Searching PST files with Vista Desktop Search

[Michael Gerbasio]

I'm having a problem searching pst files. I keep messages acrhived in pst
files on my system, but don't keep these files opened in outlook. When I do
a desktop search with Vista, it doesn't look in these closed files. Is there
a better solution to keeping old email or how can I add these files to be
searched? Thanks.

Regards-Michael G.

 

[Roady [MVP]]

You'll need to connect them within Outlook for them to be indexed.

 

[Michael Gerbasio]

Rob,
Thanks. By connect, do I need to open them and keep them open in OL? Or can
I open them and then close the files?

Regards-Michael G.

 

[Roady [MVP]]

You'll need to keep them connected. Disconnecting will remove the contents
from the index again.

 

[Michael Gerbasio]

Thanks. Is there a better solution to keeping old email? I read someone's
site and they suggested just putting these into regular folders but I have a
lot of duplicate subject names and that seems like it will be an issue.

Regards-Michael G.

 

[Roady [MVP]]

That would be a bad idea as you'll create a lot of separate files which will
also reduce performance of your computer and remove the flexibility Outlook
offers to organize your mail.

What is the issue with keeping them connected to Outlook? Apparently you
still want to use this data in an active way. Outlook has no issues with
keeping multiple files open.

You can of course also create an additional mail profile for Outlook in
Control Panel-> Mail and don't configure an account for it. Connect all your
pst-file to it and leave Outlook open until the indexer has fully indexed
that profile. Then switch back to your original mail profile to work with.

 

[Michael Gerbasio]

Roady,
I guess the only issue is I don't like to keep opening and closing files
with OL as that MAY lead to the files becoming corrupt and I thought I'd get
better performance. I like your suggestion of the different profile so I may
go that route.

Thanks again for the help.

Regards-Michael G.

 

[Roady [MVP]]

I'm sure you keep backups of your archives as well? Pst-files don't get
corrupted that easily and if they do you simply restore from backup again;
since they are archives they don't change so you don't have to make daily
backups of them ;-)

Once indexed, additional pst-files won't noticeably negatively affect
Outlook performance. Of course you shouldn't add like 40 pst-files of all
larger than 3GB or so; but that is a whole lot of mail to collect in the
first place! ;-)

A separate profile for archived data is of course a more relaxed way to go.
The only drawback is that you have to start Outlook in that profile when you
want to access the data but the full item index capabilities of Desktop
Search take away that need for most occasions as well.

 

[Jules]

I'm sure you keep backups of your archives as well? Pst-files don't get
corrupted that easily and if they do you simply restore from backup again;
since they are archives they don't change so you don't have to make daily
backups of them ;-)

Once indexed, additional pst-files won't noticeably negatively affectOutlookperformance. Of course you shouldn't add like 40 pst-files of all
larger than 3GB or so; but that is a whole lot of mail to collect in the
first place! ;-)

A separate profile for archived data is of course a more relaxed way to go.
The only drawback is that you have to startOutlookin that profile when you
want to access the data but the full item index capabilities of Desktop
Search take away that need for most occasions as well.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring MicrosoftOutlook2003http://www.howto-outlook.com/OutlookFAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

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

-----

Roady,
I guess the only issue is I don't like to keep opening and closing files
with OL as that MAY lead to the files becoming corrupt and I thought I'd
get better performance. I like your suggestion of the different profile so
I may go that route.

Thanks again for the help.

Regards-Michael G.

That would be a bad idea as you'll create a lot of separate files which
will also reduce performance of your computer and remove the flexibility
Outlookoffers to organize your mail.
What is the issue with keeping them connected toOutlook? Apparently you
still want to use this data in an active way.Outlookhas no issues with
keeping multiple files open.
You can of course also create an additional mail profile forOutlookin
Control Panel-> Mail and don't configure an account for it. Connect all
your pst-file to it and leaveOutlookopen until the indexer has fully
indexed that profile. Then switch back to your original mail profile to
work with.
--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring MicrosoftOutlook2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
OutlookFAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more
http://www.msoutlook.info/
Real World Questions, Real World Answers
-----
Thanks. Is there a better solution to keeping oldemail? I read
someone's site and they suggested just putting these into regular
folders but I have a lot of duplicate subject names and that seems like
it will be an issue.
Regards-Michael G.
in messageYou'll need to keep them connected. Disconnecting will remove the
contents from the index again.
--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring MicrosoftOutlook2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
OutlookFAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more
http://www.msoutlook.info/
Real World Questions, Real World Answers
-----
Rob,
Thanks. By connect, do I need to open them and keep them open in OL?
Or can I open them and then close the files?
Regards-Michael G.
"Roady [MVP]" <newsgroups_DELETE_@_DELETE_sparnaaij_NO_._SPAM_net>
wrote in message
You'll need to connect them withinOutlookfor them to be indexed.
--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring MicrosoftOutlook2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
OutlookFAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more
http://www.msoutlook.info/
Real World Questions, Real World Answers
-----
I'm having a problem searching pst files. I keep messages acrhived
in pst files on my system, but don't keep these files opened in
outlook. When I do a desktop search with Vista, it doesn't look in
these closed files. Is there a better solution to keeping oldemail
or how can I add these files to be searched? Thanks.
Regards-Michael G.- Tekst uit oorspronkelijk bericht niet weergeven -

- Tekst uit oorspronkelijk bericht weergeven -

I should suggest archiving every email as msg file in a directory is a
good solution.
Windows Vista (or windows desktop search in windows xp or win2000)
will index every msg file which makes it easy to find the email.
It's easy to backup, because every email has its fixed date time stamp
and is not so big as a pst file is.
And it's easy to share the email: more than one computer can search
and open the msg file.