary Domain Controller (PDC) computer.

Managing folder locations

To help ensure that a user’s e-mail messages and other Outlook information roam with the user, you might need to take special steps to configure Outlook folder locations.

For example, suppose the users in your organization receive mail in an Inbox located on their Microsoft Exchange server. They can view new mail when they roam without taking special steps. However, perhaps users also need access to a personal file folder (for example, to read mail that has been transferred off of the messaging server). In this case, you can put the files that contain this data on a network share.

When you enable roaming and specify a network share for roaming files, certain files and folders are automatically available for users when they roam to different computers. Files and folders in the location defined by the environment variable %UserProfile% (on the local computer) roam with users, with the exception of one folder.

The one folder that does not roam with users in the default roaming scenario is the Local Settings folder in the %UserProfile% folder. This exception affects Outlook users because, by default, the file folders for some Outlook services—listed in the following table—are created in this non-roaming folder.

Service name

File extension

Offline Folders (OST)

.ost

Personal Folders (PST)

.pst

Personal Address Book (PAB)

.pab

Because the files reside in a non-roaming directory, Outlook can see and open them only on the computer on which they were created. To allow users to use PST or PAB files while roaming, you can place the files on a network share. Note, however, that using OST files on a network share is not a supported configuration.

There are several ways to place files on a network share. For example:

  • You can set the file location to a network share for new services that you create in the Custom Installation Wizard or Custom Maintenance Wizard.

    You do this when you create a custom transform for deploying or updating Outlook. For example, you can add a PST file for all Outlook users and specify a network share where they will be stored. This allows users to move e-mail messages to the PST file, and those messages will be available to them when they roam.

  • You can notify roaming users to relocate local folders to a network share.

    Users can move folders by using the Outlook user interface. This is a good choice for users who have existing Outlook files that must be accessible to them on other computers.

    On the Resource Kit CD

    The Office 2003 Editions Resource Kit core tool set includes the Custom Installation Wizard and Custom Maintenance Wizard, among other Office deployment tools. You use these tools to customize Office application deployments. These tools are installed by default when you run the Office Resource Kit Setup program. For more information, see Appendix A, “Toolbox.”

    Another option is to relocate the files into a roaming folder on the user’s local computer. However, these personal files can become large. The advisability of relocating the files depends on network speed and traffic, as well as the number of users who roam in your organization. Typically, placing PST and PAB files in folders that roam with users is not recommended.

Resources and related information

You have considerable flexibility in configuring and deploying Outlook 2003. For more information about using the Custom Installation Wizard to create a custom transform for deploying Outlook 2003, see “Customizing Outlook Features and Installation with the Custom Installation Wizard” in Chapter 7, “Deploying Outlook 2003.”




Microsoft Office 2003 Resource Kit 2003
Microsoft Office 2003 Editions Resource Kit (Pro-Resource Kit)
ISBN: 0735618801
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 196

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