[Ham-Computers] RE: Keeping two email PST files in sync

[Hsu, Aaron (NBC Universal)]

>>> You wrote:
Hmmm...many good things to consider...I could use the key as a backup location each time I close Outlook and just plug it in the other machine when I take it with me.  I then could just import the messages into the other machine.

>>> My reply:
Don't use the USB key as the backup...use it for the working PST.  If you're only using one laptop at a time, this shouldn't be a problem.  It mitigates the sync problem and allows you to use the most up-to-date PST on whichever laptop you're currently using.  Once a week (more/less), backup the key to a HD/another key/tape/whatever).  This method shouldn't be a problem unless you're using both laptops at the same time (which shouldn't occur given the info you've provided).

>>> You wrote:
The only glitch is that the pst file tends to be between 400-800MB, so it takes awhile to move the data into the USB memory.

>>> My reply:
Shouldn't be a problem if you use the key for the working PST - you'll only be copying the full PST during backups.


For reference, every once in a while, PST files should be "compacted".  PST's will grow in size, but they will never automatically "shrink".  Even if you delete all the messages in the PST, the filesize of the PST will remain the same as before the messages were deleted.  Outlook will use the deleted space to put new messages, but, if you get 1,000+ spam messages a week, the PST grows quite a bit.  Compacting the PST forces Outlook to purge deleted entries.  I believe it just builds a new PST, exports all non-deleted items, then deletes the old PST and renames the new.  However it does it, the PST should then be smaller than pre-compacting.  Don't need to do it often as PST's normally grow over time, but it does help tidy things up a bit.

73,

  - Aaron Hsu, NN6O