BorisS wrote:

If I set up a public shared folder on our Exchange server, then add
it to favorites, then set favorites as an address book, and indicate
that this favorites shared contacts folder is the folder which I want
checked first in my address book options, will that trigger
Activesync to pick that folder with which to sync?

No.

Also, is there a way to mark contacts put into the public folder as
private, by the individual placing them there?

Doesn't that sort of violate the purpouse of a PUBLIC folder?
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]