Can Outlook Keep Personal Data Separate from Work Data?

[echo7tango]

In MS Outlook, is there a way to keep personal data partitioned separately from my work data, and yet when viewing Outlook on my laptop or on my Blackberry still see all the data together in one view so that I don't have to check two calendars, for example? I'm specifically interested in calendar, address book, and notes separate. If I leave my company, I'd want to take my personal data file(s) with me.

[CookingWithGas]

What version of Outlook? Are you on an Exchange Server or is everything local?

One way to do this is with categories. This keeps everything together in existing folders but allows you to use views to filter what you want to look at. Also, when you leave you can export the entire Personal folder and then filter for your personal items afterwards. You will have to manually assign categories to everything, or set up Rules that automatically assign categories based on some criteria. I do this for my calendar items, not in case I leave but so I can color-code the calendar to easily pick out required work meetings vs. optional work meetings vs. personal items.

The other way is to create a second calendar, notes, etc. This keeps them completely separate, although I have no idea if it will sync properly to your BlackBerry if you do that. And it sounds like you explicitly rule this out.

But I'm not sure how you could partition them and keep them together in one view. Kind of mutually exclusive.

[echo7tango]

I am on an exchange server, and I believe it's Outlook 2007 but I'll have to confirm. Categories might be the way to go, I'll play with that; I've never used them. Thanks.

[echo7tango]

Is there a way to export data from PalmPilot's desktop application and then import into Outlook in some category marked "Personal"?

I'm familiar with Palm's export feature, but not with Outlook's import.

[Dewey Finn]

The simplest way is to have two calendar, contact and notes folders, one for corporate stuff and the other for personal stuff.

[CookingWithGas]

Outlook has a fairly robust import mechanism. What data do you want to export from the Palm? I burned through about four Palms so was familiar with the desktop app but it's been a while so I don't remember the details and I don't have it installed anymore. But I think you can export to an Excel file. Then you have to have a way to keep track of what field is in what column; I don't remember if the Palm export provides a row of column headers. Then when you import to Outlook you can match each column in the incoming file to a field in Outlook.

I have Outlook 2010 on this machine but I can check the details for 2007 when I get home tonight if you need more details.

[echo7tango]

Originally Posted by Dewey Finn

The simplest way is to have two calendar, contact and notes folders, one for corporate stuff and the other for personal stuff.

Thanks, but for two calendars that could be a problem because if I have an upcoming dentist appointment or vacation I don't want people scheduling work meetings during that time - those would be in my personal calendar but not in my work calendar, right? How can that be simple? Or am I missing something?

[echo7tango]

Originally Posted by CookingWithGas

Outlook has a fairly robust import mechanism. What data do you want to export from the Palm? I burned through about four Palms so was familiar with the desktop app but it's been a while so I don't remember the details and I don't have it installed anymore. But I think you can export to an Excel file. Then you have to have a way to keep track of what field is in what column; I don't remember if the Palm export provides a row of column headers. Then when you import to Outlook you can match each column in the incoming file to a field in Outlook.

I have Outlook 2010 on this machine but I can check the details for 2007 when I get home tonight if you need more details.

Address book exports to Excel, I'm certain of that. I'm not sure of calendar and memo pad / notes. Those are what I need to export.

Again, I still have to confirm that I have Outlook 2007. I'm not at the office yet and I left my laptop there.

[Dewey Finn]

Originally Posted by echo7tango

Thanks, but for two calendars that could be a problem because if I have an upcoming dentist appointment or vacation I don't want people scheduling work meetings during that time - those would be in my personal calendar but not in my work calendar, right? How can that be simple? Or am I missing something?

Well, you can record the time of the dental appointment as busy in the work calendar.

[anson2995]

You can do this with google, by keeping a separate google calendar for personal events and having it import your work calendar from outlook.

[echo7tango]

Originally Posted by Dewey Finn

Well, you can record the time of the dental appointment as busy in the work calendar.

Therefore, I'd have to maintain two calendars?

[echo7tango]

Originally Posted by anson2995

You can do this with google, by keeping a separate google calendar for personal events and having it import your work calendar from outlook.

Does Google Calendar require that I always have an internet connection to see my calendar? I want the info loaded locally, so that my handheld device will show me the latest info even without i-net connectivity. Later when connectivity is restored, then the data can synch up - and that's okay with me.

But, I want my data (calendar, address book, notes) available locally on my Blackberry.

[Dewey Finn]

Originally Posted by echo7tango

Therefore, I'd have to maintain two calendars?

You may need to. I record things like dental appointments and vacations in my Outlook calendar on my corporate email box. (Well, dental appointments anyhow. I usually don't forget about vacations.) But I also record them in a shared calendar used by all members of my team so that we can all see who will be out and when.

[echo7tango]

Confirmed - I am running Outlook 2007 at work.

One thing about Palm that I liked was that I could back up my data files: address.dat, datebook.dat, and memopad.dat. Any time I needed to revert to an old version of address/calendar/memopad I simply overwrote the existing .dat file with an older one.

I also liked that those files resided locally on my workstation/laptop, so they weren't easy for I.T. staff/others to get to. Maybe I'm being over paranoid with that, but my private data is, well, private. Yes, I understand anything loaded onto a work computer pretty much belongs to the company. I don't have to make it easy on them, though.
I keep employee salary info, personal notes about employees, even notes if I think I may need to "build an H.R. case" against someone.

And yes, I'm aware the .dat files can be opened with a simple text editor like Notepad.

I haven't had time to play with the Palm export yet today. Address data I have done in the past - to Excel. Easy enough. Datebook and Memopad I haven't, though.

[dracoi]

Originally Posted by echo7tango

Is there a way to export data from PalmPilot's desktop application and then import into Outlook in some category marked "Personal"?

I'm familiar with Palm's export feature, but not with Outlook's import.

It has been a very long time since I exported anything out of Palm Desktop, but...

I think your only solution is to set up categories on the Palm side that don't match categories on the Outlook side. They'll import with the same names that they had on Palm Desktop's side.

[echo7tango]

Sorry, I didn't mean to leave people hanging but I've been sick, so I haven't been to the office. Thanks for the advice and info.

[anson2995]

Originally Posted by echo7tango

Does Google Calendar require that I always have an internet connection to see my calendar? I want the info loaded locally, so that my handheld device will show me the latest info even without i-net connectivity. Later when connectivity is restored, then the data can synch up - and that's okay with me.

But, I want my data (calendar, address book, notes) available locally on my Blackberry.

You can do this. Here are instructions on how to set it up.