Re: Public folder as default address book

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Brian_Scannell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

If I understand correctly, the implication is that there is no way
for me to get the public folder to synchronise to my Mac and iPhone.
Is that correct?

Nothing is built into Entourage to do that, so I believe the best answer at this point is "no".

That's not to say someone hasn't devised a way to do it but I can't think of any clean way of doing it.

Can I assume this public folder list is for contacts external to your company? (Otherwise, the Global Address List would be the appropriate place for everyone's information.)

It's taken a while to get everyone using the public folder rather
than having their individual contact lists and I don't want to give
up the benefits of a shared contacts list. So is there an alternative
approach that would provide a central contacts list and would work
for both my Windows/Outlook colleagues and allow me to sync to my
various Macs?

I think your efforts to collect all the data in the one location have not been in vain but I don't think trying to sync a public folder contacts list is the best approach.

First, what *will* work?

Entourage does not require that you sync your *default* Contacts. You can actually sync your Entourage Address Book with Apple's Sync Services (allowing you to copy to Apple's Address Book, MobileMe, iPhone, etc.). You simply need to select "Address Book [On My Computer]".

Or you can sync a secondary Exchange Address Book that's *within* your own account.

1. Switch to the Address Book in Entourage and select your Exchange account on the left.

2. Choose File --> New --> Folder...

3. Select your Exchange account again in the Create New Folder window.

4. Notice that the Type drop down menu becomes active. You can now select "Address Book". Give your new address book a name and click the OK button.

Now you have another (empty) address book that you can choose to sync with Sync Services. Keep in mind that this address book will sync to your Exchange Server and your account storage will grow by the number of contacts you're adding. If you're not using your "Address Book [On My Computer]" then you may want to use it instead.

Second, how do you get the Contacts from your public folder contacts list to this new address book or to your "Address Book [On My Computer]"?

You have to add that contacts list to your "Subscribed Public Folders" as you've already done. It now appears under your Exchange account along with all your other address books when you're in the Address Book view in Entourage.

The next step can be simply to select your public folder address book to view all the contacts, use Command-A to select all of them and drag them into your address book that you've set up to sync.

(Incidentally, if you're syncing your iPhone to your Exchange Server via ActiveSync then this extra Exchange address book appears as a new address book on your iPhone too.)

Third, how do you get the public folder contacts list to stay in sync with the address book that you're syncing?

This could possibly be done with an AppleScript but it would have to be complex enough to compare differences between the two lists. If all you're doing is a one-way copy from the public folder list to your syncing address book then it could be a lot easier.

If anyone has already written an AppleScript to sync contacts between two address books then the effort may have already been done. On this I have no idea.

Hope this helps!

--

bill

William M. Smith, Microsoft Interop MVP - Mac/Windows
Entourage Help Page <http://entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>
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