how can I backup PST files on laptops

[stick1977]

.... without paying for it. Here's the story.

We did a server project for a small company of five users, four on laptops and the secretary was on a W7 box acting as the host for their small database. We setup a domain with offline files etc, all their docs are being pushed to the server and getting backed up to the cloud from their. Only problem is the PST. THe PST, from what I've been told, shouldn't be put in the Documents folder which is syncing with the server. So, I configured the PSTs to live in one of the subfolders of AppData. Now, they had Carbonite so I configured it to backup the PST only since everything else was getting pushed to server and backed up from there. Only issue is that now the client is paying for both Carbonite and our other backup vendor, soon the Carbonite will expire and I'll have to figure out a place to backup the PSTs too.

Does something like Microsoft's PST backup utility work well with Outlook 2010? Should I move the PSTs to the Documents folder so they sync with the server?

I'm just realizing as I type this that offline folders could work for this, I mean, it's not redirected folders where the files are pushed only to the server and aren't stored locally... so I think I can simply move the PSTs to a sub folder of Documents... right? My main concern was having a user take his laptop home and all of the sudden they can't access mail.

So, can I move the PSTs to Documents or am I crazy? Haha thanks.

 

[thecomputerguy]

Im going through a similar issue with a client and lugging around PST files seem to be going out of fashion quick. The usually get too big especially when people send a lot of attachments and once your data file gets up to 3+ GB which can easily be done (people aren't good at deleting emails out of the deleted emails and/or cleaning out their sent items), the pst file starts to bog down and becomes a huge hassle to move around and backup.

The microsoft backup you are talking about pfbackup.exe is just a simple copy paste of the PST file to another location. Nothing special about it, just makes it easy for the user so they dont have to manually copy and paste it themselves.

Im thinking more and more its time to get rid of these PST files and just go straight to a hosted exchange. Microsoft offers hosted exchange services for like $4 per user per month, you supply your own outlook.

http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/en-us/exchange-online-hosted-email.aspx

Of course if they don't currently own a domain name, well then you've got some work ahead of you, which is in the situation I am in. They use verizon's free email with POP (Verizon doesn't support IMAP) for their entire organization which is like 15 employees all with a @verizon.net email account.

 

[seedubya]

Yes, you're crezy. If you put the pst files in sync'ed folders you will have corrupt psts definitely within a week, possibly even a day.

Go to exchange or hosted exchange or Google Apps Premier (my fav. for companies who haven't used Exchange before or who don't use any of the extra features.)

 

[stick1977]

Ugh, at least the client I'm talking about has their own domain name. $4 a month? That's insanely low. My company is an AppRiver partner (which gets us what.. i don't know). Hosted Exchange is $12.95 per user minimum 4 mailboxes, way more than the four bucks you're talking about. I will admit however that AppRiver tech support is very good. You can call in a get a technician right away. He may not be in the greatest mood lol but you can get him straight away.

Yeah I'd like to move these people to Exchange, they just paid for a server project so why not install Exchange on that? I dunno, it's a project, maybe $4 per user would be better for the client than buying a static IP address and configuring and maintaining Exchange server.

But in the meantime I think I'll use the PST backup utility, once Carbonite subscription runs out that is. Thanks for the info, didn't realize it was essentially a copy/paste thing.

 

[stick1977]

I'll heed your advice and make sure never to put a PST in a redirected/offline folder. Thanks for the heads-up.

 

[thecomputerguy]

I've never configured or administered exchange personally. But you can't beat making a phone call, and changing some MX records for $4 a month. Not to mention you don't have to worry about backing it up, and if something goes wrong just blame MS call them and have one of their people fix it while you bill for your time.

Just seems like less stress to me to have it hosted elsewhere.

 

[Knightsman]

I use Logmein Backup for this tasks. depending on how many emails they get, I typically backup the PST files once a month, and anything newer than that is kept on the server.

but, I havent had the chance to test this with an exchange server.

 

[RedFoxComp]

Sounds like a job for Office 365.

Barring that, just use something like freefilesync to back up the PSTs to a shared folder on the 'server'. Regardless of what you use you'll need something that uses VSS so it can backup while outlook is running.

Other considerations, if you're doing online backups daily I hope whatever you're using had block level deduplication or you're going to have serious issues with those PST files slamming your local bandwidth and remote storage. Control over versioning is good too so you don't run into problems with bloat.

 

[sys-eng]

The pst file can be put in any folder as far as I know. The problem you are probably running into is contention over the file. I have seen the same problem with pst files on a networked file server instead of the client.

