Trouble with outlook over a VPN

drainey

Have any of you experienced issues with Outlook working over a VPN when the email file resides on a server instead of locally on the laptop.

I have a laptop for the CFO that doesn't seem to play well with her Outlook. If she tries to use Outlook it opens fine and will bring in the new mail, but then she can't open the new mail and Outlook locks up requiring a scan when she tries to reopen it. Her .pst file is 1.6 GB which is of course a problem but she's the CFO so thanks to office politics I have to tiptoe around that issue.

I have set her up with a Terminal Service session on a TS Server and Outlook runs fine from there over the VPN.

Just curious if anyone has any ideas about this one (or work arounds) as she would prefer to use Outlook form the laptop without going through the TS Server.

Thanks!!

jim_stasz

Cache Exchange Mode. It copies the mail file (OST file) to the local machine and sync's in back round. We've got 6000+ clients running exchange this way. The OST file pukes on itself every now and then. You just take the client out of cache exchange mode, delete the OST file, and then put the client back into cache exchange mode.

drainey

Thanks. I'll give it a whirl.

TeKniques

We experienced this problem as well where I work. I have not tried what Jim suggested, but what I did to fix the problem was upgrade Exchange 2003 to SP2.

In fact this exact problem is listed in the Exchange 2003 SP2 release notes to be fixed after the update.

drainey

Well I'm currently working on getting permission to set up a trial exchange server to test solutions for issues like this.

I'm running into alot of brick walls though as our email is currently handled with UNIX servers (administered by the directors husband). She's cool and willing to listen but he is in good with the owner so it's a cat and mouse game at the moment. If I could convince the CFO to put her (PST) email file on her laptop locally and my boss to let me set it up to be backed up every night we'd be fine. I have 60 laptops in the field with reps that run Outlook over the VPN this way and no problems. The issue seems to be with having her pst file on a server and not locally on her laptop when she comes in over VPN. But she doesn't want to take the risk that her HD fails and she loses all her email.

So round and round we go. Thanks for the suggestions and if I get anywhere I'll let you know.