# Outlook contacts



## alexenjen (Aug 3, 2000)

In Oultook, when you save a contact, the contact is saved in the users main contact on the C:\drive.

I would like to remove the main contacts folder in the c:\drive

And make the "\\network\public folder" as the main contact folder.

I've already tried to remove the c:\contacts folder from tools. It's still appearing..


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## Krash (Jun 21, 2007)

When you save contacts in Outlook they get saved in a file with the extension .pst in the user's Windows Profile. (For eg.: C:\Documents and Settings\MyWindowsLoginId\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.pst)

Are you looking to move the entire PST file, so you could back em up on the server from time to time ? Or are you simply trying to put all your contacts in a central location!? 

What is the goal of this attempt ? If you could tell us we could give you the best solution/suggestion.


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## alexenjen (Aug 3, 2000)

The goal is to have a centralized location for "contacts".

We're using the "public folders" for "contacts". All of us have full access. So, when a user saves a contacts, Outlook is defaulting the saves in to the c:\drive.


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## Krash (Jun 21, 2007)

I am forced to believe that you are making do with POP type email accounts but using a central location for official contacts for everyone to share.

Ideally you could do this by creating a pst file on the network location which has the contacts. Open this pst file within Outlook and make the contacts folder in this as the default or main contacts folder. 

Unfortunately this is not recommended. Opening a pst file on two computers at the same time could damage the file there by jeopardizing all the data in it. 

I don't have hands on experience with Address books so may be someone else could assist you with that.


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## MWE (Mar 21, 2005)

Krash said:


> ...Ideally you could do this by creating a pst file on the network location which has the contacts. Open this pst file within Outlook and make the contacts folder in this as the default or main contacts folder.
> 
> Unfortunately this is not recommended. Opening a pst file on two computers at the same time could damage the file there by jeopardizing all the data in it.
> ...


Sharing pst files is quite tricky and as Krash states, can result in a damaged file and loss of all data. There are file synchronizer programs for pst files that work reasonably well, but that approach would mean synchronizing with the central pst file each time you run Outlook. And then there is the update and "who has the original" problem.

Has Outlook Exchange been considered?


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## alexenjen (Aug 3, 2000)

It could be might fault for not fully explaining my setup: Exchage 2003 server - clients are using Outlook 2003. Each user has a profile and not using .pst. hope this helps..

In Oultook, when you save a contact, the contact is saved in the users main contact on the C:\drive.

I would like to remove the main contacts folder in the c:\drive

And make the "\\network\public folder" as the main contact folder.

I've already tried to remove the c:\contacts folder from tools. It's still appearing


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## MWE (Mar 21, 2005)

alexenjen said:


> It could be might fault for not fully explaining my setup: Exchage 2003 server - clients are using Outlook 2003. Each user has a profile and not using .pst. hope this helps..
> 
> In Oultook, when you save a contact, the contact is saved in the users main contact on the C:\drive.
> 
> ...


as stated earlier, your approach, i.e., having users interact with a single contacts file (pst) is unstable and dangerous. Multiple users sharing a file with write permissions is a disaster waiting to happen. Why not use MS Exchange for this central function? That is one of the reasons for using MS Exchange, i.e., the "global address books".

I also wonder why people are running without a local pst file. Sure, that may make it a bit easier for the company to back things up, but why not use the local H partition/directory concept for local pst files. That way people offload the junk from their exchange mailbox (to their local pst file) and backup is maintained via local H partition


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## Krash (Jun 21, 2007)

Alex. Thanks for clarifying. You are right about the pst file not being used. In an Exchange environment an OST file is used to store the email views temporarily on the local machine. *When a user creates a contact, its temporarily stored in the OST file and then synced with the server and the user's contacts are updates on the server. *

So this brings us to some interesting questions.



> I would like to remove the main contacts folder in the c:\drive
> And make the "\\network\public folder" as the main contact folder.
> I've already tried to remove the c:\contacts folder from tools. It's still appearing


Where did the C:\contacts folder come from ? What file do you have in this folder? Where does this show up in Tools ?!


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