Real easy: Two computers - one email ac 1

[mymou]

Hi All

I used to have one computer downloading emails from an ISP into Outlook Express on win98.

Now I have a second computer that needs access to the same emails.

What is the best way of sharing these mails? Looking for a simple solution.

Thanks in advance.


Stew

 

[PAndersen]

On both computers, in Outlook Express :
Tools / Accounts / Properties / Advanced / Delivery ,
mark 'leave a copy of messages on server'.

 

[mymou]

Thanks PAndersen

I guess this will eventually causes problems with ISP as all mail tends to be kept. Isn't there a way to store all messages locally and share (ie downloads from either computer go to the same location on the network)?

Outlook Express' help is a bit fussy on this.

Stew

 

[PAndersen]

If you select 'Leave a copy of messages on server', then you will get an option to remove messages from server after a specified no of days and/or remove from server when deleted ... If the two computers are on one local net, it should be possible to use shared folders. However, if one of the computers is portable, the leave mail on server is probably the best solution.

 

[mymou]

Hi PAndersen

Neither computer is portable so a shared folder would be ideal - but have can you instruct Outlook Express to look at a particular folder?

I cant find out how - so, I thought that I would have to set up some kind of server facilities for Outlook - and im out of my depth.

?

Stew

 

[PAndersen]

I have not tested it, but I suppose the following will work : Today, the mail folder is probably
C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook Express
on both machines. Select one machine to be the common site for mail data. Next, share the mail folder, and give the other computer full password protected access to it.
On computer # 2, mount the folder, say as E: . Then, in OE on that computer, select Tools / Options / Maintenance .
Click the Store Folder button and change the path from
C:\Windows\ ...... to E:\

 

[PAndersen]

I have not tested it, but I suppose the following will work : Today, the mail folder is probably
C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook Express
on both machines. Select one machine to be the common site for mail data. Next, share the mail folder, and give the other computer full password protected access to it.
For safety reasons, make a backup of the folder, in case it will be overwritten by the (incomplete ?) mail files existing on the other machine.
On computer # 2, mount the folder, say as E: . Then, in OE on that computer, select Tools / Options / Maintenance .
Click the Store Folder button and change the path from
C:\Windows\ ...... to E:\

 

[mymou]

AAAHHHHH


I was looking for exactly that and eventually gave up.

I haven't checked it yet - but im sure it will work.

I did ask for a simple solution - and now I feel a bit simple myself.

Thanks.


Stew

 

[leoaln]

Hi Pandersen and Stew,

I have tried that solution and was able to see the mapped drive in OE but it would not let me select it. I have tried with OE 5 & 6 and win98se, win 2000 and xp. It seems that OE won't access a network drive.

leoaln

 

[dataside]

As a different slant on this, have you considered IMAP email accounts. They work like POP3 but the emails are stored on the server. You synchronise with the server over the internet. If you reply, the reply form one PC is stored on the server so you can see it form another. Not many companies offer IMAP accoutns and they are not really well understood but I've been using them for 3 years with an excellent and professional hosting comany and never encountered any problems. Outlook Express works perfectly well with them (even better than Outlook 2000). If you're interested I can give you the name of the hosting comapny who give a months free tial.

Please forgive me if this is not a viable solution but for me if resolved the probelm in a better way than just trying to share a POP3 account POP3 was never designed to be shared.

Peter
Simple solutions are the best!

 

[CincyScott]

I have a very similar setup to yours, i.e. multiple machines, one ISP, but four mail accounts (separate identities, too, in order to separate newsletters, personal mail, a throwaway "junk" account to register with on sites that require it, and development environment [Delphi, etc.] news). I have found the solution proposed earlier to be perfectly adequate. I have all three of the machines on my home LAN set up w/OE and the four identities. All have "leave on server" set to two days.

To prevent needless duplication, I download my development-related mail (heaviest volume) to my primary development system. Personal mail I usually go ahead and check on all three to ensure that I have a copy in case of a crash. Newsletters vary, depending on type and content. Whenever I make an online purchase, I d/l that on all three to be sure I've got a copy of my registration data and any necessary activation codes.

I've found this to be a satisfactory way to maintain duplication when I want it, and avoid it when I don't. True, it's a bit of a kludge, but what the hey, it's simple and it works ;-). In a short time of using this method, you will work out your own pattern for how you want mail shared or not between the machines. I've been unsuccessful in figuring out any other way to accomplish this end, but in short order I found that it suited my style perfectly well. YMMV . . .

Cheers,
Scott

 

[mrcoons]

I agree with Peter, IMAP is the way to go. I have 3 PC's and can read my email on any of them. Mark
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256mb RAM (all Dell)
30GB Hitachi HDD
32mb GeForce2Go
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Nostromo n50
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256mb RAM
80gb HD - 64mb GeForce3
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