importing autocomplete in Outlook 2010 from 2003 with complicating Google factor

I had a weird situation where I was taking an autocomplete database from Outlook 2003 to Outlook 2010 where the account was on Google Apps.

When you set up a Google Apps account, it pulls down an autocomplete database from the Google Apps account (presumably the autocomplete that exists from when you use webmail).  But if you were primarily using Outlook (2003 in this case), there is a much larger autocomplete database that you need to add.

You're supposed to be able follow the methods listed here, but they weren't working for me using the NK2 file I had and trying to bring them into Outlook 2010:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/980542

What I ended up doing was creating a POP account that allowed me to to import the NK2 file (in my case, I put the NK2 file in the appropriate location \appdata\roaming\microsoft\outlook and created an Outlook profile with a POP account with the same name and it imported automatically).  With that, I had NK2 file in the autocomplete stream file.

I tried several times to rename the existing autocomplete stream file with the stream file with no success.  The file would revert back to an 1 KB file with no autocomplete data.  I can't explain, but I just kept trying and eventually, one time of renaming the stream file with the data I wanted with the name that was associated with Outlook worked.  I can't explain what I did differently, but I just kept trying (with the ocassional reboot) and it worked.

setting up Outlook to sync with a Google Apps account

If you have a Google Apps Premier or Education account, Google provides a plug-in to keep Outlook synced with your Google Apps account. It keeps your calendar, contacts, and email sycned with the Google servers. That way - any content you have in Outlook will also be available in webmail and vice versa (and any other computers you sync to Google will also have that data).

Here's how you set up the Google Apps plug-in:

step 1:

Run the Google Apps plug-in from here:

http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gappssync

(click on Download Google Apps Sync)

step 2:

If the Google Apps Sync doesn't run automatically, run it manually like this:

Step 3:

Enter your full email address and password like this.

Step 4:

Click "create profile" (ignore the other options unless specifically told to use them)

Step 5:

Click on Start Microsoft Outlook

Step 6:

Click on OK to choose your Google Apps profile in Outlook (it'll always default to your Google Apps profile):

setting up a Blackberry on Google Apps (with current Enterprise Activation)

This post will guide you on how to set up your Blackberry with your new Google Apps server.

Your phone was originally installed using a different kind of server - Blackberry Enterprise Server - and we have "wipe" your phone to remove those Blackberry Enterprise Server settings.

If you have anything other than email/contacts/calendar that you want to keep – please touch base with your system administrator to help back up your phone (this would typically be things like music or pictures). If the only content on your Blackberry is your company data then we can continue.

Step 1:

First, we wipe the Blackberry.

Click Options > Security Options > General Settings > Click the trackwheel/trackball on the Password field > Select “Wipe Handheld“ Type in blackberry when prompted.

A youtube video showing the wipe process is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRt9eXb0NW8&feature=related

Step 2:

Download the Google mail for Blackberry application.

To download the email app, in the web browser on the BB, go to www.gmail.com

Near the top of the screen, you should see an icon for “get faster gmail” - click on that

Download the gmail application and install it.

It’ll probably put the gmail application in the applications group on your BB. I’d recommend moving the gmail app to your main screen.

Open the gmail app and log in with your email address and your password.

It’ll download all your Google Apps email currently in your inbox.

Step 3:

Download Google Sync for the Blackberry.

In the web browser on your BB, go to http://m.google.com/sync

Download the app and install it. It’ll probably be located in applications after you install it. Sign in with your email address and password and tell it to sync your calendar and contacts.

That should be it.

Please contact your system administrator if you have any questions.

google app migration thoughts from small Exchange domain

I did my second organization wide (only 8 users) migration from Exchange to Google Apps over the weekend, and I thought I'd just summarize what I saw what I think are best practices for a migration.

1) Check with necessary staff to make sure you have a complete list of all mailboxes, aliases, and distribution lists you need.

2) Create all accounts before any other processes.

3) investigate the size of mailboxes you are migrating. One of the mailboxes I was migrating was 11.5 GB (he intentionally didn't want it to archive). It took 70 hours to download and upload using my home FIOS. In my case, I would rather have gotten his Exchange data on the LAN instead of the 33 hours it took to download the data from the server. I'd say it's pretty important to plan bandwidth utilization as it's very easy to choke up the bandwidth with a large upload. Ideally, you're uploading one mailbox at a time over the fastest upstream internet connection you have available to you.

