ACT + Outlook 2007 + PST over the LAN = Huge Mess

ACT + Outlook 2007 + PST over the LAN = Huge Mess

I had some problems with ACT!2009 and Outlook 2007. From Outlook, I kept getting pop-up error message saying that the pst file was locked, probably used in some other terminal. ACT!2009 kept giving me pop-up error message saying something like Act! Value cannot be null. Parameter name:pUnk. What an error message, and who is this pUnk guy, anyway.

So, initially the pst file was stored in the server, so different user can take care the incoming file at a time. True, that Exchange server should be used in this particular case, but somehow they don't want to use it, with many different reason, which I don't agree. The user insisted that they want to have convenience of not having to switch back and forth using different computer. Therefore, pst file stored in server.

When outlook showed error saying that the pst file was locked and being used in other terminal, one thing I had in my mind was, probably that's true. So, I made sure no one else is using it. Still, the error occurred many times.
The error message from ACT was really gave me no clue on what's going on.

After spending a lot of time searching here and there, I came across the following information: Personal folder files are unsupported over a LAN or over a WAN link, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297019

My intuition told me that this must have something to do with the problems we were having. Well, it turned out to be that storing pst file in the server and accessed over the network is a terrible idea.

Once I convinced users that since they don't have Exchange server and pst file is not designed to be used over network, they agree to move the pst files locally. Problem solved.