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jay608
Going Nucking Futs
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jay608

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[Education] Google Apps

So the school I work at has standardized on using google apps as a solution, instead of hosting email on campus, and paying for Office. However there are a few things that Outlook is used for. There is a shared google email account that our support desk monitors using outlook and the google apps sync. These computers are currently using a single login so it works fairly well.

However the manager is looking to put the computers on the domain, and have the students use their domain creds to login. What I am looking to do is use one pst file and have the sync just point to that 1 pst file when creating the new profiles.

Is this even possible?

Edit: A little better wording.

Wily_One
Premium Member
join:2002-11-24
San Jose, CA

Wily_One

Premium Member

Well if you're using Outlook and Windows domains you are clearly not using "google for everything." Google for everything would be something like giving the kids Chromebooks.

As to your .pst file question, it's been a while since I had to dick with Windows client support. Someone may know here but it's really a Microsoft question, not a Google Apps question. Good luck.

lhvetinari
yaW gnorW
join:2008-09-26
Kenosha/Chgo

lhvetinari to jay608

Member

to jay608
said by jay608:

So the school I work at has standardized on using google apps as a solution, instead of hosting email on campus, and paying for Office. However there are a few things that Outlook is used for. There is a shared google email account that our support desk monitors using outlook and the google apps sync. These computers are currently using a single login so it works fairly well.

However the manager is looking to put the computers on the domain, and have the students use their domain creds to login. What I am looking to do is use one pst file and have the sync just point to that 1 pst file when creating the new profiles.

Is this even possible?

Edit: A little better wording.

Assuming all the software and such is configured the same (including login info and network access rights, and the PST is in a network location), you can try this. Create the account manually, and somewhere in the advanced settings (I don't use outlook, so it's been awhile) there should be a setting for New/Existing data file. Click "Existing", map the location of the PST to a drive (I don't remember if Outlook can do raw UNC addresses or not), and select the shared PST.
Example: File.PST is stored on FileServer in Outlook. Map the path \\fileserver\outlook to the O: drive, and point Outlook to O:\File.PST

Edit 1: After re-reading, I assume each student is going to use their individual account and the computers are going to be joined to the domain. In that case, add ALL users that will need access to the PST in a group (maybe call it "HelpdeskMail") and give the group RW permissions over the file and directory.

Edit 2 - Electric Boogaloo: PST's don't like to be used by more than one PC at a time, especially in older Outlook versions.

NOTE: This is NOT SUPPORTED and NOT RECOMMENDED. Use IMAP, and configure each machine against the mailbox that way. PST's are NOT INTENDED to be shared.

jay608
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jay608

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After much messing around with it today what we are going to do is the google apps sync for outlook program is going to point to a specific directory, IE C:\Users\All Users\Folder. and then each person that logs in a new pst will be created, but in that same directory.

Because the pst file is named differently for each profile we won't run into the issue of duplicate file names.
tomdlgns
Premium Member
join:2003-03-21

tomdlgns to jay608

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to jay608
i thought that google is trying to eliminate the use of the sync program?

Weasel
Premium Member
join:2001-12-03
Minnesota

Weasel

Premium Member

said by tomdlgns:

i thought that google is trying to eliminate the use of the sync program?

Same. I thought they had EOLed that a while ago.

urbanriot
Premium Member
join:2004-10-18
Canada

urbanriot

Premium Member

EOL'd, discontinued, etc., removed the download but it still works if you have it.
tomdlgns
Premium Member
join:2003-03-21

tomdlgns

Premium Member

will it continue to work with new versions of outlook? i wouldn't want to introduce EOL software in a production environment.

jay608
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jay608

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I was talking about google apps sync. Not the calendar sync that was EOL'd. but I did find a partial solution to what I was looking to accomplish. I am forcing the pst file to move to a different directory, and then via registry, I am importing that profile registry key to the current users.

Its a back ended way to do it, but it works.
tomdlgns
Premium Member
join:2003-03-21

tomdlgns

Premium Member

I thought the google sync program synced the calendar events and contacts?

jay608
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jay608

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You are correct tom it does.. Here is the link to the program that we are using.

»tools.google.com/dlpage/ ··· appssync - This one is far from EOL, considering its for paying customers =)
tomdlgns
Premium Member
join:2003-03-21

tomdlgns

Premium Member

yeah, that is the one i am talking about. i also installed it for someone using google apps, that is when i read about the EOL. unless it is EOL for gmail users but not google apps users?

thanks.

jay608
Going Nucking Futs
join:2007-01-22
Homewood, IL

jay608

Member

I think you are thinking for just google users. AFAIK they are keeping the app updated for paying customers, but if I were to try and install and use for my personal it wouldn't work.
tomdlgns
Premium Member
join:2003-03-21

tomdlgns

Premium Member

»support.google.com/a/ans ··· 36?hl=en

yup, it looks like google apps is fine, it is for gmail users.

thanks for clearing that up, i guess i did read it wrong.

with that being said, other protocols are available for gmail users.

michieru
Premium Member
join:2009-07-25
Denver, CO

michieru to jay608

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to jay608
You lost me between a shared google account that support desk monitors and students using domain credentials to login.

Are you in need of a Helpdesk solution that reads a inbox and creates tickets or having Outlook access one inbox?

You could always switch to IMAP for Outlook without the need of a PST file and have Google still retain email for record purposes.

exocet_cm
Writing
Premium Member
join:2003-03-23
Brooklyn, NY

exocet_cm to jay608

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to jay608
I'm in the same boat as mich here. Is this for ticket monitoring and generation or a shared account for multiple users?

If a shared account for multiple users, ditch that .pst BS and put all the clients on IMAP for that one email address.

I'm using Google Apps for Education and for Business with four different companies and it work's great. No messing around with a .pst file though.

jay608
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jay608

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we have a help desk solution in place. This is literally for monitoring a single email account on multiple computers.

Unfortunately - switching to IMAP is not an option because the manager adds contacts to that email account via the web interface on occasion, among adding other items the sync.

If it were up to me I would have moved them off the sync program and onto IMAP and not even diddled around with this. Personally this would be better on exchange, and added to the users as a secondary mailbox. But we no longer use exchange..

exocet_cm
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Brooklyn, NY

exocet_cm

Premium Member

said by jay608:

Unfortunately - switching to IMAP is not an option because the manager adds contacts to that email account via the web interface on occasion, among adding other items the sync.

That really sucks man.