4) alter the MX records (ideally on a Friday night)

5) wait at least 12 hours for DNS records to change so all mailboxes on the Exchange server are static and are not longer receiving an email

6) begin uploading data from the fastest internet connection possible - or multiple connections - if you can - I've had one instance where I've had trouble with the Google Sync for Outlook - https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gappssync - though I still think it's the preferred tool. Another option for uploading mail, which doens't seem any quicker and still allows you to upload only one mailbox at a time is the Google Apps Migration for Microsoft Outlook tool here - http://tools.google.com/dlpage/outlookmigration. The problem I had with the migration for Outlook tool was that it wasn't naming the labels/folders correctly. If you had a label folder of Inbox/General - it showed up as PSTNAME/Inbox/General and not as a subfolder of inbox. Strange - though easily fixed. I guess the real difference between the two is whether an admin is doing it or if it's being done on the user's computer. On an admin's computer, he/she can use the Google migration tool to upload a PST file while he/she has his own Outlook open. For a user on his/her computer, you'd want Google Apps sync so Outlook would be usable while the data is uploading. Though from personal experience, you don't want people uploading data during the daytime. It can completely choke off your upstream bandwidth.

7) emulate functionality as best you can of Outlook using these options:

a) enable iphones to use ActiveSync -> as a Google admin -> Service Settings -> Mobile -> Turn on Google Sync

a) set up iphones using this link for instructions - http://www.google.com%2fsupport%2fmobile%2fbin%2fanswer.py%3fanswer%3d138740%26topic%3d14252

c) enable calendar sharing using these instructions - http://mail.google.com/support/a/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=170958

d) enable users to allow delegation of their accounts - as a Google admin -> Service Settings -> Email -> Let users delegate access to their mailbox to others in the domain. (of note - this seems to be available in the premier version but not the education edition as of 11/15/10)

e) tell users how to delegate their mailboes using these instructions - http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=170957

8) make sure each computer is set up properly with Outlook configured for the google apps account (using Google Apps Sync at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gappssync). Set it up as the default profile and also rename the NK2 file so that the autofill address book is retained.

a) be aware that the autofill address book will contain some old Exchange specific addresses that will fail when sending from google apps. As such, it's probably best practice to manually open a new message on the computer and delete each user on the Exchange/Google server since each entry was probably an X400 address and wouldn't work on the Google Apps server and will just cause confusion.

Google Apps upgrade impressions

Today, I took a 7 person company and moved them from a shared Linux/POP server to Google Apps. Once I got the process down, it was super easy.

Presuming that you want to keep Outlook in use or use the gmail webmail as your primary interface (which is what it sounds like Google wants you to do), you start the same way.

Start with the Google Apps Sync for Outlook:
https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gappssync

Just install that, log in, choose a new profile. and then import and choose the old Outlook profile where all the data is. It'll take a minute before it starts importing, but it'll do it.

This is really the best method. I tried to do an import from a PST file, but that failed several times. The google email updater is also an option, but that requires Outlook to be closed, so it's not convenient for a user to work on while the uploading process is happening.

I also had to set up three Blackberries. Setting up Google sync (which does wireless syncing of calendar and contacts only) was super easy. Just go to this site on the BB, log in, and that's it:
http://m.google.com/sync

But what was weird was the Google Mail app for Blackberries. You can get that here on the BB:
http://m.google.com/mail

On the Storm, I was able to get the Google icon to appear. On the 8800 and the 9630, I downloaded and installed the mail app, but there was no Google Mail icon. I installed again. Nothing. So instead, I set up those two BBs with IMAP accounts.

First, I had to enable IMAP. You can't do that on an individual's Google settings. It must be done from an admin's console.

Here's how you enable IMAP company-wide:

Click on Manage this domain
Click on Service settings
On that page, find the check box for "Disable POP and IMAP access for all users in the domain" and UNCHECK that box

Wait 30 minutes and you'll be able to use IMAP to check email for staff on google apps