Automate Outlook profile creation

[aresgodofwar]

I just setup login scripts for my company so that drives are mapped upon logon as well as printers are install via vbs files.

I'd like to automate Outlook profile creation, but I can't seem to find a lot of information on this. What is the best way to go about this? I'd like to avoid purchasing third party software if possible, my company can't spend a lot of money on this.

Thanks!

[fizban2]

Exchange server 2007 and outlook 2003 is the way to go, i know it costs money but i can't think of a way to do it with 2003 (exchange/outlook)

[aresgodofwar]

we are currently using exchange 2003 and outlook clients versions 2002 and 2003.

I looked up some Microsoft articles about using a prf file, but if i push that out every time, then it will keep making new profiles every time someone signs on to the same computer.

[InTheWayBoy]

You can get around that a few ways...put some kinda registry check in your script before importing the prf. If a profile exists there are certain keys you should be to use in this process. Also, I think there is a way to setup the prf to only create but not modify a profile it it exists, so the first time it would create it but after that it would bypass the prf. I haven't given this enough effort to implement so I might be off on some of that.

[edday]

I've been toying with this at work, but not the exact same thing as you want to do. We already have .prf files generated in the users home drive which is handled by another program(custom) which doesn't allow us to automate it. Now when the user uses another pc the profile no longer exists so we needed to fix it. Keeping in mind that if you keep on loading the prf file it just keeps making profiles i made a script that does the following (don't have it on me at the moment):

• checks if the .prf exists on the users home drive
  
• checks the default profile name (if it's Outlook we have to fix it)
  
• changes some reg keys so that the .prf is loaded when outlook starts next
  

It's all fairly easy to do and can be done in batch script even, but our users have local admin privledges so it makes it straight forward