Best/quickest way to export Outlook to PST when installing new server?

[BadBoy House]

Installed a new server the other day and the one thing that I found took up most of my time was backing up the users’ Outlook data and My Documents. Most of the users had 2.5GB+ Outlook data files (which is very common nowadays) along with large My Documents folders 1GB+ in size (business photos etc etc).

As always when I’m on-site I make notes etc to review later – things I could have done different, better etc and the number one item on the list this time was “find out if there’s a quicker way of backing up/transferring Outlook data and My Documents” when setting up a new server.

The process I go through when joining workstations to a new domain after a new server install is essentially 1) Back up Outlook data to PST 2) Back up/move My Documents data 3) Join the workstation to the domain 4) Re-configure the workstation i.e. restore Outlook data etc.

The Outlook data backup and restore is the painful part. Takes ages.

What process do you guys use when backing up Outlook data and My Docs before you join a workstation to a new domain?

I'm convinced there must be a quick way than waiting for Outlook to export the PST.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Depends on how many users total....

For smaller organizations....I still prefer the manual "Export to PST" method.

As for My Documents...that's quite easy....typically I have them redirected to the server anyways....\\servername\users\%username%\documents...so that falls right back into place nicely. But even if not...from the server I just do it ...browse to \\workstationname\docs&settings or users\username and snag it.
And control the future workstations via folder redirection GPO.

For larger organizations...if you're replacing the server...consider a "migration". Plug in the new Exchange server...join the organization...migrate the mailboxes from old server to new server. You simply move the mailboxes via GUI in ESM. With Outlook 2007 and newer...esp on Vista or higher, makes it quite seamless for end users. People on older Outlook 2003 sometimes have hiccups and have to click through a quick dialog as Outlook is confused by the new exchange server name...but still easy just a click or two. Older outlook (hopefully you won'trun across any Office XP users anymore) will have to get profiles rebuilt...still easy.

 

[drjones]

I don't know if it's not best practices or what, but I never export a PST.

I simply copy/paste the PST just like any other file, and have never had even a hint of a problem.

Is there some other benefit to exporting the PST over a simple copy/paste?

Seems like a really big waste of time...

That said, you should get those guys onto exchange. I try to move all my biz clients to exchange whenever possible.

Also I'm not really clear why you're even going through this process; when you join the PC to the new domain and login as the user on the workstation, you should be able to just browse to the old profile & copy/paste all the documents, PST, etc. into the new profile quick as anything. Should take a matter of seconds or minutes to copy files between profiles on the same local machine.

Are you backing up/copying stuff to an external drive or to the new server or something? Why?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

I don't know if it's not best practices or what, but I never export a PST.

I simply copy/paste the PST just like any other file, and have never had even a hint of a problem.

Is there some other benefit to exporting the PST over a simple copy/paste?

Seems like a really big waste of time...

My answer was under the assumption he was replacing an Exchange server with a new Exchange server...or moving workstation to a different server with different Exchange. Hence him saying "export to PST". Pull their old Exchange mailbox down to a local PST...move...and then shove the PST up into their new Exchange mailbox.

If it was just POP to POP...yeah I'd just copy the original PST over.

 

[techguysolutions]

I normally will just join the workstation to the new domain and log onto the new domain at-least one time to allow the creation of the new domain profile. I then log out and login with the local admin or domain admin on that workstation and then go to C:\users\old profile and go to view show all hidden files and then copy the entire contents of the old profile folder to the new domain profile folder and that is it. I have never really ran into issues that way. Outlook 95% of the time works with no issues. Of course password will not be carried over but that is about it.

 

[drjones]

My answer was under the assumption he was replacing an Exchange server with a new Exchange server...or moving workstation to a different server with different Exchange. Hence him saying "export to PST". Pull their old Exchange mailbox down to a local PST...move...and then shove the PST up into their new Exchange mailbox.

If it was just POP to POP...yeah I'd just copy the original PST over.

That's what happens when I post before being fully caffeinated.

 

[BadBoy House]

The existing local Outlook data file would be an OST file rather than a PST file.

I'm referring to installations where you are putting in a new server and a new installation of Exchange. When you open Outlook having joined the workstation to the new domain you just get an empty Outlook.

Importing a PST file does work but it's fairly slow backing it up in the first place and then restoring to the empty Outlook.

I wasn't aware that there was a PST file in Outlook when connected to Exchange??

