Outlook w/ Exchange server - How to keep all PIM data local?

[timbr]

As I already mentioned in another post, we are using Outlook 2003 at
work and my company is going move us to an Exchange 2007 server soon
(until now, we didn't have Exchange).

However, I do not want to store my PIM data (calendar, tasks,
contacts, notes) on the company server. Presumably, no one in our
department is going to use the PIM functions anyway (not even for
group calendaring), since everyone uses paper planners. I'm about the
only one who uses Outlook for anything other than email.
Plus, my OL2003 install is heavily customized via add-ins, additional
views, customized forms, custom dashboard, specialized folders, VBA
macros and the like. All of this would presumably be affected or
destroyed (our IT wants us to install a standard profile, which is a
fact that I'll have to work around somehow, either by connecting to
Exchange manually or by customizing the profile file).

So my question is: Is there a way to make Outlook, while connected to
an Exchange server, use local folders for everything except email? As
default folders, as source for the common views and shortcuts etc.? In
other words: Leave everything as-is except for the email inbox?

I might (grudgingly) leave the calendar on the server if group
calendaring is going to be used, but this would probably disrupt the
task pad view alongside the calendar if tasks are kept in a local
folder (I'm loosely following Michael Linenberger's TWC concept). Or
is there a way to use locally-stored tasks with an Exchange-stored
calendar for the task pad?

 

[Gordon]

As I already mentioned in another post, we are using Outlook 2003 at
work and my company is going move us to an Exchange 2007 server soon
(until now, we didn't have Exchange).

However, I do not want to store my PIM data (calendar, tasks,
contacts, notes) on the company server.

I should be VERY surprised if you have a choice - that's one of the main
reasons FOR using Exchange server - everyone's data is on the server...

 

[Brian Tillman]

However, I do not want to store my PIM data (calendar, tasks,
contacts, notes) on the company server. Presumably, no one in our
department is going to use the PIM functions anyway (not even for
group calendaring), since everyone uses paper planners. I'm about the
only one who uses Outlook for anything other than email.
Plus, my OL2003 install is heavily customized via add-ins, additional
views, customized forms, custom dashboard, specialized folders, VBA
macros and the like. All of this would presumably be affected or
destroyed (our IT wants us to install a standard profile, which is a
fact that I'll have to work around somehow, either by connecting to
Exchange manually or by customizing the profile file).

So my question is: Is there a way to make Outlook, while connected to
an Exchange server, use local folders for everything except email? As
default folders, as source for the common views and shortcuts etc.? In
other words: Leave everything as-is except for the email inbox?

I might (grudgingly) leave the calendar on the server if group
calendaring is going to be used, but this would probably disrupt the
task pad view alongside the calendar if tasks are kept in a local
folder (I'm loosely following Michael Linenberger's TWC concept). Or
is there a way to use locally-stored tasks with an Exchange-stored
calendar for the task pad?

You can certainly keep everything in a local PST by making that local PST
the delivery location. That defeats a majority of the utility of an
Exchange mailbox, however.

You can also use the Exchange server for some things and local folders for
others by creating rules that will sort the incoming items by their types
and move them to appropriate folders. I believe only the Tasks folder of
the delivery location will show in the Taskpad, however.

 

[timbr]

I should be VERY surprised if you have a choice - that's one of the main
reasons FOR using Exchange server - everyone's data is on the server...

Well, no one will force me to use Exchange for PIM data, or for
anything other than an email inbox. I still have the choice to revert
to a paper planner.

But the question still stands:
How can I make Outlook 2003 use local folders (calendar, tasks, notes,
contacts) for its default views, keyboard shortcuts etc. instead of
the ones on the Exchange server?

And if I have to use the calendar on the Exchange server, can I mix
the calendar view with a task pad that draws the tasks from a local
tasks folder?

 

[timbr]

I should be VERY surprised if you have a choice - that's one of the main
reasons FOR using Exchange server - everyone's data is on the server...

Well, no one will force me to use Exchange for PIM data, or for
anything other than an email inbox. I still have the choice to revert
to a paper planner.

But the question still stands:
How can I make Outlook 2003 use local folders (calendar, tasks, notes,
contacts) for its default views, keyboard shortcuts etc. instead of
the ones on the Exchange server?

And if I have to use the calendar on the Exchange server, can I mix
the calendar view with a task pad that draws the tasks from a local
tasks folder?

