Custom Startup: Choose your Business Contact Manager database

Business Contact Manager for Outlook stores your business data as records in the Business Contact Manager database that you will create or select in this step.

You can also use this page to disable Business Contact Manager for Outlook and the Startup Wizard for your Outlook profile.

Should you use a local or a remote database?

A local database is stored on the computer that you are currently using. A remote database is stored on a different computer, and must be shared with you before you can use it.

Your options are as follows:

Connect to a Local Database

Click this option if you want to use a database that is on this computer. For example, if you share this computer with another user who has already completed the Startup Wizard, created a database, and shared the database with you, you'd select this option to choose the same database.

Select the database by name in the next step.

Connect to a Remote Database

Click this option to use a database that is on another computer.

Note: Before you can connect to a database that is on a different computer, the database owner must grant you access to the database. Also, if the computer that you are using and the remote computer are not part of the same domain, you must be listed as a user on the remote computer.

Enter the computer name and select the database in the next steps.

Create a New Local Database

Click this option to set up a new, empty database.

You can enter a unique name for the database, or accept the default name, MSSmallBusiness.

Note: You cannot reuse a database name that previously existed on your computer.

I Don't Want to Use Business Contact Manager

Click this option to disable Business Contact Manager for Outlook for your current Outlook profile. You are prompted to confirm your choice. Both Business Contact Manager for Outlook and the Startup Wizard will be disabled for this profile.

Turning off Business Contact Manager for Outlook through this wizard affects only your profile. To turn it off for all users, you must uninstall the feature. For information about removing Business Contact Manager for Outlook, see Remove Business Contact Manager for Outlook 2010.

The location of your Business Contact Manager database

The Business Contact Manager database is a SQL Server database, which has two components: the main database, and the log file for the database.

Where is your Business Contact Manager database stored?

The database files are located in the following folder:

• Windows XP

  In Windows XP, the Business Contact Manager database and log files are stored as follows:

  C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Business Contact Manager\<databasename.mdf>

  where username is the name of the database owner and database name is the name of the Business Contact Manager database.

  Note: You must display hidden files and folders to see some of the files in the path. For information about how to display hidden folders, see Help and Support

  C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Business Contact Manager\<databasename.ldf>

  where username is the name of the database owner and database name is the name of the Business Contact Manager database.

• Windows Vista and Windows 7

  The Business Contact Manager database (.mdf) and log (.ldf) files are stored as follows:

  C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Business Contact Manager\<databasename.mdf>

  where username is the name of the database owner and database name is the name of the Business Contact Manager database.

  Note: You must display hidden files and folders to see some of the files in the path. For information about how to display hidden folders, see Help and Support

  C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Business Contact Manager\<databasename.ldf>

  where username is the name of the database owner and database name is the name of the Business Contact Manager database.