Stopping PST's from being made 1

[Rori]

We're implimenting an Exchange server, and we'd like to make PST's a thing of the past. I'd like to be able to (at worst) Lock out PST's from being created, modified, or used at all or (at best), just lock out users from adding to, or creating new PST files.

I know there are LOADS of if's but's and however's, but most of them have been solved, or thought about, and this is the prickly one giving me trouble at the moment.

Would love any feedback, links, or advice you can offer.

 

[markdmac]

I would advise this is not a very realistic goal. You will certainly want to import any exisiting email and contacts etc into your Exchange server which will remove the need for any existing PST files. However you will still need to address archiving which by default creates a PST file within the users Windows Profile.



I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

 

[zbnet]

If you're serious about stopping users from creating new PSTs (and that is a legitimate policy if you manage it properly) then you need the DisablePST key that can be added to the registry.

http://www.windowsitpro.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=40961&DisplayTab=Article

has all the gory details.

 

[markdmac]

I'll again stress that unless you are managing mailbox sizes and willing to archive data for your users, I don't think this is a god course of action. I will however provide you with the following if you are determined to go down this path.

[green]
'==========================================================================
'
' VBScript Source File --
'
' NAME: DisablePST.vbs
'
' AUTHOR: Mark D. MacLachlan , The Spiders Parlor
' URL: [URL unfurl="true"]http://www.thespidersparlor.com[/URL]
' DATE  : 11/28/2005
'
' COMMENT: 
'
'==========================================================================[/green]



On error resume next

Dim path, Outlook, OutlookVer

Set WSHShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
[green]'Get the Outlook Major Version[/green]
Set Outlook = CreateOBject("Outlook.Application")
OutlookVer = Outlook.Version
If Left(OutlookVer,1) <> 1 Then
  OutlookVer = Left(OutlookVer,3)
Else
  OutlookVer = Left(OutlookVer,4)
End If
Outlook.Quit
Set Outlook = Nothing 

[green]'Now set the registry key to not allow PST files[/green]
path = "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\"& OutlookVer &"\Outlook\"

WSHShell.RegWrite path,"DisablePST"
[green]Set the value to 0 to allow PST files.[/green]
WSHShell.RegWrite path & "\DisablePST","1", "REG_DWORD"

If err then
	msgbox "Outlook Configuration Error Encountered, Please Contact Your Administrator"
End if

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

 

[Rori]

zbnet - Thanks for your post. The doco was useful and pretty clear in what was happening.

Mark - Again, thank you for your post. You've helped me out before and your advice isn't something I'll pass on. I'll be printing this out, and the article from zbnet and putting some decent weight on my proposal. That being we find a better way to manage pst's rather than try to block them outright.

Thanks for posting. You're always helpful!

Rori