 

[timbr]

I should be VERY surprised if you have a choice - that's one of the main
reasons FOR using Exchange server - everyone's data is on the server...

Well, no one will force me to use Exchange for PIM data, or for
anything other than an email inbox. I still have the choice to revert
to a paper planner.

But the question still stands:
How can I make Outlook 2003 use local folders (calendar, tasks, notes,
contacts) for its default views, keyboard shortcuts etc. instead of
the ones on the Exchange server?

And if I have to use the calendar on the Exchange server, can I mix
the calendar view with a task pad that draws the tasks from a local
tasks folder?

 

[timbr]

You can certainly keep everything in a local PST by making that local PST
the delivery location. That defeats a majority of the utility of an
Exchange mailbox, however.

You can also use the Exchange server for some things and local folders for
others by creating rules that will sort the incoming items by their types
and move them to appropriate folders. I believe only the Tasks folder of
the delivery location will show in the Taskpad, however.

Thanks Brian, i missed your post when I wrote my last reply (and I
have no idea why Google duplicated my last post).

So choosing a delivery location is all-or-nothing (mail, calendar,
contacts, tasks, notes)?

What happens with incoming mail when my computer is shut down? Will it
be delivered to the (non-default) Exchange Inbox? Will it sit there
until I restart Outlook and then be moved to the local inbox?

Using rules won't work, however, since there are no rules for anything
other than mail, AFAIK.

 

[timbr]

You can certainly keep everything in a local PST by making that local PST
the delivery location. That defeats a majority of the utility of an
Exchange mailbox, however.

You can also use the Exchange server for some things and local folders for
others by creating rules that will sort the incoming items by their types
and move them to appropriate folders. I believe only the Tasks folder of
the delivery location will show in the Taskpad, however.

Thanks Brian, i missed your post when I wrote my last reply (and I
have no idea why Google duplicated my last post).

So choosing a delivery location is all-or-nothing (mail, calendar,
contacts, tasks, notes)?

What happens with incoming mail when my computer is shut down? Will it
be delivered to the (non-default) Exchange Inbox? Will it sit there
until I restart Outlook and then be moved to the local inbox?

Using rules won't work, however, since there are no rules for anything
other than mail, AFAIK.

 

[Gordon]

Well, no one will force me to use Exchange for PIM data, or for
anything other than an email inbox. I still have the choice to revert
to a paper planner.

Why on EARTH not? What's your objection? Why bother with technology at all?
30 years ago they talked about the paperless office - couldn't come fast
enough for me but for dinosaurs like you and your colleagues...

 

[Gordon]

Well, no one will force me to use Exchange for PIM data, or for
anything other than an email inbox. I still have the choice to revert
to a paper planner.

But the question still stands:
How can I make Outlook 2003 use local folders (calendar, tasks, notes,
contacts) for its default views, keyboard shortcuts etc. instead of
the ones on the Exchange server?

You do realise that ANY document, email, calendar entry, task, etc etc that
you create using the Company's hardware and software is the company's
property and they can tell you what is done with those items and where they
should be stored? And if you don't conform then that will lead to
disciplinary action?

 

[timbr]

"timbr" <[email protected]> wrote in message

Why on EARTH not? What's your objection? Why bother with technology at all?
30 years ago they talked about the paperless office - couldn't come fast
enough for me but for dinosaurs like you and your colleagues...

This is yet another case of an IT department knowing next to nothing
about the way a company's staff really works (and they don't bother to
ask, either), but they have this great solution and now they are
looking for a problem to solve with it. BTW, you seem to think exactly
the same way.
And I have the strong impression that the paperless office really is a
myth.

To answer the "Why": I have one system for all my data, work and
private. And not by any means am I going to store stuff like my
medical record on a company server. By now, I have everything under
rather tight control (no, I won't go into the details), and I'd like
to keep it that way.

"timbr" <[email protected]> wrote in message

You do realise that ANY document, email, calendar entry, task, etc etc that
you create using the Company's hardware and software is the company's
property and they can tell you what is done with those items and where they
should be stored? And if you don't conform then that will lead to
disciplinary action?

No. Your are talking about the USA. The rules are different elsewhere.

 

[timbr]

"timbr" <[email protected]> wrote in message

Why on EARTH not? What's your objection? Why bother with technology at all?
30 years ago they talked about the paperless office - couldn't come fast
enough for me but for dinosaurs like you and your colleagues...

