Office XP working together

STaN

I recently got 2 new PC's both with Office XP Pro...

They are connected over our LAN. I use Outlook on both for my contacts, emails, schedules etc... but i was wondering if there was a system where by if i change the contacts db on 1 pc.... that it would update on the other or visa versa.

I think i saw it somewhere but i dont know how to do it myself.

Also, id like to get the other apps (word, excel, access) to share documents and work on the same documents... is this also possible?

sceptre

Here's what I would do:

Assuming (for an easy explanation) that both are desktop machines that will always be on the network, I'd take the easy solution and work off one pst file for Outlook and save all Office files to one directory.

In other words - everything is saved on only one machine, effectively making it a server.

Using one pst file for Outlook is obviously only a starter if each user is only going to be using Outlook on one machine at a time - if not, synchronising (using OL's built-in solution) might be a better solution. No reason why the solution for the other Office apps wouldn't work - you would be using one machine as a file server.

There are obviously more complicated ways to do this but I can't see any reason in what you've posted for not just taking the thicky approach.

STaN

Well i do have a 3rd PC, a laptop, and i would like to be able to i duno click "get documents folders" from the main pc (server?), it downloads them so i can work on the road. And when i come back, it saves over with newer copies.

I'm also getting a PDA soon, so getting/putting contacts onto that will be important

GUI

map network drive X:\
network path = machine holding the pst file

in outlook you can specify the directory of your mail and contacts file , pst
X:\outlook.pst

do this will all 3..
you can even do a virtual map on the actual machine that holds the pst file on its c:\directxx.\ddvd\dsd
you can map that as x:\ if u want \\machinename\share

anyways..
all 3 will share the pst so..
regarding sync


Active Sync (newer version out now)
takes care of it all automatically..
just hit the little button on the front :-)

STaN

the sync works with the palm top, however i cant specify the pst file on the network folder.

Should i run a MS Exchange Server?

spongebob

Originally posted by GUI_XP
map network drive X:\
network path = machine holding the pst file

in outlook you can specify the directory of your mail and contacts file , pst
X:\outlook.pst

do this will all 3..
you can even do a virtual map on the actual machine that holds the pst file on its c:\directxx.\ddvd\dsd
you can map that as x:\ if u want \\machinename\share

anyways..
all 3 will share the pst so..
regarding sync


Active Sync (newer version out now)
takes care of it all automatically..
just hit the little button on the front :-)

ouch, sharing a .pst is a nono

Net Folders or Active Synch are the methods for updating each other as necessary.

STaN

Originally posted by Muck
ouch, sharing a .pst is a nono

Net Folders or Active Synch are the methods for updating each other as necessary.

What do you suggest Muck... its mainly for the laptop so that i can take my files with me and update them when i get back... word docs, excel, access databases, outlook contacts and drafts.

spongebob

one pst per machine

install net folders 'ínto'each outlook prog and and share stuff with the other machines in the workgroup (with outlook)

tools menu, options, other, advanced options, add in manager, click install and select an .ecf file like nt something

do on each machine

share out contacts for starters and fiddle with synchronisation

GUI

he still has to sync

access databases

Access not the best rdbms on there :-)