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

The existing local Outlook data file would be an OST file rather than a PST file.

I'm referring to installations where you are putting in a new server and a new installation of Exchange. When you open Outlook having joined the workstation to the new domain you just get an empty Outlook.

Importing a PST file does work but it's fairly slow backing it up in the first place and then restoring to the empty Outlook.

I wasn't aware that there was a PST file in Outlook when connected to Exchange??

So I guess right..you are on Exchange.

Yeah if Outlook is set to cached mode...there will be an OST local, not a PST. And you can't import that OST in a new active directory without ripoff 3rd party tools...the permissions are tied with the prior domain account.

I don't find export/import to be that slow. But I'm one that tends to beef up the horsepower of servers...have lots of RAM, and have Exchange servers with infostores on faster separate spindles...and workstations of higher horsepower. I know some people enjoy the use of desktop hard drives in servers...(SATA)...and configure their servers on one big RAID 5 volume 'n other performance sucking stuff like that...so yeah once you run around and office and kick off a few dozen exports/imports...they're be sure to see one of the many limitations of desktop hardware in a server.

By default there is not a PST with a standard Outlook ==> Exchange setup.

To better answer your question though...when you do "migrations" like this..is it an all new active directory? You're unjoining the old one, and joining a new one? In which case the above method ain't that bad. Export to PST locally..remove from old domain, join new domain..configure Outlook to new Exchange Server...import PST.

Or do you install the new exchange server to the existing active directory? If so...look at doing an Exchange migration...join the organization...so now in ESM you have both of your Exchange servers. And then move mailboxes right in ESM! This way you're moving mailboxes direct from exchange server to exchange server. Don't have to touch clients desktops.

Another old method...ExMerge. But that's still a sorta manual process.

 

[BadBoy House]

To better answer your question though...when you do "migrations" like this..is it an all new active directory? You're unjoining the old one, and joining a new one? In which case the above method ain't that bad. Export to PST locally..remove from old domain, join new domain..configure Outlook to new Exchange Server...import PST.

Another old method...ExMerge. But that's still a sorta manual process.

It would always be a new active directory. Exporting to PST locally then re-importing once the workstation is joined to the new domain. It does work but some workstations have larger PST files (2GB+) which slow things down.

Don't get me wrong this method does work and to be fair it works well. I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing a trick somewhere.

I did look at ExMerge but this has the 2GB limit.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Can save some time by disabling antivirus real time protection on the server and workstations when you do the export.

For larger networks....why not migrations? Why "always new active directory"?

 

[TAPtech]

I normally will just join the workstation to the new domain and log onto the new domain at-least one time to allow the creation of the new domain profile. I then log out and login with the local admin or domain admin on that workstation and then go to C:\users\old profile and go to view show all hidden files and then copy the entire contents of the old profile folder to the new domain profile folder and that is it. I have never really ran into issues that way. Outlook 95% of the time works with no issues. Of course password will not be carried over but that is about it.

I have not tried this but this looks like your answer, BadBoy House. Or maybe a slight modification of it.

From reading the posts it is my understanding that;
-company did not have an existing server
-all existing outlook accounts were using POP and therefor have PST files and not OST files


I would not EXPORT, but I would IMPORT the existing PST file on the new outlook account. At least you save some time that way by not exporting. I think you will need to import as I would imagine Outlook would need to run through this motion to import the PST data to the new OST file, and then upload to the server.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

The "old" server and "old" profiles are WITH Exchange though. So there is no existing PST to begin with.

Existing old PSTs would only be in place if he had POP mail....but he stated it's Exchange.

And a new domain, cannot import from a different old domains OST file...it literally cannot work (without flakey 3rd party software that I would never try).

I learned years ago to create fresh new profiles..and only "cherry pick" the specific data I wanted to move over from the old profile...such as Desktop, Documents, Favorites. Too much other "garbage" that can (and often does) bring issues/quirks along with it if you copy the entire old profile. Why not start from scratch with a nice clean fresh profile.

 

[BadBoy House]

I personally wouldn't do a migration. Two reasons for this really 1) I prefer to start with a fresh active directory etc as the existing one would typically be pretty old. I wouldn't want to bring across any old stuff that might have been set up originally or over the years. 2) I'm comfortable with new installs. Migrations (from what I've read) are notorious for being messy and problematic.

 

[TAPtech]

I thought there was no existing server, and that this was not a replacement but a new install..?