This is yet another case of an IT department knowing next to nothing
about the way a company's staff really works (and they don't bother to
ask, either), but they have this great solution and now they are
looking for a problem to solve with it. BTW, you seem to think exactly
the same way.
And I have the strong impression that the paperless office really is a
myth.

To answer the "Why": I have one system for all my data, work and
private. And not by any means am I going to store stuff like my
medical record on a company server. By now, I have everything under
rather tight control (no, I won't go into the details), and I'd like
to keep it that way.

"timbr" <[email protected]> wrote in message

You do realise that ANY document, email, calendar entry, task, etc etc that
you create using the Company's hardware and software is the company's
property and they can tell you what is done with those items and where they
should be stored? And if you don't conform then that will lead to
disciplinary action?

No. Your are talking about the USA. The rules are different elsewhere.

 

[timbr]

"timbr" <[email protected]> wrote in message

Why on EARTH not? What's your objection? Why bother with technology at all?
30 years ago they talked about the paperless office - couldn't come fast
enough for me but for dinosaurs like you and your colleagues...

This is yet another case of an IT department knowing next to nothing
about the way a company's staff really works (and they don't bother to
ask, either), but they have this great solution and now they are
looking for a problem to solve with it. BTW, you seem to think exactly
the same way.
And I have the strong impression that the paperless office really is a
myth.

To answer the "Why": I have one system for all my data, work and
private. And not by any means am I going to store stuff like my
medical record on a company server. By now, I have everything under
rather tight control (no, I won't go into the details), and I'd like
to keep it that way.

"timbr" <[email protected]> wrote in message

You do realise that ANY document, email, calendar entry, task, etc etc that
you create using the Company's hardware and software is the company's
property and they can tell you what is done with those items and where they
should be stored? And if you don't conform then that will lead to
disciplinary action?

No. Your are talking about the USA. The rules are different elsewhere.

 

[Gordon]

This is yet another case of an IT department knowing next to nothing
about the way a company's staff really works (and they don't bother to
ask, either), but they have this great solution and now they are
looking for a problem to solve with it. BTW, you seem to think exactly
the same way.

And it IS a good solution.

And I have the strong impression that the paperless office really is a
myth.

It is, because of people like you

To answer the "Why": I have one system for all my data, work and
private. And not by any means am I going to store stuff like my
medical record on a company server.

You shouldn't be storing personal private data on your company's software
anyway, without their express permission.


By now, I have everything under

rather tight control (no, I won't go into the details), and I'd like
to keep it that way.




No. Your are talking about the USA. The rules are different elsewhere.

Not at all. It certainly applies in the UK and Canada, and many other places
as well.

 

[timbr]

And it IS a good solution.


It is, because of people like you

Why exactly do you have to attack me personally? If I may remind you
of my first post, it said that I am using Outlook quite heavily and
have done a lot of customization, so I don't count myself a
"dinosaur". But I'm not alone in thinking that there *is* a place for
paper. Did you miss the whole "back to paper" movement, namely among
geeks?

Oh, and you still don't know anything about my work so what exactly is
your judgement based on?
Only on a theoretically good solution for some generic work style?

You shouldn't be storing personal private data on your company's software
anyway, without their express permission.

You're wrong here as well.
And doesn't Exchange let you mark entries as "private"?
Not that that would be enough privacy for my taste.

Not at all. It certainly applies in the UK and Canada, and many other places
as well.

Maybe. But not everywhere.

 

[Brian Tillman]

So choosing a delivery location is all-or-nothing (mail, calendar,
contacts, tasks, notes)?

Correct. The delivery location dictates the data store where the default
folders reside.

What happens with incoming mail when my computer is shut down? Will it
be delivered to the (non-default) Exchange Inbox? Will it sit there
until I restart Outlook and then be moved to the local inbox?

This is exactly what will happen. The incoming messages will stay in the
mailbox until you start Outlook and then they'll be sucked down to the PST.

Using rules won't work, however, since there are no rules for anything
other than mail, AFAIK.

Everything coming into the mailbox from others, like message requests, task
assignments, and so on, arrive in the Inbox. Each of those items has a
form. You can create a rule that examines the form and performs an action
based on the form. One way to apply this is to move mail messages to a PST
but leave everything else on the Exchange server. Many people use that
method because the mailbox is limited in space and mail usually takes up the
most. By moving the mail to a PST they maximize their mailbox space while
retaining most of the benefits of using the Exchange server.

 

[timbr]

Thanks, Brian,

this information will be really useful.

And yes, the designated mailboxes are way too small.