Synchronize Outlook with Entourage

[cscgal]

I have a Windows XP machine with Microsoft Outlook XP on the same LAN as an iMac running Jaguar with Microsoft Entourage X. Samba is currently set up to share files between the two computers with no problem. Is it possible to synchronize my address book, e-mail, and calendar among the two Microsoft applications? I currently use Totalidea's OutsourceXP ( http://www.totalidea.com/frameset-outsource.htm ) to create regular Outlook backups on my XP machine.

[samaru]

The easiest and cleanest way is if you had Exchange Server. Someone told me Exchange Server includes a web based version of Outlook. Here are some dirty ways you can try:
http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/sync.htm

I seriously would like to know what version of Outlook this is:
http://63.99.220.20/lycos/step/1,,71+26233+10688,00.html

[Tekmaven]

This is Microsoft Exchange 2003's Web Access:
http://tekmaven.dizla.com/outlookweb.jpg

[cscgal]

That's really cool, but I really don't want to do something web-based like that. I'd really like to just import my Outlook data into Entourage.

[hzink]

That's really cool, but I really don't want to do something web-based like that. I'd really like to just import my Outlook data into Entourage.

Yeah, the typical answers by those who totally misunderstood what you really wanted to do :-)

Well, welcome Microsoft's excellent support for cross-platforms - NOT!

Unfortunately, WinOutlook and MacOutlook use very different databses to store all of their information in, so right out of the box, you really can't do what you want :-(

On the other hand, if your mail is on an IMAP server, you can connect from either platform via IMAP. Regarding synchronizing your Contacts - Palm can come to the rescue, if you have some Palm device. Just synch to your Palm on both, and you have your contacts ion order. The same might work with your calendar as well. Yeah, annoyingly complicated, but it can be done.

Hope this helps. Maybe the next version of Entourage will offer more compatibility.

Harry

[jeffreycrogers]

It's ridiculous how difficult this appears to be, but apparently it is. And until recently it was much harder. Here's what I've been able to find:

Apparently the latest version of Mozilla will extract Outlook mails, turning them into MBOX (plain text) files. See: < http://weblog.infoworld.com/udell/2002/06/28.html >. It will also extract contact info into plain text files.

Entourage should then be able to import the resulting MBOX files. Not sure how well it will handle a large number of files. You might need to write an AppleScript to tell Entourage to import what Mozilla produces.

Good luck and please tell us of your results. (I'm interested in this myself.)

-- Jeff Rogers

[cscgal]

Sorry I haven't gotten back to this thread sooner. I've been very busy lately and have yet to try your suggestion. The thing is, I already have a program to back-up and export Microsoft Outlook to a number of formats (Outsource XP). While your suggestion may be a bit tedious, it would make sense if moving from a Windows platform to a Mac and not wanting to lose data. However, I currently use both computers frequently (i.e. work and play), and I'm looking for more of a continuous synchronization type deal.

[ClintLugert]

So then. I am running Outlook 2000 (Sp-3) at work on XP and Running Entourage at home on my Mac on OS 10.2.8.

I just want to transfer contacts. There has got to be some way to export to a .CSV (DOS delimited?) or a vCard or some magic file format and then import that file into my Mac via Address Book, or Mail, or Entourage... right?

Seriously... I'm with cscgal, this can't possibly be this difficult. How absurd.
I'm not even looking to dynamically keep it updated, just a nice big import one time. ;)

Anybody?

[AntaeusInd]

Hi, it seems rather difficult to comprehend that two microsoft products can not talk to each other. I have the same problem (of trying to transfer data from outlook 2002 on XP Prof. to entourage) and i have been struggling to no avail. Seems that this is a regular grouse and there is no foolproof way to move the information. I did try .CSV but it only moved a part of the information. Also, if one tries to move contact information thru Vcards then its only possible, one card at a time :-(
If anyone has a solution, i am VERY interested.

[AntaeusInd]

Hi all
just found this link on the microsoft site, am still to check it, but one of you could try it and let me know the results.
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/entouragex/using.aspx?pid=usingentouragex&type=howto&article=/mac/LIBRARY/feature_articles/officex/en_import_contacts.xml
Luck!!!

[p4rvez]

Try this link, haven't tried it yet.
http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2002/06/21/outlook_applescript.html

[henkster]

Just got my G5 today. Doing pretty well so far
Transferred all my data from the other networked PC's, Synchronized my mobile with a bit of a struggle using iSync and found some pretty useful software that will sync to Entourage as well - you may know about this already... www.pocketmac.net/products/gobetween/indexg.html

I also found an Outlook to Entourage transfer tool [which I can't buy yet, because Paypal doesn't support South-African CCards] but I'll find someone who can help me buy it.
www.littlemachines.com

I see that you had the same issues with transferring, but the discussion thread seems to have stopped earlier this year - has anyone found a way to keep networked Outlook and Entourage synchronized after an initial transfer?

[bristol_welsh]

I've had to resort to the "bridge" method.

This gets a little complex, but stay with me.

I use a product called Cardscan as a tool for importing contact details (it can scan business cards as well as let you manually enter addresses) This only runs on a PC (in my case a desktop running XP) Now I also run two laptops, a Tosh also running XP and a PowerBook G4 running OS X (10.3)

I use Outlook as a mail app and also want all my contact/apps etc "sync'd"

It gets worse, I also have an iPAQ and a "Smart" phone. I got sick and tired of numbers/adresses being on one device but not the other/s.

Here's how it works.

