Any Microsoft Outlook gurus around

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
T

Texatdurango

Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2007
Messages
4,649
Location
Show Low, Arizona
I've been putting up with a problem for years and wonder if there is a way to fix it.

I use Microsoft Outlook. I have it loaded on my home PC, and my laptop. I check three email accounts and it works just fine accessing all my mail from either machine.

My problem is that when we travel, all the mail is delivered to my laptop and is kept in it's .pst file on the laptop drive. When I return home I start using my PC again and have no access to the mail on the laptop. It's frustrating looking for an old mail message KNOWING that I have it somewhere only to realize it's on the laptop which I keep in the RV or be on a trip and need a message on the home PC. We often travel for months so quite a bit of email is on the laptop.

The question: Is there a way to somehow sync the .pst files from both machines so when we prepare to depart the laptop will have ALL the mail on it and upon returning home ALL the laptop mail can be moved back to the PC?
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
There is a setting to turn on where you can leave a copy of the email on the server. When you download it to your laptop it leaves the server. Go to the tools then accounts and then click on the Advanced tab and at the bottom should be something that you click to leave a copy on the server. You always check the box where it says to delete it when you delete from your computer as well.
 
the file you are looking for is in a hidden folder. If you open an explorer and just type the address yourself you can then copy the pst file on to a thumb drive and switch it back and forth. It will either be outlook.pst or archive.pst?

c:\documents and settings\ your profile name here \application data\microsoft\outlook

to add this file to your 'current computer' you will go to control panel then mail, you'll have to create a roaming profile for mail... then click data files and point your mail to the thumbdrive. DON'T COPY IT, leave it on the thumbdrive and then do the same to the desktop computer when you get home. HTH.
 
There is a setting to turn on where you can leave a copy of the email on the server.
Click to expand...
This is the method you would use in Outlook express. Your pretty good just to know this.. I can see I won't be getting any of your PC repair dollars! Shucks... foiled again.
 
Pen Maker,

Not sure if I read your reply right but to me it implies that Seer's tip only works on Outlook Express. I don't use this feature but it is available in Outlook 2003 as well.
 
You can do the same thing in Outlook it is jsut a little different.
Go to Tools, then email accounts and make sure the change or view email is checked. Click next Highlight the account you want to change and then click on Change and then you will see a button marked More Settings which you need to click on then another screen pops up and you can click on the advanced tab and set it up there.
 
Without qualifying the answer with more questions, which office, what service packs etc. I gave the shortest, quickest answer I could. In Office 20003 and later this option is in a setup dialog. In Office 2000 and earlier it isn't, It is a different set of dialogs even between 2003 and 2007.

The better answer I could have given would have been to ask WHY aren't you just using HTML mail from ALL the mail hosts? You always leave the mail on the server by default and you get virus protection scanning of attachments. HTH.
 
Seer said:
You can do the same thing in Outlook it is jsut a little different.
Go to Tools, then email accounts and make sure the change or view email is checked. Click next Highlight the account you want to change and then click on Change and then you will see a button marked More Settings which you need to click on then another screen pops up and you can click on the advanced tab and set it up there.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that. I've been wondering how to do that. I thought the setting needed to be made on the server side, didn't realize it could be made through Outlook.
 
Seer said:
You can do the same thing in Outlook it is jsut a little different.
Go to Tools, then email accounts and make sure the change or view email is checked. Click next Highlight the account you want to change and then click on Change and then you will see a button marked More Settings which you need to click on then another screen pops up and you can click on the advanced tab and set it up there.
Click to expand...



I use this feature on my laptop so the emails will download to my desktop when I get home. I also select the option to "Remove from server when deleted from deleted items". I move anything I don't want to see again into the deleted folder and delete them from the deleted folder each day. This way I don't have to wade through as much un-needed massages when I return home.

George, If you need help, bring your laptop with you on the 28th.

Thanks
Mike
 
brez said:
I use this feature on my laptop so the emails will download to my desktop when I get home. I also select the option to "Remove from server when deleted from deleted items". I move anything I don't want to see again into the deleted folder and delete them from the deleted folder each day. This way I don't have to wade through as much un-needed massages when I return home.

George, If you need help, bring your laptop with you on the 28th.

Thanks
Mike
Click to expand...
So if I understand this correctly, let's say you're on a trip for a month and read 100 messages from your laptop. With the "Leave a copy of messages on server" checked on the laptop, the messages are still on the server and when you launch your PC's mail, they all download as if you never read them, right?

I think this is the way I'll go, I hope my server doesn't have a maximum limit as to how many messages I can store on the server.
 
Texatdurango said:
So if I understand this correctly, let's say you're on a trip for a month and read 100 messages from your laptop. With the "Leave a copy of messages on server" checked on the laptop, the messages are still on the server and when you launch your PC's mail, they all download as if you never read them, right?

I think this is the way I'll go, I hope my server doesn't have a maximum limit as to how many messages I can store on the server.
Click to expand...

George,

Yes, with one caveat, some service providers do not allow you to leave the messag on the server. You will have to try it to be sure.

Mike
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom