O.T. Outlook/PC help ?

[CyberDyneSystems]

Anyone know the answers to these questions;

1. (this is the easier one) What are the file extensions for outlook database/etc files,. or whatever you would call those files.

O-kay this is what I'm trying to do. (I know nothing about Outlook,. but somehow I got the idea that this is what you use it for)

At work we have 8 PCs,. total,. peer to peer, mix of Win98 and XP (and one Win95,. the laptop I'm typing on)

They are all able to back up to one big PC we call the server,. but really it's just another peer.

I want to have a single outlook file that we can all access and put our schedules into on the "server". It's mainly the caledar/sheuling funtions we are concerned about.

What I have so far: Networking and file sahring is all set up allready... we can all access a shared partition on the "server" and all our combined data is being backed up there across the 10/100 network.

My confusion: I just don't understand Outlook at all. There seems to be no "file"?

...there's no "save" button,. I found out that .pst and .ost as file types associated with outlook and yet when I run a search on the PC that currently has the outlook calendar created,. we find no docs with those extensions.

Back to questions;

2. Is the above something that Outlook can do?
3. Is my concept about several PCs on a peer to peer working on the same file viable?

4. Lastly,. if I'm barking up the wrong tree,. is there another solution someone can recomend? Our Calender/Schedule is very complex,. many levels of events going on from meetings,. to performnace schedules etc. We are a poor non-profit with very little financial resources for this type of thing,. so we have have little $$ to invest in software. This why we are trying to do it with Outlook, as Office is in fact the only software we currently have.

Thanks in advance to anyone wh can help with this.

[tim]

I'm not an expert, but my understanding is you need a Microsoft Exchange server to enable groupware features like calendaring. I'll email a friend of mine who's an expert and see if she can help you out.

[steven]

1) Outlook stores its junk in a .pst file.

2) To the best of my understanding multiple Outlooks cannot access single .pst file to "share" all its information.

3) Yes but you will need a helper program, like Exchange server.

[tim]

From my friend:


The pst file can be created and they can all use the same account to get
at it, but ony one person can access a pst file at one time so it won't
achieve what he wants. There's 3rd party apps that might do it, he'll
need to have a look on the web for something cos outlook won't work.


Hope that helps a bit.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Interesting that the PC that has the working calendar on it so far,. fails to find any .pst files when I used a complete system search for it http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze2hdzu/pics/scratchy.gif

thanks for your input on this.. christ exchange server!

We are still in the dark ages,. there is no way I'm bumping us up to that kind of level!
I'll have another go at finding the .pst file,. anyone have any ideas where on earth Outlook would hide it on a WinXP Home PC?

It's also funny,. as I truly thought that Outlook used a database,.. oh well,.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Wow,..
Warren,.. my new best friend!

I just checked out Hotmail AND Yahoo.. I think this is exactly what we need!
BOTH will psynch with Outlook too,. so we can maintain a local copy for archival use!

Thank you! For our limited needs and none existant budget,. I think this will do.

Now we just have to decide on Yahoo groups,. or Hotmail.. ;)
(I'm thinking Yahoo as Hotmail seems the one most likely to give us trouble logging in)

[chucksberg]

When you search, check search hidden files and folders.

[Kinger]

Open Windows Explore, and in the view option allow hidden files, then try the following address.

C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook


This is the default setting in outlook.

[cmM]

it's a breeze if you have an exchange server. I don't use it very much and personally don'tlike out look very much either, but if u set up a mail server you can just create public folders containing whatever you wish (such as calendars):
http://www.cmuntean.net/files/outlook.jpg

[JZaun]

CDS

Check out this set up. Its a Yahoo Group site and it is free. If you want to join I will approve you so you can see all features. It is just being set up and not used yet but has a place for files,a callendar, etc. You could control who can has access.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ccor/

Jerry

[Barb42]

In XP - c:\program files\common files\system\mapi\1033\NT (its the .pst file - and it will be a large file)

[CyberDyneSystems]

**UPDATE**

Yahoo,. has solved all our small office scheduling issues!

Thanks Again to all who helped :)