CardScan has a web service where you can store your database, I use this to sync two versions of CardScan, one on each XP machine. The local CardScan then sync's with Outlook on both machines. Outlook syncs with iPAQ via Active Sync (and with SonyEricsson CellPhone via supplied app) I use PocketMac to sync iPAQ to Entourage on the Powerbook.

That's appointments and contacts taken care of.

As far as mail is concerned, all devices point at the same accounts (4 email accounts) all are set to "leave copy on server" apart from the desktop machine which is set to download and delete very seven days (on a Sunday)

They all sync (with the correct rules in place) in a few minutes. I now know I have the same mail/contacts/apps on

A desktop
A Tosh (XP)
A Mac
An iPAQ
and a Sony Ericsson P910i
(with a back up of the contacts database on a third party web server)

PS One thing that did prove essential was a good "duplicate scanner" I use an Outlook plugin from "You Software" to scan both copies of Outlook for duplicate contacts/appointments/mail etc.

[annabeau]

Sorry I haven't gotten back to this thread sooner. I've been very busy lately and have yet to try your suggestion. The thing is, I already have a program to back-up and export Microsoft Outlook to a number of formats (Outsource XP). While your suggestion may be a bit tedious, it would make sense if moving from a Windows platform to a Mac and not wanting to lose data. However, I currently use both computers frequently (i.e. work and play), and I'm looking for more of a continuous synchronization type deal.

Hi,
I just came across this thread and am wondering if and how you got this issue resolved. I too wish to synchronize Outlook on a PC running Windows XP with Entourage on a MAC OSX. What was the final outcome???
Cheers!

[mike4va]

Try www.4team.biz . They have a tool that will allow you to create a file with all of your contacts as vCards, which can be imported into Entourage. I tried the trial - it works, but is limited to 5 contacts at a time. You'll have to buy it to do more than that. Looks like it should work for one time migration of your contacts. Ongoing synchronization between the two platforms is a different problem.

[algorhythm]

Don't you just love it when someone revives a dead thread....? :cheesy: I'm hoping someone has made some progress on this.....

My primary machine is a T-Book running OS 10.4.x, using Entourage 2004.
My secondary machine runs XP, with Outlook 2000.
I use a Win-based smartphone as a PIM.

My biggest issue is the lack of support for syncing the phone with the Mac. I use PocketMac, but it doesn't do Inbox sync. The only other app I've found is Missing Sync, which doesn't appear to be all that much different functionally.

To make matters worse, I'm about to switch to a WM5 smartphone, and neither company seems to know when they'll get around to supporting it. :rolleyes:

Porting addresses and calendar in either direction as a one-time or occasional chore is do-able using PocketMac. And I've lived without Inbox support, using PocketMac and Entourage.

But now it seems if I want to sync my new phone, I'll need to do it on the Win machine....so I need an easy, painless way to sync Entourage and Outlook on a daily basis.

Is this still as impossible as it was a year or two ago?

[Ebzz]

I have a Windows XP machine with Microsoft Outlook XP on the same LAN as an iMac running Jaguar with Microsoft Entourage X. Samba is currently set up to share files between the two computers with no problem. Is it possible to synchronize my address book, e-mail, and calendar among the two Microsoft applications? I currently use Totalidea's OutsourceXP ( http://www.totalidea.com/frameset-outsource.htm ) to create regular Outlook backups on my XP machine.

I HAVE SUCCEFULLY IMPORTED OUTLOOK TO ENTOURAGE SEVERAL TIMES FOLLOWING THIS STEPS.

1. On the PC, install THUNDERBIRD -MOZILLA- and make sure the email option is installed as well (i.e. not browser only).

2. In THUNDERBIRD Mail, select Tools, Import, and then select the Mail radio button. Select Outlook from the next dialog box and your Outlook email will be imported (email will remain within the correct folders).

3. In Windows 2000, your mail folders will be created as files located in Documents and Settings/username/Application Data/Mozilla/Profiles folder somewhere (there may be a few more levels under this). The files we want HAVE NO EXTENSION -just use this-. Add a .mbox extension to these.
. Copy the .mbox files to the desktop of your Mac (using a network is easier, although burning them on to a CD will work too). For easier management, add them to a desktop folder called 'Imported mail' or something similar. Files with a .mbox extension will be shown with a mailbox icon.

5. On the Mac, drag each .mbox icon (i.e. each folder you used in Outlook) from the desktop to Entourage or its icon in the Dock, and click Import on the dialog box that appears.

6. Repeat step 5 for each .mbox file you want to import into Entourage.

This procedure will successfully move your email from Outlook to Entourage on the Mac.
THE INSTRUCTIONS WITH GRAPHICS IN THIS LINK http://www.riches.com.au/articles/export-outlook-entourage.htm

GOOD LUCK

[Ebzz]

Acctually there's a second option using "Outlook2Mac" that'll cost you, but I havent tried it.
Find it at
http://www.littlemachines.com/

[Cobyr]

Just Purchased O2M (formerly Outlook2Mac), and am processing several years with of emails, and my contacts. I'll post an update when the process is complete.

[Takuan]

I have a Windows XP machine with Microsoft Outlook XP on the same LAN as an iMac running Jaguar with Microsoft Entourage X. Samba is currently set up to share files between the two computers with no problem. Is it possible to synchronize my address book, e-mail, and calendar among the two Microsoft applications? I currently use Totalidea's OutsourceXP ( http://www.totalidea.com/frameset-outsource.htm ) to create regular Outlook backups on my XP machine.

Old thread, but still worth knowing...

You essentially have two choices:
1). Store your data on a shared server.
2). Use Outlook 98 or 2000 on the PC and set up Net Folders to share the info you'd like to keep in sync.
This is also worth looking at: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/sync.htm

HTH.