Multiple Accounts Issue - Sending Account

[MostC]

Hello,

Has Microsoft created a way yet to automate the send from account feature? I would think this could be done using multiple data files but I can not find out how.

I have a client who is using Outlook 2002. I was thinking about updating him to 2007 but it looks like you still need to manually select the account to send from or it will automatically use the default. If MS hasn't fixed this yet I may have him switch to Thunderbird. I have not used Thunderbird in a couple of years so hopefully they have a better calendar and contact manager.

If there is no way to do this in outlook is there a way to have the system run multiple versions of Outlook, each with it's own settings and data file? This would also work but not the best solution.

Thanks,

Chris

 

[smah]

Other than manual selection, what criteria will be used to determine which sending account to use? Are you trying have mail with a particular "To" address get sent throught a particular account?

 

[MostC]

Well for example if you have two different accounts, then you setup a data file for the second account. Each account would then have it's own data file to store it's emails in. This works fine in Outlook 2007 and I think it also works for 2003. I know that it does not work in 2002.

I would then think that since the emails are seperated like this, that there should be a way to have each data file have it's own default "send as" account set for each. If this can be done I do not see how but it would be nice.

 

[smah]

That behavior works all the way back to outlook 2000 & OE 6 at least (it's just accessed in a slightly different manner)

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/287072

 

[smah]

I thought that was the behavior that you were trying to avoid.

 

[MostC]

Well this would work as a last resort but then he would need to close one profile and open another to check his two different emails. The best would be based on the data file but it does not look like that will work.

This is why I used to like Thunderbird. You would have different data files each with it's own email settings. Therefore if you where in one folder it would automatically send as the person from that folder. If you click on a different folder it would automatically know the send from account. This way you would not have to move in and out of the program.

I switched to Outlook awhile back because I liked the Contacts Folder design better and the Calendar was much better. Now I have an Exchange Server in house so Outlook is the best fit for me. If they would alter this one thing it would be the best in my opinion, hands down. I will ask my client which he prefers and go from there.

Thanks for the help guys, I really do appreciate it.

Chris

 

[eyec]

this is the exact reason i switched to Thunderbird. the calendar add-in (Lightning) is just as good as Outlook and the contacts manager is better.

i switched about 3 months ago and have had no problems or complaints.

 

[MostC]

Thats good news. I will take a look at it again. As for now, the customer is reasonabley happy with two profiles. However this brings up a new problem.

It seems that the signature file is not contained in the profile. Therefore if you set one up with a signature for company A it appears when you open the profile for the company B. In this case we just dropped the use of the signature. Is there any known way around this?

Chris

 

[eyec]

Thunderbird allows each account to set up their own signature or multiple signatures that you can chose from a dropdown when you are composing an email.

 

[58sniper]

You can have multiple signatures in Outlook, and you can pick and choose which one you want on a per message basis.

Pat Richard
Microsoft Exchange MVP