Can you put the pst file in a folder and set it to sync at night when Outlook is not running?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

If e-mail is important to a client...if this client is a business....it's time to graduate from elementarschool POP e-mail and move up to proper e-mail for a business. I've never seen any good method for backing up PSTs....don't map them to a drive on the server...it hammers the heck out of the servers drives and the network with the heavy concurrent connections each Outlook user pounds the PST with. Microsoft even tells you not to do that. Outlook molests the PST file too much for any local backup method I've seen to work well too.

Time to have them graduate to a proper biz e-mail package....I'd look at MS Office 365. Push the E3 package on them if you can.....they get a software assurance license for MS Office Pro Plus for each user with that package, so that alone makes it well worth it. (software assurance license means they get to download the latest version of Office as it comes out...so basically you keep getting upgrades included in the price).

 

[sys-eng]

You do not say what backup programs you have tried. Are you stuck with remote backup such as Carbonite or will local backups suffice? I have used Todo, Macrium, Paragon, Cobian, and others with no problems for PST files but I do not set them to sync program files such as PST that are used frequently. Those files are backed up during off hours.

If going to a fully hosted solution, be very clear with the customer about the limitations when they are not connected to the Internet. This can be a show-stopper for many.

 

[callthatgirl]

Mozy works fine for PST back up and restore, but it does not grab the PST when it's in the documents folder. You have to check the box manually, then it should work fine.

I have tried to keep a personal PST of my own on dropbox, daily conflicts, epic faill.

Carbonite has failed me many times.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

If going to a fully hosted solution, be very clear with the customer about the limitations when they are not connected to the Internet. This can be a show-stopper for many.

Similar limitations with their current POP/IMAP setup though..... no internet...no in/out e-mail.

 

[mason]

i know its still pst but i would use IMAP doesnt matter where u are and how u open your email everyone is just there waiting for you. we supply imap hosting dirt cheap so if you have a web host already ask them you maybe to just use that as part of your package as it is.

 

[sys-eng]

Similar limitations with their current POP/IMAP setup though..... no internet...no in/out e-mail.

I am not clear on your point. In a typical desktop setup, the user can still read and file their messages and create new messages which will be held in the outbox until reconnected with the e-mail server. Of course new messages will not be received until reconnection but most users can do a lot of work with the messages already in their local PST files.

 

[stick1977]

Well, in this particular case, the users bring their laptops home half the time so they're not always on the network. Also I don't like requiring users to shut down Outlook nightly, I don't like asking users to do anything really, you can never count on them as you know haha.

 

[stick1977]

Thank you all for your replies and info. I think I'll look into MS hosting for $4 a month. We're AppRiver partners but I'm not sure what that entails, I don't think we're getting any kickbacks so what's in it for us... I'm gonna look into the $4 host.

Not trying to kill the convo just wanted to say thx!

 

[Knightsman]

Thank you all for your replies and info. I think I'll look into MS hosting for $4 a month. We're AppRiver partners but I'm not sure what that entails, I don't think we're getting any kickbacks so what's in it for us... I'm gonna look into the $4 host.

Not trying to kill the convo just wanted to say thx!

logmein backup = kickbacks

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

I am not clear on your point. In a typical desktop setup, the user can still read and file their messages and create new messages which will be held in the outbox until reconnected with the e-mail server. Of course new messages will not be received until reconnection but most users can do a lot of work with the messages already in their local PST files.

My point was...you tried to illustrate that with a hosted Exchanged solution, no internet means no e-mail. I mentioned that it's the same if you do POP too...as in most situations..the POP servers are hosted out in the cloud too. So...no internet, no e-mail.

As to ability to still work with existing e-mail in your inbox with Exchange...and reply to/send e-mail and have them sit in your outbox...have you heard of "Work Offline"? Does the same thing...for Exchange users.
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/o...n-working-offline-and-online-HP005242598.aspx
When setup to an Exchange server...Outlook keeps an "OST file" locally....similar to a PST, but tied to their domain user account & permissions. And since Windows NT can cache the user account credentials locally (hence...why laptop users can still log into their laptops even when away from the office)...it works..and works very well.

 

[sys-eng]

Well, in this particular case, the users bring their laptops home half the time so they're not always on the network. Also I don't like requiring users to shut down Outlook nightly, I don't like asking users to do anything really, you can never count on them as you know haha.

The businesses I support understand they must shut down or restart their systems for application software updates, Windows updates, and malware scans. I set them up on a schedule that works well for them then it is just a policy. Users who refuse to abide will eventually (soon) have problems.