Workaround To Sync PST Calendar with Exchange Calendar

Outlook alone is a great standalone client for emailing and personal information storage. However, it works as an individual and can only send and receive data; there is no exact procedure of ‘sharing’ data on an Outlook platform alone. However, client server collaboration brings in the platform to share data with users of the same domain. Exchange server usage has become the backbone of enterprises and businesses worldwide for the state quality rendered on a large scale. This client will be explaining the procedure to sync PST calendar with Exchange Calendar as a method of further sharing it with other users of the server forest. 

Why Share Components Anyway?

What could be the reason for sharing Outlook data when you can exchange is via send/receive?

Despite the available methods or workarounds, Outlook users want data sharing because of the limits of their data. Outlook generates a proprietary format file for its profile data storage, i.e. PST (Personal Storage Table).

The Problem: PST files are a proprietary and restricted to an individual’s use only. Unlike a shared folder on Exchange platform, there is not one in Outlook thus; a PST can only be used by its owner and no one else in ‘sharing’. PST files are not designed or structured to support a shared access. It is the case with a Personal Address Book, which inherits the same traits thus, cannot be read by two different people at the same time.

NOTE: You cannot share and entire calendar via send/receive, instead send a meeting request or so, to someone as part of notifying them about the same.

Share Outlook Calendar with Exchange Calendar via Synchronization

The component sharing option is integrated in Outlook already. However, the only condition to be fulfilled is that Exchange Server environment connectivity is mandatory. The following section shares highlights on steps to be followed for sharing calendar, which lets you, know how to sync PST calendar with Exchange Calendar.

NOTE: Applies to Outlook 2010 version.

Conditions: You along with the user with whom the calendar has to be shared must have Microsoft Exchange accounts in the same network domain. The calendar(s) shared are only visible to those users who have been assigned the permission to do so.

NOTE: If you try to view the other person’s calendar even though the permission hasn’t been assigned to you, Outlook prompts you automatically to ask for the same.

To share calendar:

1. Open the Calendar component on Outlook and go to the Home tab (if not open)
2. In the Share group of the tab click on Share Calendar button to begin
3. On the Sharing Invitation screen, specify the user’s name to whom the calendar has to be shared in the ‘To’ box provided.
4. Enter or choose other options to make customization according to your requirement just like you do when sending a message through Outlook.

Sync PST Calendar with Exchange Calendar: Result

Once you are done with sharing, the recipient on their end will get an email notification for the same, which states that ‘you have shared your calendar. In addition, you can also request the recipient to share their Exchange Calendar with you for viewing.

Conclusion:

As we have discussed about how to sync PST calendar with Exchange calendar in this article. Calendars that are shared once automatically are listed in the Shared Calendar list in the Navigation Pane, which offers easy accessibility. If you require sharing a calendar despite the fact that it isn’t your default Calendar, you can share particular calendar from the navigation pane using the Share Calendar Name option. If Exchange Server is not available, there are other methods available too for synchronizing calendar or sharing it from Outlook. One of the most suggested solution is the use of a third party commercial Exchange import tool to synchronize PST Calendar with Exchange Calendar.